We ate breakfast at the hotel (included in the cost) and then checked out. Then we were off to the Salt Mine of Hallstatt.
Hallstatt Salt Mine http://www.salzwelten.at
Once again, there are a number of salt mines in the area and the websites are combined so you need to be careful that you have the correct information for the mine you intend to visit. They don’t all have the same hours and dates of operation. Our hotel was very close to the funicular up to the mine. We took it up the mountain and then had a 15 minute walk to the 7000 year old salt mine. There was snow on the ground at this level and it was still falling. The walk along the trails was a bit icy but the falling snow was so much fun. There were informational markers along the way, plus a small building that had a replica of an ancient burial. More bones for Sheila to enjoy. Once we made it to the ticket office we found a large group of young teens waiting for the next tour. The amount of noise they made persuaded us to wait at the gift shop / snack bar for the next tour. This was a good call because the next group was much more sedate, and we had the gift shop all to ourselves. For the tour, we all suited up into what looked like heavy duty scrubs with reinforced seat bottoms. These items were worn over our clothes and our coats created a lovely marshmallow effect. We then followed a wonderful guide into the mines. He gave his presentation in German and then in English, and his humor worked in both because he got laughs from both. The tour was very well done.
At two points we rode down the wooden slides that the miners had used to go to different levels within the mine. We had to straddle it, like a banister but facing forward, then we put our hands on our laps and lifted our legs outstretched and whoooooooosh, we slid down. In describing the two slides, the guide had told us that the second slide was “funnier.” This was a great translation error, but the second slide was, in fact, more fun because it was the longest, being 64 meters (just over 200 feet). It was a riot! At the last slide, after the others had gone down, Connie sat on the end so Sheila could take a reenacted “candid” photo but Sheila saved her by coaxing her out of the way just before the guide himself flew off the end, right where she’d just been sitting. He came down at lightning speed. Yes, there was a monitor giving your slide speed! At the end of the tour, we boarded a seated train like a long picnic bench on wheels and were towed to the exit.
Once back at the bottom of the mountain, there was only a little rain. We walked the short distance to the town square and along the way enjoyed the spectacular view of the charming homes looking out over the lake and the mountains. Many of the little shops along the main street were closed for the season and others were just closed for lunch. We stopped at a public restroom and as Sheila exited Connie pointed up. She turned around and just behind the buildings, was an incredible waterfall pouring down the side of the mountain. Photos just didn’t do it justice.
We headed up to the Karner (Bone House) next to the Catholic church (St. Michael’s) in town where there is a beautiful graveyard with lovely flowers and markers. In the Karner, there are lots and lots of painted skulls and bones – enough to satisfy even Sheila. Because the town is sandwiched between the mountain and the lake, there is very little land for cemeteries, so after 10 to 15 years, the bodies were dug up to make room for new graves. In Hallstatt, a tradition developed to dry and paint the skulls with names, dates, and flowers, etc., and place them in the Karner. This is fairly uncommon now, but there was a skull placed there from a woman (a local Hallstatt resident) who died in 1983.
Like the stores, many of the restaurants were closed as well. We weren’t the only ones trying (and failing) to find food, which caused Sheila to name Hallstatt “The City of Hungry Tourists.” We tried the pizza place that had been recommended by the hotel owner but it was closed too. We saw people eating in one place, Café Derbl, but the door was locked when Connie tried it. When we tried again a bit later, the door magically opened. That “pull” versus “push“ thing can be confusing when it is written in German. The food was great. We had Goulash soup and Weisswurst. Then for dessert we split a Hallstatt torte that was fantastic.
Café Derble http://www.derbl.at
We paid the 2,20 € fare directly to the Captain and took the ferry across the lake to the Hallstatt dock. There was a very short walk from the ferry dock up to the train stop which was nothing more than a small wooden shed. The ferry back and forth across the lake is timed to meet the trains. The view of the mountains and the town from the ferry was perfect. As we returned to Munich, Connie attempted to take video of the Alpine landscape from the train windows. High school students ride the train, like a school bus between small towns to and from school in the mornings and afternoons. We passed a number of lovely towns along the lake, but one in particular took our fancy, Ebensee am Traunsee. It was bigger than Hallstatt but also situated on an Alpine lake and definitely appeared worth a visit next trip.
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