Should I Visit Hallstatt, Austria?

This is the question that haunted me as I planned my 7 day trip to Austria. Along with the main question, I kept thinking of a few others:

• Would it be overcrowded?
• Would I just be taking the same photos as everyone else?
• Does the town even want tourists to visit?
• Does the town still feel authentic or is it too touristy?

Ultimately, I decided to add Hallstatt to my itinerary, but I determined I would NOT go as a daytripper. Now that I've been there, here's how I would answer those questions.

Would it be overcrowded?

When I visited, I would say it was crowded, but not overly so. Keep in mind a few things - season and time of day.

Season

I visited Hallstatt at the end of September, so it wasn't really high tourist season. The weather, if you're wondering, was still perfect! There was barely a hint of fall color in the mountains. The afternoon was warm with a chill in the evenings. So for me, it was the best time of year to visit. I imagine if you were to visit with the 10,000 other travelers expected every day during peak season, you might think Hallstatt was overcrowded.

Time of Day

As I mentioned earlier, I knew I did not want to visit Hallstatt as a daytrip. Daytrips = huge coach buses of crowds that pour into town for a few hours. I didn't want to be part of that. I arrived around 3:00 pm, just as the crowds were dispersing. I spent the night in Hallstatt in an AirBnB with a gorgeous view of the lake, and then left Hallstatt by 10 the next morning as the next wave of daytrippers descended on the village. 

Would I just be taking the same photos as everyone else?

Honestly, yes. Yes, I definitely took the same photos as everyone else because.... 

how do you not take a photo of that view?! But I hope I was able to also get some photos from my own perspective. This is another reason why I wanted to stay overnight and visit Hallstatt in the evening and morning hours. Without the crowds, I would have more opportunity to really look at Hallstatt and see the details. 

Does the town even want tourists to visit?

I had seen several news articles about how Hallstatt was protesting the number of tourists, and I wanted to respect their wishes. Reading more about it, I felt like the protests were focused more on the coach buses rather than individuals or small groups. One of the protest signs read, "tourism yes - mass tourism no." This is another reason why I decided to stay the night. Spending money on lodging and meals, I felt, would contribute more to the economy of the town rather than just popping in for an afternoon.

Does the town feel authentic or is too touristy?

From my short visit, I would say it's a little bit of both. There are definitely souvenir shops with generic, mass-produced Austrian trinkets that line the main street of town. I would say about 80% of the people I saw ere Asian visitors (but who am I to assume they weren't locals?). At the same time, there are a lot of artisan shops to visit. I loved visiting the Charnel House next to St. Michael's chapel where you can see beautifully decorated skulls of bones that have been removed to reuse graves. This felt so distinct. I have never seen anything like it. And as I walked back to my room in the evening along some of the upper roads, I saw residents gathering along benches to chat about their day. 

So.... should you visit Hallstatt?

It's definitely possible to have an authentic experience in Hallstatt, but I don't think you can do it as a daytripper. You can still visit Hallstatt that way, of course, but it will be a different kind of experience. You can't help but be charmed by the views and the buildings no matter how you visit, but I would also question - are you adding to the mass tourism the town doesn't want? To me, that's an important consideration. If you decide to add Hallstatt to your itinerary, I recommend following my example and staying overnight for the best experience.

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