Back on the bus, we drove through the countryside to arrive on the shores of the most beautiful alpine lake in the world. On arrival we boarded a boat the Hallstattersee Schifffaht for a cruise all the way around the lake – so amazing was the view no camera could capture the vision, so memories were best.  The skies were so blue and the lake glassy smooth as we glided along this magical world.                                                                                                             

At the Hotel Gruner Baum we checked into the most beautiful room with a balcony overlooking the town square and side windows with views of the amazing lake.  We caught a bite to eat at the hotel restaurant overlooking the water – I especially snacked on the chocolate cake with the image of Empress Sisi.                                                                                                            

The Catholic Church displayed the  St. Michael’s alter piece, a triptych of the last days of Christ.  In the church cemetery was the Beinhaus Charnel House – the Bone Chapel from the 12th century.  Inside were 1200 human skulls with 600 of them hand painted with family names and dates of death. Skulls with ivy symbolized life, while roses were love.  Although my last name is Swiss – I reluctantly found the names of my brother and nephew on adjacent skulls.                                                                                                                              

The basement of the church revealed the most intriguing crypt. On the door was the translation of the creepy story.  Read about Baron Eyssl and his unusual request after his death.                                                                                                                                

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 Do not step on the skull faces on the floor or say anything against the dead as they are listening!

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Another legend says that when Lake Hallstatt froze two young counts argued over a girl so loudly that the ice broke and they fell thru and drowned.  The Disney Movie Frozen seems to be based on the village of Hallstatt. 

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Hallstatt is one of Europe’s oldest towns.  Its name means place of salt and is where the Romans mined salt since 7000 BC.  You can even see Roman ruins in the basement of the sporting goods store in town.

Pete, Tim, and I took the funicular up the side of the mountain to the Mine – Salzwelten Hallstatt.   I took the hiking path toward the mine with the stops explaining the history.  There was a shrine to St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners. Pete and Tim sampled the beers from the mountain side bar called Rudolf Tower.  Photos had to be taken at the Hallstatt Skywalk – breathtaking overlook of the mountains and lake.  Good thing no one feared heights!

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Our group met up for a wine tasting in the park along the lake shore.  There my husband Pete and Sylvia seemed to be sipping wines and chatting with the Swans.  We talked to Susan and Bill about their work helping the baby turtles survive on Seabrook Island. Great chats with all of our tour mates.  At dinner we dined on delicate fresh lake trout – an entire fish as the skeleton of bones pulled out clean.