Austria Posts
Hallstatt. A little village tucked into the mountains in the Salzkammergut with a population of 950. This place had been on my bucket list ever since I saw the images on Pinterest. When we started planning this short trip, we knew we wanted to spend some of our time in Wien and some of our time, well... somewhere else. The options were narrowed down to Budapest, Hungary and Hallstatt, and I am ever so glad we chose the latter.
Our visit was right before everything literally shuts down during the month of November prior to ski season. Although the Ice Caves and Krippenstein Mountain were already closed, it was a great time to visit. There were no crowds, and it seemed like we were the only tourists in town! There were a few tour buses that stopped through, but they never stayed long, just long enough to snap a few pictures and off they went.
We arrived the afternoon of November 1, All Saint's Day which is a national holiday in Austria. We had rented a little apartment on the first floor of a family's home. The apartment had a eating area, kitchen, sleeping area in the small little living space, bedroom, and bathroom.
Where Kristina and I slept.
The view out our window.
Nick and Adam's room.
The view out the bedroom window.
The house was right next to the river, and I loved that we could walk everywhere.
A common sight: cut firewood and smoke rising from the chimneys of each house.
As we wandered, we made a friend. This little guy was behind the fence, and as we walked by, he managed to open the gate by himself and join us. Smart dog! As cute as he was, we returned him back to his home.
While exploring we came across this misty field and mossy path. I think at this point we had only been in town an hour or so and were already completely in love with it.
Signs of fall were all around. The smell of wood-burning fireplaces. Fresh, chilly mountain air. The yellows and oranges scattered on the mountainside and this brilliant red tree.
We made our way down to the lake
and found the swans. Back in the 1860s, swans were brought to Lake Hallstatt because Emperor Franz Josef and his wife Sisi would vacation here, and Sisi LOVED the swans. I have a feeling we would have gotten along quite well due to our shared love for birds.
These little guys were pretty cute too.
Oh Hallstatt... <3
Just for a little perspective, see the funicular to the left? Our house was located fairly close to the bottom of it.
The most beautiful police station I've ever seen!
Fresh spring water near the town square.
The Markplatz. Seriously, how cute and quaint is that.
The Lutheran church steeple rising high above the rest of the town.
And the church was open, so we ventured in.
Through narrow alleys and up staircases, the Catholic Church is set atop the hill.
The lanterns and candles were all lit. We walked through this area numerous times during our visit.
It was so peaceful and quiet.
Dinner out. I think this was our only true full sit-down meal during the trip!
The best hot chocolate here hands down.
All that sauerkraut! Yum!!
Then we made our way back for the night. Up and down the streets, in awe of this beautiful place, with the moon and stars twinkling brightly above.
"That's why travel is so important, among other reasons: to get far enough away from our everyday lives to see those lives with new clarity. When you're literally on the other side of the world, when you're under the silent sea, watching a bright, silent world of fish and coral, when you're staring up at a sky so bright and ensue with stars, it makes you gasp, it's in those moments that you begin to see the fullness of your life, the possibility that still prevails, that always prevails."
-Shauna Niequist, Cold Tangerines
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