Absolutely awesome! The Hallstatt Skywalk & prehistoric burial grounds in the high valley
Breathtaking. Unique. Spectacular.
These are just some of the gushing adjectives used to describe the Hallstatt Skywalk. But the truth is, you’ll be at an absolute loss for words when you stand at the far point of this free-floating structure 360 meters above the ground, gazing out at the mountains, lake and town below. The recipient of no fewer superlatives is the Hallstatt high valley with its famous burial fields. Quite understandable when you consider that an entire epoch of human history owes its name to the archaeological finds unearthed here. Join us – for a short walk through the Hallstatt high valley!
In just a few minutes, a short and comfortable ride on the Salzbergbahn funicular will carry you from the valley station of Salzwelten Hallstatt up to an elevation of 838 meters.
Prices und opening hours funicular
The opening ceremony for the “World Heritage View” lookout platform, located right in front of Rudolf’s Tower, took place in 2013. Since then, it has been a true magnet for visitors from around the world, a highly coveted photo point and, for many, quite simply, a very special place . #skywalk #skywalkhallstatt #welterbe
Restaurant Rudolfsturm
When you step out onto the imposing lookout platform evocatively named the “Hallstatt Skywalk” and venture all of the 12 gradually tapering meters out to the point, you do indeed feel like you are walking right out into the sky itself. 360 meters above the rooftops of Hallstatt, to be precise.
Standing on the Skywalk, UNESCO World Heritage Hallstatt and the lake lie there at your feet. On many a day, you might think you are perched high above a fjord somewhere in Norway: a small village with colorful houses, pressed up against mountains that rise precipitously out of water that shimmers atop unfathomable darkness. And beyond: a spectacular alpine panorama including the Dachstein.
Even some 7000 years ago, the Hallstatt high valley was a place where “white gold” provided miners and their families with a foundation for their life and work. Today’s visitors walk in the footsteps of those first prehistoric settlers to authentic replicas of their original huts. We can only guess how life must have been back in those far-distant times.
The Hallstatt burial site is a true archaeological treasure trove: grave offerings from distant lands hint at the prosperity and broad-reaching trading relationships the people of Hallstatt enjoyed back then. To this day, specialists from Natural History Museum Vienna still come here to investigate the grave fields.
Hier geht's zum Stiegenblog der archäologischen Forschung
Did you know that those graves, after which an entire epoch would later be named, were only discovered in the mid-19th century and quite by chance? We owe that stroke of good fortune to the mine director in Hallstatt at that time, Johann Georg Ramsauer. Even then, he had detailed sketches made to record the historic finds. Today, the whole world knows this early era of the Iron Age as the “Hallstatt Period”.
A tip: You can listen to the fascinating story of the cradle of the Hallstatt Period on the Audio Guide (available in 13 languages at the ticket window) or on the free Salzwelten Audio Guide App. Simply download it from the App Store or Google Play!
Download the Salzwelten-App for free!
Your friends are certain to be amazed when you tell them about taking a walk along such historic pathways! Many generations of miners took the exact same route. Until well into the 20th century, many of them lived together with their families in the high valley. Their children had to walk here on the way to school in Hallstatt. Can you imagine how tough that must have been, especially in the snow and ice!
Special Tip:
In the Hallstatt high valley, along and a little away from the main path leading to the mine, there are a number of other things you’ll definitely want to take a look at:
- Exhibition in the Knappenhaus: the life and work of miners back in the 19th century
- Theme path across the burial grounds – walk along the “Path through Time” retracing an entire epoch of human history
- Panorama Lift – located just a few steps from the mountain station of the Salzbergbahn, it will carry you up to a scenic bridge in a matter of moments.
So, have these beautiful pictures sparked your interest in exploring the prehistoric high valley, the highest viewing point above Hallstatt and all the other attractions up here? In that case, go ahead and buy your practical online ticket – no more having to stand in line, and guaranteed admission at the precise time you booked.
