When I decided to plan a trip to the Austrian Alps, I knew that Hallstatt was one of my “must sees”. Hallstatt is a great day trip option when staying in Salzburg, as it is only a short 1 hour drive away.
When I saw that Bad Ischl was along the driving route from Salzburg to Hallstatt, I knew I wanted to stop there as well. I recommend heading straight to Hallstatt from Salzburg in the morning and stopping in Bad Ischl on your way home. It’s important to get to Hallstatt as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
If you are driving from Salzburg to Hallstatt, make sure to take the 158. Along this driving route you will pass two gorgeous lakes: Fuschlsee and Wolfgangsee. I was pleasantly surprised with this wonderful scenic drive and of course had to stop for some photo-ops at the lakes!
Keep reading for my recommendations for a perfect day trip to Hallstatt and Bad Ischl.
HALLSTATT
Hallstatt is exactly the type of place that you picture in your mind when you think of a tiny Austrian village. It is also the place that comes up the most when you type “Screensaver of Austria” on Google! That’s because Hallstatt is so picture-perfect and postcard worthy. Located on the shores of Lake Hallstatt, surrounded by Austrian Alps, filled with charming 16th-century Alpine homes and alleyways – what more could you ask for in a day trip? I can’t recommend Hallstatt enough, even though there is usually a large amount of tourists overtaking the small village.
Salt Mine
Besides the stunning views, Hallstatt’s major attraction is its salt mine. Hallstatt is known for its production of salt, dating back to prehistoric times, making this salt mine the oldest in the world.
To visit the salt mine, park at P2 and enter the visitor’s centre. You must buy a ticket to take the funicular up the mountain and then make the relatively short hike up to the salt mine. There, you must buy a ticket to tour the salt mine. You’ll then get a miner’s outfit to put on and follow your group into the mine.
To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy the tour of the salt mine. I found it to be gimmicky and underwhelming. Most of the time, you stand around in the pitch black mine and watch a lot of educational videos. There was only one part of the tour where they lit up the salt mine – with a cheesy lightshow!
However, near the end of the tour, I did enjoy seeing some very old artifacts they found inside the mine. This includes the oldest staircase in Europe! Other than saying I have been inside the oldest salt mine in the world and that I have seen the oldest staircase in Europe, I wish we had skipped the tour. I would rather have spent more time walking around Hallstatt and have more time in Bad Ischl.
More info on visiting the Hallstatt Salt Mine: https://www.salzwelten.at/en/hallstatt/
Sky Walk
Although I don’t recommend the salt mine, I DO recommend taking the funicular up the mountain and checking out the famous Skywalk observation deck. Here you’ll have an amazing view of Lake Hallstatt and Hallstatt village from above.
Tip: to avoid the crush of people on the Skywalk but still take in the view, have a bite at Restaurant Rudolfsturm (the only restaurant at the top of the mountain).
Beinhaus (Bone House)
Although it can be hard to find, visiting the Beinhaus is a must. The Beinhaus is located in a small chapel on the grounds of Hallstatt’s Catholic parish church (Katholische Pfarrkirche Maria Am Berg Hallstatt). The view from the church cemetery is to die for (pun intended).
Make your way into the Beinhouse, a small room filled with over 600 painted skulls. This is the largest collection of skulls in the world! When an existing grave in Hallstatt is reused for a new burial, the skull is transferred from the grave to the Beinhaus as part of a second funeral. Sometimes, the identity of the deceased is preserved by painting their name or initials on the skull.
Classic village viewpoint/Postcard view
Just further north of the Beinhaus is Hallstatt’s classic village viewpoint/postcard view. Do not miss this! You will have this stunning photo forever.
BAD ISCHL
Bad Ischl is another beautiful (yet not as touristy) small Austrian town. It rose to prominence when Princess Sophie of Bavaria purchased a villa in the town as a wedding present for her son, the Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph I and his new wife Empress Elisabeth (Sisi). The royal couple chose to spend their summers in the villa. I am totally obsessed with Sisi so this was one reason why I wanted to visit Bad Ischl. The town is also famous for their natural thermal baths.
If you have enough time on your day trip to make a pit stop, I suggest visiting this charming spa town!
Esplanade
Start your time in Bad Ischl with walking the trail along the north side of the river Traun. Use this delightful trail to make your way to Cafe Zauner.
Cafe Zauner
Visiting Cafe Zauner is a must. There are two locations in Bad Ischl but I prefer the Esplanade location. Not only is the cafe beautiful, but it’s also historical. Founded in 1832, the Cafe was so well known that they were chosen as an Imperial and Royal Purveyor to the Court during the times of the Austrian monarchy. This means they regularly supplied their delicious pastries and cakes to the royal family.
We visited Cafe Zauner in the summer so we loved sitting outside right beside the river, under trees and next to flower beds. Heaven!
Cafe Zauner is famous for their Zaunerstollen – a yummy nougat biscuit covered in chocolate. Of course I had to try it.
Cafe Zauner is also a well known spot for Kaiserschmarnn, my favourite dessert that we had on our trip to Germany and Austria. Kaiserschmarrn (Emperor’s Mess) is fluffy shredded pancake, usually served with icing sugar and plum jam. It was first prepared for the Austrian Emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I and he absolutely loved it. Hence the name Kaiserschmarrn. As previously mentioned, Franz Joseph and his wife Sisi spent summers in Bad Ischl, so it only makes sense to have Kaiserschmarrn at the famous Cafe Zauner that served the court!
Kaiservilla
As previously mentioned, Princess Sophie of Bavaria purchased this villa as a wedding present for her son, the Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph I and his new wife Empress Elisabeth. It soon became the royal couple’s official summer residence. Today, you can tour the villa and walk around the beautiful park. Unfortunately, we arrived at the Kaiservilla too late for a tour. I was crushed!
More info on visiting the Kaiservilla: http://www.kaiservilla.at/en/
I hope you enjoyed these recommendations for a day trip to Hallstatt and Bad Ischl!
To read my blog post, “A Road Trip Through Southern Germany and the Austrian Alps,” click here.
