Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut

Gorgeous view of Hallstattersee in Austria
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hallst%C3%A4ttersee.jpg
Author: Geber Sascha


The Salzkammergut region in Austria, today a World Heritage Site, has already been inhabited since prehistoric times. The site has salt deposits which have been mined as early as the second millennium BC. It was from salt that Salzkammergut region prospered, and this is reflected by the fabulous buildings found in the medieval town of Hallstatt today.

The Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 21st session of the World Heritage Committee which met in Naples, Italy, on 1-6 December, 1997. The Committee recognised Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut alpine region as an outstanding example of a natural landscape of great beauty and scientific interest, and also for the evidence of human economic activity that was integrated harmoniously to the landscape.

Scenic view of Hallstatt, Austria, with the tall mountains in the background
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hallstatsight.jpg
Author: Pedroserafin

What to See in Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape

The Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut region is dotted with lakes flanked by soaring mountains, offering wonderful scenic views. It is a place to relax as well as to engage in various recreational activities such as water sports, boating, hiking and cycling.

Towns in Salzkammerguit include Hallstatt, Gmunden, Altmünster, Traunkirchen, Ebensee, Obertraun, Gosau, Bad Ischl, Bad Goisern, Bad Aussee, Strobl, St. Wolfgang, St. Gilgen and Fuschl. Of these, Hallstatt is the most popular. This lovely little town is located by the west bank of Lake Hallstatt (Hallstätter See) with the backdrop of the Dachstein mountain range. The landmark of the town is the beautiful Pfarrkirche, a church rising above the town.

A scenic view of Hallstatt taken in 1900
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hallstatt_um_1900.jpeg
Author: anonymous

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N 47 33 34 E 13 38 47
Inscription Year: 1997
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: III, IV

Location

The Salzkammergut region stretches from the city of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, covering the Austrian federal states of Upper Austria, which comprises 80% of Salzkammergut, Salzburg, 7%, and Styria, 13%.

Etymology

Salzkammerguit means "estate of the salt chamber". This is the name of the Imperial Salt Chamber, the authority regulating the mining of salt during the Habsburg Empire.

Getting there

From Vienna, take the West-Autobahn (E60) until Laakirchen. Exit Autobahn to Route 144 all the way to Gmunden, which is one of the towns in Salzkammergut. To reach Hallstatt, from Route 144 continue west on Route 120 to the Salzkammergut-Bundesstraße (Route 145). Continue south on Highway 145 until Stambach, where you take the Paß Gschütt-Bundessttraße (Route 166) southwards to Hallstatt.

List of World Heritage Sites in Austria and World Heritage Sites in the World

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.