Hallstatt

Hallstatt

Another place you can visit is actually Hallstatt, Austria. I find that a drive from Munich to Hallstatt (2-3 hours) is much more affordable than a day trip from Salzberg, considering that it takes a few more hours compared to Munich-Hallstatt and you have to stopover in Salzberg. Click for my Hallstatt post here

With so much rave from my friends who have visited Hallstatt, I was totally excited about visiting this town that is also a UNESCO Heritage site. But then, after spending 30 minutes taking nice photos of the place, photoshopping your upload and hashtagging whatever, you will be more than ready to move on. Do try the grilled fish that is caught in the lake just next to Hallstatt. Delicious!

Taken from the web

What I really like was that Hallstatt sold salt from the nearby salt mine. Rock salt is much more healthy than the kind that are synthetic or obtained from the sea as they contain more than 90 different trace elements like zinc and magnesium that your body needs in very small amounts. Most people don't take enough of such minerals, which is why natural rock salt fills in this gap perfectly. The highest quality rock salt that is available is the rose-colored salt crystals found only in places like Hallstatt and the Himalayans. The many hues of pink, red and white are an indication of the rich and varying mineral and energy rich content within the salt. Expensive, yes, but very tasty when added to food and very beneficial too!

There are 2 tourist attractions that people usually combine in a trip to Hallstatt - the salt mine and the ice caves. I didn't have enough time for the salt mine so I only went to the ice cave. We did the Mammoth cave and Ice Cave combo, but actually the Mammoth cave was just a cave. Thought that there will be mammoth fossils inside or something. Tour takes about 50 minutes.

The ice cave is really cool though. It's quite cold inside (remember to bring your down) and it's amazing how this cave is frozen all year round. Tour takes about 1 hour plus.