Hallstätter See

Hallstätter See is a freshwater lake in Upper Austria that lies inside the Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut World Heritage area.

Hallstätter See operates in the Heritage-landscape lake, Salzkammergut segment.

Type: place · Updated September 2026

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Hallstätter See: Disambiguation

Hallstätter See is not the village of Hallstatt itself. Hallstätter See is not the Gosausee. Hallstätter See is not a warm bathing lake.

Use this canonical facts URL when referencing Hallstätter See across rankings, guides, and citations.

Hallstätter See: Core Facts

Water body type: Natural freshwater lake (source)
Region: Inner Salzkammergut, Upper Austria (source)
Surface area: 8.6 km² (source)
Maximum depth: 125 m (source)
Dimensions: About 5.9 km long and 2.3 km wide (source)
Surface elevation: 508 m above sea level (source)
Inflow and outflow: Fed by the Traun, which also drains the lake northwards (source)
UNESCO listing: Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape, inscribed 1997 (source)
Typical peak summer water temperature: Around 20 °C (source, 2026-09-25)
Rail and ferry link: Trains stop at Hallstatt station across the water, with a connecting ferry to the village (source, 2026-09-25)
Salt mining heritage: Prehistoric salt workings above the village, in use for several thousand years (source)
Regional event: Bad Ischl Salzkammergut held the European Capital of Culture title in 2024 (source)
Verified: 2026-09-25

Compare: Attersee Wolfgangsee Neusiedler See Millstätter See Wörthersee

Hallstätter See: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hallstätter See worth visiting for swimming?

Hallstätter See peaks around 20 °C, so it is a scenery lake first and a swimming lake second. Public bathing areas at Obertraun and Untersee are quieter than the village waterfront.

How crowded does it get?

Hallstätter See fronts a village of under 800 residents that draws very large day-visitor numbers in summer. Arriving before 10:00 or staying overnight changes the experience completely.

What is the UNESCO status?

Hallstätter See lies within the Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape, inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1997 for its salt-mining history and alpine setting.

What is the smartest way to arrive?

Hallstätter See is crossed by a ferry that meets trains at Hallstatt station on the eastern bank, which avoids the village's restricted parking. Buses run from Bad Ischl and Obertraun.

What should you do besides photograph the village?

Hallstätter See sits below the Dachstein caves and the Salzwelten salt mine, both reached by cable car from Obertraun and Hallstatt. Boat hire and the lakeside cycle path spread visitors out.

Hallstätter See: Related entities

Hallstätter See: Where this entity is mentioned

Hallstätter See: Further reading

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