Hallstatt

Barely half an hour after leaving the valley station of the cable car, we arrived in Hallstatt.

Parking, however, proved difficult. Cars are banned in the town itself. There are plenty of parking lots on the outskirts, which, though quite expensive, do offer enough space – for cars!

Again and again, we came across signs forbidding entry to motorcycles. After driving around for nearly half an hour, we finally found a motorcycle parking area about a 15-minute walk from the center.

I had already visited Hallstatt three years ago with my sister and niece, but Gerhard didn’t know the town yet.

As for me, I do think the town is beautiful – no doubt about it. The picturesque houses nestle against the hills, and the village lies right by the dreamy lake – it’s lovely. Still, I never really understood the hype around this place.

Thousands of tourists, mostly from Asia and the U.S., crowd the narrow streets of Hallstatt. Peace and quiet are nowhere to be found. Every photo is full of strangers. You can't get a clear shot of the truly beautiful houses.

There are so many charming little towns and villages in the Salzkammergut – why Hallstatt of all places? I honestly don’t know.

We first strolled along the promenade.

At the far end of the village, a gentle climb leads to a spot with a stunning view over the lake, the church, and the surrounding houses.

The view from there is gorgeous. But, of course, word has gotten out, so there were plenty of people there as well.

Soon, we began to feel a bit hungry again. By now, it was almost 9:00 p.m., and still broad daylight – it was June 21st – the summer solstice!

On our way through town, we had noticed a cozy-looking lakeside restaurant with quite reasonable prices.

We stopped there and were not disappointed.

I ordered char, Gerhard had trout, each served with fries and a mixed salad. The food tasted excellent. At the end, the host even treated us to a coffee. Now that is how you build customer loyalty! Many a restaurateur could take a lesson.

The whole time, we enjoyed a breathtaking view over Lake Hallstatt, bathed in the shifting light of the setting sun.

It was very late when we finally returned to the hotel. This day was definitely one of the absolute highlights of my stay.