Hallstatt or comparables

Beautiful pictures Steve!

Martine,

I agree with Steve in that Hallstatt is definitely worth a stop! You can drive, but arriving by road you'll miss the incredible view from across the lake. Here's a sample....

There's a Salt Mine above town which you can reach via Funicular. There's an old Fortress at the top of the Funicular called Rudolfsturm that was once used to house the troops protecting the Salt Mine. There's a restaurant there and the views from the patio on a sunny afternoon are incredible (of course, a few pints helps to enhance the view!).

Happy travels!

If what you want is "hiking, lake activities, maybe salt mine close by, beautiful scenery", Berchtesgaden fits the bill and is closer to Munich.

However, that being said, Hallstatt is a totally unique place, a signature site, much like Neuschwanstein. If you don't go to Hallstatt, you can't every say, "I've seen Hallstatt".

Hallstatt is a tiny town, shoehorned between a steep mountain face and a deep glacial lake. I found it very touristy. Although I might have been the only real American in the town, I heard English everywhere, from Italian and Oriental tourist and from Austrian waiters and shopkeepers.

As for arrival, I think the bus from Salzburg to Bad Ischl is quicker. From Bad Ischl to Hallstatt the train is pretty direct. The Bahnhof is across the lake. If you have a hotel room in the town, the boat comes across the lake to near the market square. However, I stayed in a farm house in the Echerntal, south of town. The Echern flows into the lake at Lahn, near the south portal of the auto tunnel, and the bus terminal is there, so I took the bus from Bad Ischl to Lahn. Saved walking or an extra boat from town to Lahn.

I will ditto the remarks of Steve, Bradley and Ken. There is no place like Hallstatt. Steve's view was similar to mine from a different hotel. The back of my hotel is in the center of his photo.

Thank you all for your replies, Hallstatt it will be! Looking forward to it!