As the winter holiday approaches, more and more people are interested in discovering destinations fit for winter sports, with beautiful landscapes and tasty local cuisine. Austria should surely be on their bucket list, as it bursts with charming villages and small towns, such as Gmunden and Hallstat. Here are some short descriptions of these two picturesque places that I enjoyed visiting two years ago.
Gmunden town
Gmunden is a small town, crowded in the summer time, as it is a well-known health resort, officially recognized as a SPA resort in 1862. Traunsee Lake beaches here in Gmunden are some of the best and you can enjoy a great variety of lakeside activities, including sailing, swimming and water-skiing. However, do not hesitate to visit Gmunden in the wintertime. If fact, I think this is the perfect time of the year for tourists to admire the beautiful landscapes, to attend folkloric shows, to walk along the lake (Strandbad), to relax in the warm local taverns and welcoming cafes and to improve their skiing skills on the Grünberg area.
You should know there are plenty of things to do in Gmunden and surrounding areas, including a visit to the former Ort Castle (Schloss Ort), which you’ll find on a small island close to the town center. Feel free to wander around the castle and do not forget to stop at the nearby restaurant for lunch or dinner (https://schlosshotel-passau.com/).
For accommodation, book a room at Seehotel Schwan Hotel (https://www.seehotel-schwan.at/en.html), offering panoramic lake views, as it is located directly on the main square in the centre of Gmunden and only a few steps away from Lake Traun's shore. Also, the hotel’s restaurant offers tasty local dishes and ensures a romantic atmosphere during lazy winter dinners.
You may read here more about this charming town:
https://traunsee-almtal.salzkammergut.at/en/
Hallstatt village
Hallstatt, also known as “the Pearl of Austria”, is one the most famous attractions in Austria and many consider it to be one of the most beautiful villages in the world. This is a truly spectacular place, due to the beautiful lake view and the impressive surrounding mountains. Placed in Salzkammergut Lake District, Hallstatt is also famous for being one of the oldest still inhabited settlement in Europe (it has a 7,000 years history behind), as well as a UNESCO heritage site since 1997 (https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/806).
In Hallstat you’ll even find the oldest salt mine - Salzwelten in Hallstat (https://www.salzwelten.at/en/hallstatt/mine/) in the world. For the best views of Hallstatt (https://www.hallstatt.net/), take a ferry ride across the lake to contemplate the view and admire the village panorama. Also, do not miss a walk from the market square along the lake side to admire the houses and the landscapes. It shouldn’t take you more than one hour, as the village is quite small. In fact, it has just over nine hundred inhabitants.
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