Hallein

Salzach river town south of Salzburg, shaped by ancient salt mines and Celtic history

Hallein is the second largest town in the Salzburg province, sitting on the Salzach river about 16 km south of Salzburg. The main reason to visit is the Dürrnberg salt mines above the town — the mines that gave Salzburg ("Salt Fortress") its name and bankrolled its Archbishops for the better part of a thousand years.

The Salzbergwerk Hallein is easily visited on a day trip from Salzburg, reachable by both train and bus. On guided tours, visitors board an electric mine train deep into the caverns, walk through galleries, and change levels by sliding down polished wooden slides — great fun for adults and children alike. An underground museum traces the history of salt mining in the region, and the Keltenmuseum down in town tells the older story of the Iron Age Celts who mined salt here from 600 BC.

The old town of Hallein itself, with its narrow streets along the river, is pleasant for a stroll. The unexpected resident attraction is the Stille Nacht Museum — the house and grave of Franz Xaver Gruber, the organist who composed the music for "Silent Night" in 1818 and is buried here.

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Bars and Cafes

Hallein has the standard Austrian café culture — a few traditional Konditorei in the old town for Sachertorte and coffee — and a couple of pubs that double as music venues for the local Jazzfestival in July.

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Eating Out

Hallein eats classic Salzburger food — schnitzel, beef boiled with horseradish, fresh trout from local streams, dumplings — at prices well below Salzburg city. A handful of decent restaurants line the old town squares; a couple of pleasant beer gardens cover the summer.

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Getting There

Hallein is sixteen kilometres south of Salzburg and is easiest reached as a day trip from there.

By train: S-Bahn trains run roughly every half hour from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof and take 20 minutes. The station is a five-minute walk from the old town. A separate cable car from the suburb of Bad Dürrnberg connects to the salt mine.

By bus: the postbus 160 also runs from Salzburg along the Salzach valley and takes about 35 minutes.

By car: A10 motorway from Salzburg, exit Hallein. Parking is available in the old town but is paid.

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Things to Do

Hallein's centrepiece is the Salzbergwerk — the salt mine high on the Dürrnberg plateau above town. Beyond that, a small Celtic museum explains where the mountain's wealth came from in the first place, and the old town along the Salzach is pleasant for an hour's wander. Most visitors come for the day; a few add it to a hiking trip in the Salzkammergut.