Hallstatt

Up until the late 19th century, it was only possible to reach Hallstatt by boat or via narrow trails. The land between the lake and mountains was sparse, and the town itself exhausted every free patch of it. Access between houses on the river bank was done by boat or over the upper path, a small corridor passing through attics. The first road to Hallstatt was only built in 1890 along the west shore, partially by detonating rock.

However this secluded and inhospitable landscape nevertheless counts as one of the first that humans settled in. Reason being the rich sources of natural salt, which have been mined for thousands of years. Some of its oldest findings, such as a shoe-last celt, date back to around 5000 BC. In 1846 Johann Georg Ramsauer discovered a large prehistoric cemetery close by the current location of Hallstatt. Also, one of the first blacksmith sites was excavated there. Active trade and thus wealth allowed for the development of a high culture, which, after findings in the Salzberghochtal, was named Hallstatt culture. This lasted from approximately 800 to 400 BC, and now the town's name is recognised world wide.

There were no notable events that took place during Roman rule or the early Middle Ages. In 1311, the Hallstatt became a market town, a sign that it had not lost its economic value. Today, apart from salt production, which since the 20th century is transported from Hallstatt to Ebensee via a brine pipeline, tourism plays a major factor in the towns economics.