The main towns in the area are Obertraun and Hallstatt, from which you can ascend the Dachstein Mountains by cable car. The mountain range has an altitude of 2995 m. The train stops on the side of the lake opposite the village, and you can cross it by ferry. On a sunny day it is highly advisable to take a cruise on the lake. You can also rent a pedal boat and take pictures. Pedal boats will allow you to reach the most interesting parts of the lake on your own, which you wont be able to do with large ships. You can take a bike tour covering Hallstatt and Bad Goisen, another charming village near the lakeshores. The surroundings are simply breathtaking. One possible route is from Traunsee (Lake Traun) to Lake Hallstatter. This route is 30 miles long. It passes through the city of Bad Ischl, where Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I spent his summers. Attractions apart from the imperial residence are the Lehar house and the Zauner confectionery. As you ride toward Hallstatt the scenic Dachstein mountains will spread before your eyes.

Hallstatt A World Culture Site
This village has only around 1000 inhabitants. You may have heard of the Hallstatt culture of the Iron Age it was named after this village. This is due to the fact that it was one of the first places settled by humans in the world. The Salzkammergut region has rich salt deposits, and the main ones were near this village. The sources have been mined for several millenniums. Archaeological discoveries here include shoe-last celt, a big ancient cemetery, and one of the earliest blacksmith sites in the world. The shoe-last celt dates from 5000 BC. Hallstatt had a highly developed culture due to active trade, and this came to be known as the Iron Age Hallstatt Culture (800-400 BC). Hallstatt was granted market town privileges in 1311. Today its main industries are salt production and tourism. Prior to the 1800s it was not possible to reach the village any other way except for narrow trails or by boat. The first road was built in 1890, partially by detonating rock formations.

Attractions and landmarks
A prime attraction in the village is Hallstatt Salt World. Guided tours of this mine are available. The display is developed in multimedia format with a light show, talking figures and videos. There are also wooden toboggans, which you can use to slide down the floors. This mine is located on top of a hill above the village. It is accessible by cable lift or on foot. In terms of historical architecture Hallstatt boasts two notable buildings the Catholic Ascension of Our Lady church and a neo-Gothic Protestant church. The Catholic parish church perches on a rock above the lake. It was built in the Gothic style in the late 15th century, replacing a church from 1320 at that location. The church houses an ornate late Gothic altar and murals dating from the early 16th century and a painted altarpiece from the mid-1400s.

The Protestant church is located right on the lakefront. Its impressive spire was completed in 1862. The lake maintains an annual tradition since 1628 - the Corpus Christi boat procession. This is a popular tourist attraction in the area.