Bad Ischl

Nestled on the southwestern shore of the Hallstätter See, squeezed dramatically between a sheer mountain wall and a shimmering alpine lake, Hallstatt is a masterpiece of constrained geography and ancient human history. This UNESCO World Heritage site is famous globally as one of Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements, with a history of salt mining stretching back over seven millennia. The charming 16th-century wooden houses thrusting out over the water create a postcard-perfect scene that has become a must-see for international travelers. Here, one can descend into the subterranean prehistoric salt mines via wooden slides—an exhilarating experience unique to the region—and visit the fascinating beehive tombs and ossuary, where centuries of beautifully painted skulls are arranged in rows. Yet, Hallstatt is more than just a pretty facade; it is a living, breathing village where every narrow, atmospheric alleyway reveals a new view of the lake, the church spire, or the towering Dachstein mountains beyond.

Perched on a sheer dolomite precipice at 2,100 metres, the “Five Fingers” viewing platform splays over the abyss like a giant’s hand reaching toward the Salzkammergut. Each fingertip offers a distinct sensation: one is glazed with a glass floor revealing the 400-metre drop to the Hallstätter See, another frames the Grossglockner’s icy crown, a third cradles a stainless-steel “cloud” bench for contemplation. The platform is the crowning jewel of the Dachstein Krippenstein cable-car journey, which ascends from Obertraun through alpine pastures strewn with edelweiss to the UNESCO Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape. In winter, the area transforms into a freeride mecca; in summer, the “World Heritage Spiral” trail loops past the Ice and Mammoth Caves, where subterranean rivers have sculpted glittering cathedrals of ice that persist year-round.

Nestled in the heart of the Salzkammergut, Lake Wolfgang (Wolfgangsee) is a jewel of alpine splendour, its crystalline waters reflecting the sheer limestone faces of the Schafberg and the rolling forests of the surrounding hills. The lake’s western shore cradles the pilgrimage village of St. Wolfgang, home to the famous late-Gothic Pilgrimage Church with its magnificent Michael Pacher altarpiece. A nostalgic steamship fleet plies the route between St. Wolfgang, St. Gilgen, and Strobl, offering the most graceful way to absorb the scenery. For the adventurous, the Schafbergbahn—a historic cog railway—climbs to the 1,783-metre summit for one of Austria’s most celebrated panoramas.

Since 1893, the Schafbergbahn has clawed its way up the Schafberg’s northern flank — a 5.85-kilometer cog railway gaining 1,190 meters through forests, alpine meadows, and sheer rock faces. Vintage steam locomotives (coal-fired, meticulously maintained) still haul heritage carriages on summer weekends; modern railcars handle daily service. The 35-minute ascent is a masterclass in railway engineering: five tunnels, sixteen viaducts, gradients up to 26%. At 1,783 meters, the summit station opens onto the “Sea of Peaks” — the Dachstein massif, the Toten Gebirge, and below, the Wolfgangsee’s fjord-like blue. The historic Hotel Schafbergspitze, perched on the knife-edge ridge, offers hearty Austrian fare and sunset panoramas that have inspired painters for generations. It’s nostalgia and nature fused — a journey where the train is the destination.