by Denise Seith

Created on: March 15, 2009

Postcard-pretty Hallstatt, Austria

Postcard-pretty Hallstatt is a relaxing break from the fast-paced musical city of nearby Salzburg and big, bustling Vienna. You know it's extra special in terms of history and culture because Hallstatt and the surrounding region (Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut) is a protected UNESCO World Heritage site. That means it holds the same distinction as the pyramids of Giza, the ruins of Pompei, the Great Wall of China, and many other natural and cultural treasures around the world.

Perched on a lakeside ledge, this little two-lane town exudes quiet charm instead of traffic and tourists. A faded fresco of St. Christopher, Patron Saint of Travelers, keeps watch from high on a church wall as swans glide across the peaceful lake down below. In such an idyllic setting, who would have guessed a tourist would stumble upon thousands of unburied human bones! Not just bones, but hand-painted skulls, too!

As it turns out, the story behind the "find" is much more interesting than dubious. The remains are purposely on public view (for a nominal charge) inside the Charnel house in the Chapel of St. Michael. Because tiny Hallstatt is lodged between a mountain and a lake with nowhere to expand, over the years the cemetery would literally run out of space every ten years or so. To solve the problem, bodies were exhumed to make way for the newly dead. Family members would then stack the bones of their deceased relatives in neat rows in the crypt, and often lovingly decorate the skulls with floral designs and denote the dates of birth and death. The tradition is no longer practiced, but talk about efficient recycling!

After exploring the rest of the lovely church and grounds, delve even farther back into Hallstatt's history with a tour of the local salt mine- said to be the oldest in the world. To get there, ride a steep funicular high above town, then hike a little farther- still going up- to the ticket booth where you also don old-fashioned miners' gear. The seat of the pants are thickly padded and you'll soon find out why- cushioning for sliding down banisters!

Follow your tour guide (tours provided in English and other languages, as needed) deep into the subterranean mine where prehistoric Celtic tribes first laboriously dug for precious food-preserving salt thousands of years ago. Informative displays and dioramas along the underground tour route provide details on Hallstatt's 7,000-year salt mining history. Mining continues today, but the extraction process is quite a bit easier- liquid brine flows through a pipeline to a modern salt works in the city of Ebensee 25 miles away (you might glimpse the factory from the train if you ride the rails into or out of Hallstatt).

Hallstatt can be walked end-to-end in about 15 minutes, so choices of restaurants are limited, but for a traditional meal of schnitzel, knudel, and local bier try the Hetthaler. As typical in most small towns throughout Europe, the establishment's friendly proprietor doubles as the wait staff, so diners really enjoy personal service! To burn off a few calories after dinner, stroll through the picturesque village and admire the local schmuck (jewelry) in shop windows. You might even find a souvenir or two you can't live without!

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