sarahness

Perfectly situated in its spectacular setting, at the foot of cliffs and facing the mist-cloaked Hallstattersee, is the village of Hallstatt.

Here is what guidebook author and TV travel host Rick Steves has to say about Hallstatt:

The minute it popped into view, I knew Hallstatt was my Alpine Oz. It’s just the right size (1,200 people), wonderfully remote, and almost traffic-free. A tiny ferry takes you from the nearest train station across the fjord-like lake and drops you off on the town’s storybook square.

Bullied onto its lakeside ledge by a selfish mountain, Hallstatt seems tinier than it is. Its pint-sized square is surrounded by ivy-covered guest houses and cobbled lanes. It’s a toy town. You can tour it on foot in about 10 minutes.