Hallstatt, Austria’s Fairytale Town

Hallstatt is Austria's truly quintessential fairytale town. The moment you arrive, you feel as though you've stepped into a picture-perfect postcard, where idyllic streets, quaint houses and absolutely breathtaking landscapes make you feel as though there's a touch of magic around every corner. I visited Hallstatt on a very wintery day - it snowed heavily as the train chugged in from Salzburg and the visibility on the ferry crossing the lake was very limited, so when the skies parted in the early afternoon showing off the magnificent mountain surrounds blanketed in fresh white snow, it was surreal.

How to Get to Hallstatt

I live in Salzburg, and so arrived by train from there. However, arriving from Vienna is very similar, as in both cases you need to switch trains at Attnang-Puchheim and then take a 45-minute train the rest of the way to Hallstatt. The train station is across the lake from the town, but a convenient little ferry (€7 per person round-trip, cash only) aligns with the train schedule and ferries passengers back and forth on the 15-minute crossing between the train station and the main harbour in Hallstatt.

2. Wander the idyllic streets