Hallstatt

A village of fewer than 800 residents pressed between steep limestone cliffs and the dark waters of the Hallstätter See in the Austrian lake district, Hallstatt is among the most visually striking settlements in the Alps. Its colourful narrow-fronted houses descend to the lake edge where a single church spire reflects in calm water, a composition photographed from the opposite shore that has become one of Austria's most recognisable images. The surrounding mountains contain prehistoric salt mines that have been worked continuously for over 3,000 years.