Snow Covered Top of the Mountain at Salzwelten Hallstatt
When I thought to visit the Salzwelten Hallstatt, I wasn’t really aware of what to expect here. I knew that it was an important part of why Hallstatt is a UNESCO World Heritage site but I didn’t really know what to expect here. The Salzwelten is the salt mine which essentially built Hallstatt and even neighboring Salzburg because of its rich salt deposits. I have been to an old salt mine when I visited Krakow and I thought that was an interesting visit. There were salt sculptures as well as history, basically a lot of keep everybody happy. Though, it felt at lot like a theme park. Perhaps intentionally, I didn’t bother to find out what is there in Salzwelten, apart from, of course, the funicular to get to the top to access the site.
Marker at Salzwelten Hallstatt
It was to no ones surprise that the top of the mountain was covered in snow. There was heavy snowfall several days before my arrival and it seems it hasn’t gone away yet. It was winter and even with the relatively warmer temperatures, the snow would take a some more time to melt. The day was still starting but there were already people up here. The Salzwelten opens half an hour after the funicular opens so you can actually make your way up earlier to have a look around before proceeding to the salt mine. Despite the mountaintop being covered in snow, the main walking paths have been cleared of snow although there were parts which were slippery, most were in perfect condition. From the looks of it, the weather is going to be great, I don’t know how common it is this time of the year but I was grateful that it was clear today.
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