Hallein Salt Mine on the Durrnberg

Salt made Salzburg rich, and much of it came from here. The Durrnberg above Hallein has been mined since the Iron Age, when a Celtic community worked the deposits and buried its dead on the plateau, and the tunnels stayed in use into the modern era. Visits are by guided tour only: you pull on overalls, ride a narrow gauge train into the hill, and drop between levels on the polished wooden slides the miners used. Underground there is a brine lake crossed by raft and displays on how the salt was dissolved and pumped out. It is close, dark and steady at around ten degrees.

What you actually see

• The miners' slides - the long polished wooden chutes between mine levels, ridden rather than walked.
• The mine train - the narrow gauge ride in and out through the tunnel to the working levels.
• The underground brine lake - the flooded chamber crossed on a raft in near darkness.
• The Celtic village - the reconstructed Iron Age settlement on the plateau above the mine entrance.

When to go

The mine holds the same temperature all year, so it works as a wet-weather or midwinter option. Tours leave at set times and sell out in July, August and around Christmas, so book a slot online. Arrive fifteen minutes early for overalls. Mornings are calmer than the early afternoon coach window.

Honest expectations

You move at the pace of a guided group and cannot wander off. The slides are fun but the commentary is basic and heavily scripted. It is cold underground whatever the surface temperature, and the tunnels are narrow and low in places, which is uncomfortable if you dislike confined spaces. Prices are high for the time spent.

Nearby

Hallein old town lies below the plateau, and Salzburg is a short drive north.