Skywalk Hallstatt and Alpine Viewpoint

A must-do in Hallstatt, the Hallstatt Skywalk Observation Point gives you a bird’s eye view of Hallstatt and the neighboring village of Obertraun. The height of the Skywalk is exactly 300 meters above the lake.

Where is the Hallstatt Skywalk and how to get there?

The excitement of climbing so high and watching the historic village of Hallstatt from above is high. Add the breathtaking Alpine panorama of the Hallstatt Dachstein Salzkammergut to the list of things to see. Lake, mountain and village views can only be seen so well. You have two options to reach the Skywalk, one of Hallstatt’s best viewpoints

Getting to the Skywalk by funicular: One of the transportation options is to take the funicular. The departure point of the funicular is located in a large area south of Hallstatt village, right near the parking lot. The 500-meter-long funicular takes you from 510 altitude to 840 altitude in as little as 3 minutes. The price is 16€ up and down and 9€ one way.

You can enjoy the view both on the way up and on the way down if you get on the funicular from the lower door and stand on the lower side.

The funicular goes up in 3 minutes, but the ascent and the simultaneous shrinking of the city makes you feel good. It's a bit like animation, the brain has a hard time reconciling it with reality.

After getting off the funicular, you take an elevator to the Rudolfsturm building. I’ll talk about what Rudolfsturm is in a moment, but first let’s get to the Skywalk terrace. After passing the Rudolfsturm building, you will reach Skywalk Hallstatt.

Getting to the Skywalk on foot: If you like hiking and trekking, and you have plenty of time, you can cover this path in a much longer time and of course for free. Of course, there is no entrance fee to enter the Skywalk, the fee is to use the funicular. If you want to walk, you can start the climb by using the stairs next to the parking lot at the top of Market Square.

We preferred to take the funicular up and walk down. Make sure you use the walkway somehow, because you get some legendary views. On our way down, we came across a few tourists going up. It can be a bit tiring, but it is definitely worth it.

The other side of the Skywalk faces the square, the center of Hallstatt.

If you have time, sit on the benches and take a breath. It's best to savor this moment.

Now let’s go back to Rudolfsturm. As you know, a little bit above the Skywalk is one of the first salt mines in history. Rudolfsturm, which means Rudolf Tower, is a defense tower built in the 13th century to protect the salt mine and its buildings. Today it is used as a restaurant and cafe.

Hallstatt Salt Mines

Salzberg mountain with salt mines was discovered in Hallstatt 7000 years ago and the salts extracted from the mines became a trade element that made Hallstatt stand out. The salt mines here are one of the first salt mines in the world. Salzwelten Hallstatt mines are worth exploring. The underground salt lakes and the world’s oldest salt mines are worth a closer look.

You walk 600 meters from the Skywalk to the salt mines, after a slight climb, and if you want to visit the salt mines, they dress you in a special outfit. Hallstatt’s historical secret is the salt that lies in the mountains. For centuries, villagers have earned income from these mines lying beneath the surface. This salt mine tour, which is 300 meters below the surface, takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. As you descend hundreds of meters below the ground, you slide down slides, examine the salts, watch movies and slideshows about how the salts were extracted from these mines centuries ago, and at the exit you are pulled up in a wagon-style vehicle. Like the underground cities of Cappadocia, the underground journey consists of several floors and each floor has different activities.

To join the group, you need to enter the big building in the middle. After paying the fee, you will be guided by a guide and start to go down to the mines.

While walking from the salt mines to the Skywalk, I wanted to show you the elevator you will use after getting off the funicular and the platform leading to the Skywalk. This is also the starting point of the hiking trail.

We didn’t go into the salt mines. If I had the opportunity now, I think I would still be torn between going in or not because of the price. If you go up on foot, you have to pay 22€ for the salt mine experience. The funicular is normally 16€ round trip. If you want to enter the salt mine and take the funicular back and forth, you have to pay 30€.

Now let’s talk about the way back. If you want to take the return route on foot without using the funicular, it means 7€ in your pocket. It takes about 35-40 minutes to descend from the Skywalk on foot. The path is forested and much more attractive than a funicular ride. On the Skywalk side, there are various signs pointing to the paths at the crossroads. Of course, there are other ways for trekking, but if you want to go down to the center of Hallstatt, there are two similar paths. The route is marked on the signpost and the number of turns and what to expect are indicated.