Slovenia is a little country in the midst of Europe. Situated below Austria and on top of the Balkan peninsula, it is a gateway between Central Europa and Southeastern Europe. The little country is very mountainous and covered in thick forests. Nature roams (almost) freely here, and the culture is rich and with a lot of history.
The Alps are an extensive mountain range situated in the heart of Europe. They reach peaks up to 4.800 meters in height and cover a wide range of different climate zones. Traveling the Alps is taking in pure nature.
During the 19th century, Bad Gastein in Austria became a fashionable resort in the Alps, visited by European monarchs and the rich and wealthy. In this period, many impressive hotels were built in the principal styles of the era – classicism and Art Deco. In the decades after WWII, Bad Gastein lost its appeal to other places, and the remote town became forgotten more and more. Lately, efforts have been made to preserve and maintain the cultural heritage in Bad Gastein. The shine of the days gone by is coming back again slowly but surely.
Since the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, we all had the unique chance to discover our little countries anew. Personally, I traveled a lot before but mostly abroad, so I didn’t have many opportunities to travel around Austria. This changed substantially in the past year and a half, so I discovered many architectural and natural places in Austria I didn’t know before.
When travelling Austria, there is a surprisingly large variety of landscapes and places to see and enjoy. The country is best known for being an Alpine country with mountainous terrain and high peaks, ideally suited for hiking and enjoying nature. In between you will find many cute little towns and churches to explore.
Internationally, Hallstatt is well known for its beautiful location in the mountains at an Alpine lake. Less known, perhaps, is the fact that Hallstatt is one of the oldest known settlements in the Alps still in existence. From the 8th century BC onwards humans lived here and engaged in the production of salt; the culture they represented is called “Hallstatt Culture”.
Coming back to modern times, in the last years Hallstatt became immensely popular among tourists from Asia and the US, leading to fears of overtourism. Since COVID hit, the situations eased somewhat and the inhabitants start to breath again. On the other hand, one would wish that everyone could see this gem in the Alps. Hence, a sustainable way has to be found to navigate tourism in this rather little town. For now, I hope you enjoy some impressions from Hallstatt and surroundings.
Michael Hoffman Photography 