Heritage.Hotel Hallstatt
Why we like it: Hotel spread across three old houses in the centre of Hallstatt, with the main one on the landing stage, a sauna with a view of the church and family suites with a lake view.
Duration2 nights, Friday to Sunday
From ViennaTrain, about 3 h; by car, about 3 h 30
Getting aroundOn foot, by boat, bus, cable car and train
Best timeMay – October
BringA coat for the ice cave, which is below zero
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for leaving Vienna on Friday morning and returning on Sunday afternoon, without a car, from May to October, when the ice cave is open. You sleep both nights in Hallstatt, which is what changes the trip most: the village is yours before ten and after six. On Sunday you return via Bad Ischl, which is on the same railway line.
Friday
- 17:00Train to Hallstatt
Railjet to Attnang-Puchheim and Salzkammergutbahn. Around 10:00, boat to the village and drop your suitcase at the Haus Kainz of the Heritage.Hotel.
- 211:00Salt mine
Funicular from the Salzbergstraße, the Skywalk over the lake and the guided tour with the miners' slides. €49 with funicular. About three hours.
- 319:00Dinner at the Seewirt Zauner
On the square, since 1893: the grilled Reinanke. Open Tuesday to Saturday; book a table on the balcony.
Saturday
- 18:30Krippenstein and the ice cave
Bus 542 or 543 to Obertraun Dachsteinseilbahn and cable car. At the intermediate station you sign up for the Giant Ice Cave tour, at –2 °C; then continue to the Krippenstein and walk to the 5fingers, the platform over 400 metres of void. Full day.
- 219:00Dinner at the Restaurant Seeauer
Beside the landing stage, with fish from the nearby lakes. Book a dinner sitting.
Sunday
- 19:00Train to Bad Ischl
The Salzkammergutbahn drops you in the centre of Bad Ischl. Breakfast or cake at the Konditorei Zauner, open every day from 8:30.
- 211:00Kaiservilla
The summer house of Franz Joseph and Sisi, with a 45-minute guided tour and the park. €24.
- 314:30Return to Vienna
Train via Attnang-Puchheim, about three hours.
The Salzkammergut is the region of lakes and mountains between Salzburg and the Dachstein, and Hallstatt, its most famous village, is about three hours from Vienna by train. In a day there is time for little; with two nights you see the village without the day trippers, go down to the salt mine, go up the Dachstein to the ice cave and the 5fingers viewpoint, and return via Bad Ischl, the spa town of Franz Joseph and Sisi. All without a car: train, boat, bus and cable car.
How do you get there from Vienna?
On the ÖBB Railjet from Wien Hauptbahnhof to Attnang-Puchheim, and there the Salzkammergutbahn regional train to Hallstatt station, about three hours with the change. The station is on the other shore of the lake: the Stefanie boat leaves with each train and takes you across to the village for €4, cash only. By car it is about three and a half hours, but Hallstatt is closed to traffic and you have to park at the entrance.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage.Hotel Hallstatt | On the landing stage and in the centre of the village | To arrive by boat and have the village first thing; dogs allowed |
| Gasthof Gosausee | On the Gosausee shore, facing the Dachstein | If you are going by car and want lake and mountain without crowds; reopens on 30 January 2027 |
And if you have one more day?
By car, spend the day at the Gosausee: the lake loop with the Dachstein glacier opposite, an hour on foot, and lunch or a night at the Gasthof Gosausee. Without a car, go up the Schafberg from St. Wolfgang, from late April to early November.
With children
The mine admits children from age 4, with a miners' train and slides. The Dachstein company says the ice cave is suitable for all ages; wrap up warmly, as it is below zero and you climb stairs. The path to the 5fingers is an easy trail, with panels for children. At the Heritage, the family suites are for four to six people.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Salzkammergut, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Salzkammergut
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Where to stay
Where to stay in Salzkammergut
Gasthof Gosausee
Why we like it: A guesthouse with a restaurant on the shore of the Vorderer Gosausee, facing the Dachstein glacier, with rooms with a balcony onto the lake. Closed until 29 January 2027 inclusive; reopens on the 30th.
From €79
View details
Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rössl
Why we like it: Upper-range four-star hotel on the shore of the Wolfgangsee, in St. Wolfgang, with a heated pool in the lake itself, saunas and several restaurants.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Salzkammergut
Seewirt Zauner
What to order: the grilled Reinanke with parsley potatoes, the dish the house recommends.
Hallstatt main square · Closed Sunday and Monday · Balcony with a lake view
Konditorei Zauner
What to order: a slice of Zaunerstollen or one of the buffet cakes with a Melange.
Pfarrgasse 7, in the centre · Every day 8:30 to 18:00
Restaurant Seeauer
What to order: the fish from the nearby lakes, which the house suggests as its speciality.
Landungsplatz, beside the landing stage · Open every day · In winter, evenings only on weekdays
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Buy the mine and the Dachstein combined ticket online in July and August: they are the busiest months.
We'd skip it
Don't go from November to April counting on the ice cave: it is always closed in winter.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
It depends mostly on the hotel, which does not publish fixed nightly rates. Add €49 for the mine, the cable car ticket with the cave (cheaper online), €8 for the return boat, the Kaiservilla, €24, and meals.
Do I need a car?
No: train, boat, bus and cable car. Only the Gosausee is more convenient by car.
When is it best to go?
From May to October, with the ice cave open. In July and August, book everything beforehand.
Can it be done in one night?
Yes, dropping the cave or Bad Ischl, but it is six hours of train there and back.