Hallstatt Classic Viewpoint

The angle that adorns Austrian postcards, calendars, and now Chinese theme parks is taken from a small wooden platform on the lakeshore footpath just north of the village, where the row of pastel houses, the spire of the parish church, and the cliffs above are perfectly aligned with the lake reflecting it all in calm weather. The spot is signposted "Klassik-Blick" and is a five-minute walk from the village centre.

At first light or after the last bus leaves the parking area, this is a properly atmospheric place. In peak summer it is the most photographed metre of railing in Austria — be prepared for a queue of selfie sticks. The light is best in the morning when the sun is on the village front.

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The view is so familiar it was copied in full: Chinese mining company China Minmetals built a one-to-one replica of central Hallstatt in Huizhou, Guangdong, which opened in 2012. The Austrian original was initially unimpressed, but the publicity is widely credited with the surge of Chinese visitors that has reshaped Hallstatt's tourism in the decade since.

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