Obertraun/Hallstatt

Obertraun is a truly unique winter sports paradise for the whole family, featuring one of Austria´s longest top-to-bottom ski runs (11 km) and slopes for all levels and ambitions. Cross country skiing, winter hiking, walking across the winter wonderland - The choice is all yours! Most of Obertauern's circuit is of intermediate difficulty. Stay low for easier pistes, or try the tougher runs higher up; you can't complete the whole circuit without venturing on to reds.

Hallstatt ( 47°34′N, 13°39′E), Upper Austria is a village in the Salzkammergut, a region in Austria. It is located near the Hallstättersee (a lake). At the 2001 census it had 946 inhabitants. Peter Scheutz (SPÖ) has been mayor of Hallstatt since 1993.

Contrary to popular belief, Hall is most likely not the old Celtic name for salt (which was *saleinom, the h-anlaut from historical s- being a characteristic of the Brythonic languages but not Continental Celtic). Rather, the name is derived from Old High German, and whatever its origin, the saltmines near the village were an important factor. Salt was a valuable resource so the region was historically very wealthy.

The village also gave its name to the early Iron Age Hallstatt culture and is part of the World Heritage Site for Cultural Heritage.

Hallstatt is known as one of the most beautiful lakeside holiday resorts world-wide! The unique town, famous for its legendary salt mines in the past, is embedded in the western shores of the Hallstätter See lake, in immediate vicinity to the picturesque Mühlbach brook. The recently established Nature trail on the Dachstein plateau is an important component of the World Heritage Hiking world. This trail travels across the karst plateau and "lures" with pristine high alpine scenery. Along the trail karst patterns highly impress as well as the wide variety of fauna and flora and the easternmost glacier of the Alps. The convenient Dachstein Nature trail features catered mountain lodges (locations where both culinary refreshment and accommodation is offered) within 2 hours walking distances from each other.

The Dachstein Krippenstein cable-car. This rewarding plateau circular trail is particularly suitable for families with children fond of hiking. On the recently adapted wide hiking trail many features arouse curiosity and travelling with baby buggies is possible all way. To reach the starting point you go up by cable car (Dachstein-Krippenstein ropeways) and while hovering high above rugged rock faces and distinctive karst patterns, you might even catch a glimpse on a chamois. The karst trail starts at the top station and leads on a well marked route across the massif to the Heilbronner Cross.

A trip to the ‘cattle footprints' is particularly rewarding as they demonstrate that the massif once was the ocean floor of the primeval Tethys sea. Past the Hirzkarkogel and plenty of informative boards you will make your way back to the starting point of the tour. The last and only ascent may also be overcome by cable car (3rd section).

7,000 years of salt mining in Hallstatt. The "Man in Salt" accompanies the visitors on their journey through time at the Salzwelten Hallstatt.Since 2002, the "Man in Salt" is the central theme of the re-designed Salzwelten mines. In 1734, a corpse preserved in salt was discovered right in a salt deposit, a contemporary chronicle describing it as "pressed flat and tightly grown into the rock. Clothing and tools were quite strange but well preserved."