Hallstatt
- Kyra Menzel
- Jul 23, 2018
- 2 min read
Hallstatt guys. Hallstatt. Apparently, it’s considered the most picturesque town in Austria. In fact it is so beautiful, that China is building an exact replica of the entire city in their country. (Which is honestly the funniest thing I have ever heard.) But to be honest, I understand why they are so besotted with it.
Driving in, the road hugs the lake nestled in green peaks. It was raining the day we visited. While I wish it had been good weather that day, it added another layer of beauty to the town. Clouds dripped down into the grooves and slowly settled on the surface of the glassy water. And suddenly, the church steeple was visible. I promise I heard the opening song of “Beauty and the Beast” in the background. This town will remind you of every Disney movie ever.
So the town was founded because of the surrounding salt mines. They sell salt everything, even salt deodorant (literally just like a bar of soap but salt…not completely convinced of its efficiency). This town has been mining salt for centuries. There is actually evidence of Celts and people of the Early Iron Age of Europe around 800-450 BC. Crazy huh? I am always mind blown by the history of Europe.
The last fun fact I will share with you is a little…creepy? Hallstatt is the home of the largest collection of painted skulls in Europe. Yep. Human skulls, painted, and organized in a little church on the top of the hill. At first, I questioned the motive behind this whole thing but there was such limited burial space that every ten years, graves were excavated and reused. And the remains of those who’d been “kicked out” of their places were labeled and placed in this small chapel as another form of burial.
To be honest, you can walk the entire city in around 15 minutes. But it is a gorgeous fifteen minutes! Just look at all the pictures and start looking at flights to Austria! Summer vacation is almost over ;)
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