New Delhi: Hallstatt, a small town in Austria’s Gmunden, is one of the most popular tourist places in Europe. The town, located in the Salzkammergut region between the steep slopes of the Dachstein massif and the southwestern shore of Hallstätter See, is consistently ranked among one of the most beautiful places in the world. The place is also famous for salt production which dates back to prehistoric times and gave its name to the Hallstatt culture.
Hallstatt and its salt
The salt production in Hallstatt began as early as the Bronze Age when it came a daily commercial work in the place. Salt was produced in large quantities methodically and there were specialist workers to support the salt mining operations. In 1846 Johann Georg Ramsauer found a large prehistoric cemetery at the Salzberg mines, discovering several burials.
Those who lived in Hallstatt worked in salt production and in the salt mines from the 8th to 5th centuries BC. Over the years, salt has enabled the preservation of many organic materials like textiles, wood, and leather, and many abandoned artefacts like pieces of cloth, shoes, tools and miner’s backpacks from ancient times.
According to reports, Hallstatt also has the oldest pipeline in the world which was built 400 years ago from 13,000 hollowed-out trees. Also, its salt mine is said to be the oldest working salt mine in the world. Since the 19th century, its tourism sector grew but the boom began it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It is popular as the world’s most Instagrammable town and its replica was built in China in 2011. The economy of the town, as can be predicted, depends on tourism, but has become the main example of overtourism in Austria. In 2020, it focused on “quality” tourism. In 2020, the town had a population of 780, and around 10,000 to nearly 30,000 tourists would visit every day. In August 2023, locals protested against overtourism 10,000 visitors visiting the town per day during the high season. The town is at the core of the Hallstatt-Dachstein/Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape and is one of Austria’s heritage sites.
The salt production in Hallstatt began as early as the Bronze Age when it came a daily commercial work in the place. Salt was produced in large quantities methodically and there were specialist workers to support the salt mining operations. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
