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Tyrol is one of the most popular Austrian lands at all – not only because of its landmarks such as mountains, forests, mountaineering and winter sports, but also because of traditional folklore. Land, situated to the west of Austria is divided into a larger North Tyrol and smaller East Tyrol. Those two parts are separated by the city of Salzburg. But its metropolis and the largest city of the Land is Innsbruck.

The entire area of Tyrol is covered by Tyrolean Alps. Broad and deep valley of the Inn river forms a natural border between the northern – limestone Alps and central – crystalline Alps.

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Tyrol is now mainly known as winter ski vacation, the most famous centers include Kitzbühel, St. Anton im Tirol, Kaiserwinkl or Lienzer Dolomiten. All Tyrolean ski areas have high quality facilities and offer a wide range of sports. Great selection of slopes, sun and snow will satisfy even the most demanding skiers. Evening staying in a nice warm pub with good food and “schnapps” with a typical Tyrolean background music enhances the mountainous romance.

Equally attractive is the Tyrol in the summer, which is a popular destination for hiking. The most beautiful trails leading across the Stubai Alps, Ötztal Alps, Kitzbühel Alps and Zillertal Alps, can be defeated on foot or by bike. Natural beauty of mountain valleys, streams and snow-covered Alpine peaks scenery guarantee an unforgettable holiday. The more experience you can enjoy by visiting the renowned summer Festival of Early Music at Ambras Castle. You can stay in Tyrolean metropolis and enjoy the quality and hospitality of Innsbruck hotels or after a hard sporty day relax in numerous thermal baths and water worlds.

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And how did the period get its name? Just after Hallstatt village, which was at that time an important trading center. There was the salt mined in its vicinity, which was also exported to far away places. The history of the local salt mining extends at least from 2nd millennium BC up to the present and gave the region not only wealth and prosperity, but also created a specific cultural landscape, where nature blends with human activity in unusual harmony. It also led the Commission of UNESCO to add this area “Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape” on the list of World Heritage in 1997.

Very interesting on Hallstatt is that it has long been accessible only by boat across the lake, or along narrow mountain trails. The first road was built along the shore in 1890, but only thanks to the power of explosives. Despite of this apparent inaccessibility the people settled here anyway seven thousand years ago. The rich history recalls not only architecture of Hallstatt, but also the local museum, which collects extensive archaeological excavations. Many of them come from the necropolis on the plateau above the town, where were discovered the remains of 4,000 people. And those remains were the main reason to name the period as “Hallstatt period”.

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It is understandable that many places in Hallstatt are related to salt. The local salt mines are reportedly the oldest in the world and you can see them in an unusual museum. Why unusual? Well, how many museums have you visited which had 64 metres long wooden roller coaster…? But the underground salt mines offer much more than this unusual attraction. You can learn about the life of people who mined salt here for thousands of years. The body of one of them was found here in 1734, perfectly preserved by salt. Notable is also an underground salt lake with an area of ​​1400 m2.

If you already have enough salt, you can target the other wonders of the underground world – Dachstein ice caves. And because we are in the Alps, it is not necessary to say that you can see lots of interesting also on the surface. Whether it’s a remarkable historical buildings, or simply “just” beautiful countryside with fresh air and a nice panorama of mountain giants.

There are lots of Austria hotels in the town as well as camp sites at the shores of the lake. Hallstatt is also a great starting point for your hiking tours around the mountains.

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The term Karwendel describes the part of the Calcereous Alps of Tirol and Bavaria, lies between the Seefeld saddle, the Isar valley, the Achensee and the Inn valley. It is a region of massive rock walls and high corries. The highest peak is the Birkkarspitze (2,749m). Many of the peaks can be climbed fairly easily on good paths, but some have stretches graded as difficult and very difficult.

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