Rick Steves Recommends This Storybook Village In Austria For A Romantic Getaway

Looking for a romantic getaway? Do you need the perfect spot to propose or to celebrate an anniversary? Your first thoughts might include the usual suspects like Paris, Rome, or Barcelona, but travel pro Rick Steves has another suggestion. As he often does, Steves recommends looking at hidden gems rather than tourist-infested spots, and one place he picks for a romantic setting is the postcard-worthy beauty of Hallstatt, Austria. On his website, he says, "The tiny town of Hallstatt, positioned picture-perfectly on the shore of Lake Hallstatt in Austria, is just such a place. It's a gentle land — idyllic and majestic — where lakes and mountains are shuffled sloppily together...the perfect place to commune with nature (and one another), Austrian-style." Hallstatt is a little over an hour from the more well-known and busy Salzburg by car. However, Hallstatt just oozes romance, even if it doesn't always get the attention it deserves.

Hallstatt is around 50 miles from W.A. Mozart Salzburg Airport, so it's not a long trip if you have a car. You can also take a train from the airport to Salzburg, but it takes over 2.5 hours. Other options for major airports include Linz Airport, which is 74 miles away, or Graz Airport, which is 120 miles away. If you plan to visit Germany, you can also try Munich International Airport, considered one of the friendliest in Europe, though it's about 150 miles away from Hallstatt.

The charming views in Hallstatt are hard to beat, from the lake, often full of swans, to the snow-capped mountains surrounding the village, to the houses stacked on the hill that look like they were plucked right out of a storybook. On his show "Rick Steves' Europe," Rick Steves explains, "With the scarcity of level land, tall homes had their front door on the street level top floor and their water entrance several floors below. The town, which originated as a salt-mining center, is one of Europe's oldest, going back centuries before Christ." Hallstatt was also once the Habsburg royal family's holiday getaway, so you're following in the footsteps of kings and queens. While you're there, you can take a walk out onto the World Heritage Skywalk, a platform 1,148 feet over the town, with views of the mountains and lake for the perfect picture, or take the funicular up to the town's famous salt mine. (Do note that the funicular is closed for renovation until the summer of 2026. There is a shuttle in the meantime, or you can hike.) 

Steves says that this town was once centered around its salt mine, which is said to be the oldest in the world. In fact, Hallstatt means "place of salt." No matter how you get to the mine, it's a fascinating place to visit. After the beauty of the trip up, you can venture down into the mine for a tour. Entry is around $50 for adults and $28 for kids 4 to 15 at the time of this writing, and you can even do a free salt tasting. Inside, you'll see an underground salt lake and the Barbara Chapel made from rock salt. You'll even learn about how stolen art was stored here in WWII, something that was the basis for the movie "Monuments Men" starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Bill Murray. 

While visiting Hallstatt, you can wander the picturesque streets or take a boat out on the lake. Local boat companies rent out swan boats, stand-up paddleboards, and electric boats. You can't generally reserve them in advance, but you can rent on site with cash or credit card. We're not telling you that you have to propose on a swan boat, but it's an idea.

Make sure to walk to the beautiful Pfarrkirche Mariä Himmelfahrt, the town's Catholic church. Inside you'll find some lovely frescoes and a stunning late Gothic altar by Leonhard Astl. Behind the church is the 12th-century Chapel of St. Michael, one of the more unusual sights in town. Steves explains, "Its bone chapel — or charnel house (Beinhaus) — contains more than 600 skulls." This town has a small graveyard, and bones had to be moved to the bone chapel so the graves could be reused. It's not as dark as you think; the skulls are beautifully painted relics with names or initials, flowers, and other decorations as identification and tribute to those who passed. 

After your exploration of the village, have a romantic dinner at the Bräugasthof Hallstatt. There is seating in the gardens by the lake as well as inside, and the restaurant features Austrian cuisine. You can also stay in the Gothic-style Bräugasthof Hotel, which has been managed by the same family for 150 years. In fact, the building itself has been around since at least 1504 when it was first granted a license to brew beer. Finally, if you're visiting Salzburg before or after you enjoy Hallstatt, make sure you make reservations to eat at St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, considered the world's oldest restaurant.