Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut cultural landscape, Cultural landscape in Salzkammergut, Austria.
The Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut cultural landscape stretches across three Austrian provinces and features steep mountainsides, dense forests, glacial lakes, and traditional Alpine architecture. The region combines natural mountain formations with settlement patterns that developed over thousands of years.
Salt extraction in the region dates back to 2000 BCE and led to the development of trade routes and the Hallstatt cultural period. This early economic activity shaped settlement development and infrastructure patterns that continue today.
The decorated skulls in the ossuary display local burial customs, with each one inscribed with the deceased's name, profession, and date of death. Visitors can observe this distinctive form of ancestor veneration still practiced in the chapel today.
The area can be explored through mountain lifts, hiking trails, and caves accessible via organized routes. Multiple starting points are available depending on visitor activities and seasons.
The Dachstein Ice Cave system contains natural ice formations that resemble palaces and domes within the mountain. These frozen structures grow and shift with seasonal changes.
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