Day 5 - Hallstatt

This day would include a closed attraction, zero museums, and very little other activities.

 

And it still ended up being one of my favorite days of our trip. Yes, Hallstatt is that good.

 

Our Plan A was to visit the Five Fingers Viewpoint, as mentioned in this post and about a 45-minute bus ride from Hallstatt. However, Brendan thankfully and impulsively stopped by the TI on our way to the bus and learned that the cable car was closed due to snow earlier in the week.

 

Major bummer, yes. But also a major save that we learned this before we hopped on the bus. And then we suddenly had a full day ahead of us with very little planned -- a different type of blessing!

 

We were learning that shoulder-season traveling is a little unpredictable, but as we spent the rest of the day enjoying beautiful weather and very little crowds, it was definitely still worth it.

Our Plan A viewpoint might have been closed, but that didn't spoil our hopes for vistas! The funicular ride up to the viewpoint over Hallstatt.

Perfection!

Good coffee, great views. We enjoyed having the café at the top of the funicular over Hallstatt almost entirely to ourselves.

Looking down on Hallstatt. As we hiked down from the viewpoint, the church bells rang their noon concert: a definite trip highlight for me that we wouldn't have experienced if Five Fingers had been opened.

At the viewpoint over Hallstatt.

We took the funicular up but hiked down -- a pleasant 20 minute hike with my favorites: historical sights and interpretive signs! (the signs were thankfully in German AND English)

 

On our way to the bus stop - which we thankfully didn't end up taking to a closed attraction.  
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 



After we hiked back to town, we grabbed a quick lunch to go and rented an old but quaint motorboat. Trying to soak in as much of the sun - and views! - as possible, we returned to our hotel balcony and enjoyed schnapps and wine for the rest of the afternoon while overlooking the lake.

It might have been a bummer to miss one of our "top sights", but it'll give us a great reason to return.

Auf Wiedersehen!