Salzwelten in the picture-perfect town of Hallstatt is fun from the word go!
A trip to this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most unique experiences, with thrills and surprises at every turn.
Before you plan a visit to Salzwelten, the oldest salt mine in the world, learn about 10 Practical travel tips about Hallstatt.
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All the way up the mountain.....see the elevation of the funicular!
To reach this prehistoric salt mine, one can take a funicular ride which is really steep, at 838 meters of elevation in just a few minutes from the Valley Station in Hallstatt.
Once you reach the top, you get stunning views of the Hallstaetter See, the Hallstatt Lake and the Dachstein Massif all around the valley.
- Like most tourists, we also had a lot of questions on our minds before going to the salt mine. It's a good idea to go through the FAQs on the official website of Salzwelten -
Once you reach Hallstatt Lahn, the train station in front of Hallstatt Lake, cross the road and walk for about 3 to 4 minutes and you will get to the point where the funicular to the Salt Mine begins.
- Your tour of the salt mine starts from the Valley Station where there is a visitor centre and a shop. The shop has some intriguing salt stuff but don't spend time looking at the shop, you can do it on the way back. You can take a funicular up to the salt mine or also hike up the mountain which takes about an hour.
- There is an option to scan the bar code (included in the ticket) and download an audio guide on your phone before stepping onto the funicular. Our audio guide was not working properly, but soon we discovered that the content of the audio guide was written in print on the way up to the mine. It's more fun reading about it on the placards fixed along the way.
- As you step out of the funicular, you will reach the Panoramic Elevator that will take you to a walkable scenic bridge where you can get very beautiful views. The famous medieval tower, Rudolf Tower, and the viewing platform are also here. But I think one should keep the exploration of this part for later. Instead, take the staircase leading to the path at the top. One should aim to reach the salt mine at the earliest before massive crowds hit.
- Walk along the path, there is a lot of interesting information written on placards, about the history of the industrial salt mines of Hallstatt that led to this small region being a very wealthy part of the Salzkammergut Region of Austria.
The walking path has a slight elevation but it's not very tedious.
- The path ends at Knappenhaus, the point where your conducted tour into the salt mine will start. Please note that entry to the salt mine is only by conducted tours. The tours are done on a first come first serve basis.
- Remember to wear very comfortable shoes and clothes. Don't forget to carry a jacket since it was pretty cold inside the mine.
And now the Salt Mine tour ...
All visitors are allocated to a group with a guide. Our guide was a young, energetic girl whose name I think was Erika.
Our 90-minute tour started with entry into a locker room. Erika was with us all the time, instructing and advising. She gave commentary in both German and English.
All visitors are expected to wear special mining suits over the clothes they are already wearing. Erika repeatedly advised us to wear the suit over our jackets. We realized after entering the salt mine why she was so insistent. It was cold!
The tour starts with an exhibition area where old tools for excavation, hand-operated machines, miners' clothes etc were displayed.
We walked over so many winding staircases and wooden pathways to reach the entrance to the salt cave...
Changed into mining suits and walked through the exhibition area to reach the opening of the salt cave where our tour began...
There are a lot of dos and don'ts while you are on tour. A head count of group members is done, not once but twice. You certainly don't want to get lost in the oldest salt mine in the world!
There are some amazing displays throughout the tour, including the natural salt reserves of salt, types of salts in the world, excavation techniques, and the history of Salzwelten, shown to you in so many different ways.
There are impressive screen projectors inside the cave, some delightful audio-visuals with excellent acoustics and even a small movie theatre to wind up the tour.
I don't want to divulge too many details because it will take away the element of surprise from your tour. All I can say is that these 90 minutes are full of excitement and thrill.
However, the most thrilling part of the tour is the famous slide down the ramp to reach the salt mine.
There are two ramps, the second one has the distinction of being the longest ramp in Europe.
Erika talked us through the experience, again some dos and don'ts, but I remember getting butterflies in my stomach on hearing this fun fact. The ramp plummets 64 meters into the salt mine and all you can do is sit on it and go for the free fall.
There is an option to take the stairs too but most of us opted for the ramp and it truly was fun!
At the end of the tour, you can also get your picture for 8 euros, screaming your way down the ramp!
The tour ends at Knappenhaus, where it started. On your way down, you can stop at the Rudolf Tower, a defence tower from medieval times in its original form.
A little below the tower is the way to the viewing platform. The platform is suspended over Hallstatt Lake; we stood in the far corner to see magnificent views of the lake below.
All I can say is that if you're going to Hallstatt, then don't miss a tour of this fantastic salt mine.
The entire premise is extremely well organized, and the tour is a complete entertainment package with loads of information about the history and geography of the mine, put together in so many fun ways for visitors.
There is not a single dull moment on this tour, including the last thrilling ride out of the mine. It's definitely worth all your time, effort and money!
I would be happy to hear your feedback about your visit to Salzwelten, especially if my blog helped you plan your trip better!
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