Marketplace Hallstatt

The square in the center of Hallstatt features a cluster of pastel-colored houses with wooden balconies, framed by the steep mountain slopes rising directly behind them. These buildings date back to the sixteenth century, built on land so scarce that the town expanded into the lake rather than outward. In eighteen eighty-two, a fire destroyed most of the square, but the residents rebuilt the structures to match the original designs. Today, the square serves as the town’s primary gathering space for visitors and locals.