With so many excellent Salzkammergut photo spots, it’s difficult to take a bad photo anywhere in the Austrian lakes district.  Here’s a few tips for taking photos in Hallstatt and around the Salzkammergut area lakes district.

Hallstatt is particularly picturesque, head up to the Hallstatt Skywalk for some better views looking down over the town, you can get a cable car up but it’s better walking up, the track is easy to climb.  At night, head up to the end of the town (opposite end of the car park), bring your tripod, and take some shots back into the town. I only had a Rollei gorilla pod but when I attached it to the fence there was always some numbnut who kicked the railing and made the camera shake.  Last time I use that for a tripod. It’s such a pain to carry around a bigger tripod but this is one of the few instances where I’d make the effort to lug it around the entire trip for this one shot.

If you hire a car, head up to Panoramastrasse for some epic views of the mountains. This is one of the Salzkammergut photo spots you won’t find in many travel guides, it’s mostly or all locals that come up here.   Bring some warmer clothes, something suitable for a light hike, and head up to the small lake above the car park.  Easy to find, you’ll see all the locals heading up there while all the clueless foreigners like me stay down at the restaurant because they haven’t done their research.

At the top end of Grundlsee, looking back down the lake is lovely, if you can catch that at golden hour with a calm lake, you’re in for a treat. This is another one of the Salzkammergut photo spots that you won’t read about in any travel guide.  While you’re there, walk over to Toplitzsee, shoot in black and white with something like Tri-X or HP5 and push it to 1600, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

All the other lakes in the Salzkammergut region provide for some stunning landscape shots, you won’t need to go far to find the right spot. Hire a boat (cheap and easy) and take some shots back into the shore.

Send us any questions or comments you have about Salzkammergut photo spots via email or ask us on twitter.