It’s rare that a town’s charm will get me out of bed early. The postcard-pretty, lake-cuddling town of Hallstatt, two hours south of Salzburg, is one of those places. First thing in the morning, I head to the high end of town to look at the glassy waters of Lake Hallstatt. With the town’s church spire mirrored in the tranquil water, a shuttle boat cuts through its reflection, like a knife putting a swirl in the icing on a big cake. For just a moment, it disturbs this oasis of peace.
Hallstatt is located in Austria’s Salzkammergut lake district, a scenic wonder that has enthralled nature lovers for centuries. This is Sound of Music country—idyllic and majestic, but not rugged, a gentle land where lakes and mountains are shuffled together like a game of 52-card pickup.
