{"id":8327,"date":"2017-09-10T15:30:04","date_gmt":"2017-09-10T20:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/outsidesuburbia.com\/?p=8327"},"modified":"2020-02-24T19:19:12","modified_gmt":"2020-02-25T01:19:12","slug":"salzwelten","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/outsidesuburbia.com\/travel\/europe\/austria\/salzwelten\/","title":{"rendered":"Salzwelten: Visiting the Oldest Salt mine in the World near Hallstatt"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you know that the names of the city of Salzburg and the region of Salzkammergut come from Salt – which is one of the most important raw materials in Austria?  Dubbed as the “white-gold”, it plays such an important part in the history of the region and Salzwelten in the oldest salt mine in the world.   Hallstatt is more than a pretty lakeshore village although it has become a favorite destination for people(especially Photographers and Instagrammers) from all over because of its extremely striking position right on lake Hallstatter. Home to less than 1000 people, Hallstatt has been inhabited for thousands of years because it has bountiful deposits of natural salt that people living there always mined.  A region in China has even built a full-scale replica of it but you will be better off to visit the real town for some unique adventures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Salzwelten
Two funiculars going opposite directions sharing the same track <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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We arrived at Hallstatt after a picturesque drive from Salzburg, the clouds covering up most of the hills made for a rainy yet dreamy day.  We decided to visit the Salt mine first and we’re hoping the rain would clear up by the time we got to visit the town center.  We have seen so many pretty pictures of the stacked wooden houses of Hallstatt and wanted to see them for ourselves. We took the Funicular up the mountain, the glass-walled funicular turns what would be a 1-hour steep hike up the 1181 foot mountainside into a 3-minute scenic ride.  The panoramic views down on to the lakeside village surrounded by the Alps are truly amazing while the funicular climbs up.  Many visitors who have no intention of visiting the Salt Mine still make the quick trip up the funicular simply for the unbelievable views.  You can take the funicular up the hillside then after the Hallstatt Salt Mine tour, follow the Salt Trail to hike back to the city center. The hike down takes 40-60 minutes or like us you\u2019ll want to take the funicular round trip if you are short on time or if it is raining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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