In the city of Halstatt, in the Austrian state of Upper Austria

 Some places in Europe look their most natural during winter, like the pretty little Alpine town of Hallstatt.

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(in the Austrian state of Upper Austria) With pastel-colored houses casting shimmering reflections onto the looking-glass lake and with lofty mountains rearing up on all sides, Hallstatt’s beauty borders on the surreal and the sublime. Boats glide tranquilly across the lake from the train station to the village, situated precariously on a narrow stretch of land between mountain and shore. (So small is the patch of land occupied by the village that its annual Corpus Christi procession takes place largely in small boats on the lake.) The sheer volume of visitors here can be nerve-fraying, especially in summer, with a sea of cars, buses and tour groups descending. Sitting isolated by a lake, this small Austrian town is dwarfed by the nearby Alps that look like their truest self when gleaming with white snow. But what makes Hallstatt so special is its combination of majestic landscape and delightfully quaint alpine houses.

+ Walking through the town doesn’t take a lot of time, but you are sure to find yourself stopping every few steps to admire the view in front of you. Made up of small alleys that work their way between traditional wooden houses, Hallstatt is wedged between the lakefront and the steep hillslopes behind. If you are feeling energetic, consider hiking your way up to the Hallstatt Skywalk high above town for even greater sweeping views. Though Hallstatt is a pretty place during summer and spring seasons, winter elevates it to an unmissable destination.

+ Hallstatt is in the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut region where objects characteristic of the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age were first identified; the term Hallstatt now refers generally to late Bronze and early Iron Age culture in central and western Europe. During excavation between 1846 and 1899, more than 2,000 graves were found at Hallstatt. The majority fall into two groups: an from an earlier period (around 1100/1000 to 800/700 BCE) and a later one (lasting until 450 BCE). Near the cemetery was a prehistoric salt mine; due to the preservative nature of the salt, implements, parts of clothing, and even the bodies of the miners themselves have been discovered.

+ Early archaic Greek vessels appear in the west. Hallstatt art in general is severely geometric in style; the advances made were on technical rather than aesthetic lines. There is a tendency toward the extravagant and the Baroque, and the Greek Orientalizing influence is hardly felt. The typical bird motif, probably derived from Italy, may perhaps be traced back to late Helladic times in Greece. Plant patterns are very rare, although contrasts in color and the breaking up of smooth surfaces were often used. The arrangement of figures in pairs is very characteristic; the designs, however, seem to be more concerned with a rigid symmetry, rather than treating the arrangement as an organic whole.