Hallstätt

Among the best winter vacations in Europe must be mentioned to Hallstätt. Hallstätt sits right on the shores of Hallstätter See, full of 12th-century fairy-tale churches and quaint Alpine houses and surrounded by the snowcapped Dachstein Mountains. Hallstatt – which means “place of salt” – is home to the world's first salt mine. Hallstätt is tiny, with a population of under 1,000 permanent residents who live in Alpine timber houses built up on the steep hill slopes.

Its core region is the Hallstatt – Dachstein/Salzkammergut cultural landscape, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Because of its great landscape, the village is a tourist destination that is always overcrowded. Equally stunning all year long, Hallstätt really shines when it's covered in snow and ice. If you're feeling up to the task, the best view of winter Hallstätt is from the Hallstatt Skywalk high above the town. A replica was planned and then built in China in 2011 in Huizhou, Guangdong province, Hallstatt's twin town.

• Location: Oberösterreich, Austria
• Where to Stay: Heritage Hotel Hallstatt; Seehotel Gruener Baum; Gasthof Simony; Bergfried Gasthof
• Things to Do: Winter Hiking
• TripAdvisor Rating: 4/5