Rudolfsturm – the Beauty of Hallstatt Lake with a Delicious Meal!

Rudolfsturm Hallstatt

Discover the beauty of Hallstatt Lake along with a delicious meal from Rudolfsturm! The restaurant has long been a favorite destination for tourists looking for a unique experience in the Austrian Alps. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the lake, indulge in a delicious meal of Austrian specialties, and explore the picture-perfect landscape of Hallstatt. Rudolfsturm is the perfect choice for a memorable visit to Hallstatt!

The area around Hallstatt offers many viewpoints. One of the best known is a Skywalk right above Hallstatt town. Next to the viewpoint you may find building called Rudolfsturm. It is an interesting place worth the visit, once you are in Hallstatt.

The Rudolfstrum building is standing there from the 13th century and in English it means “Rudolf’s Tower”. It is located on the upper station of cable car from Hallstatt. It stands in the high elevation Salzberg Valley and the views from there are like from nowhere else. You can see Lake Hallstatt, the town on the shore of the lake and the mountains around you. Another fascinating thing is that due to the location, it is the only place where the sun shines even during the winter solstice. Rudolfsturm is nowadays used mostly as a restaurant. But you can also visit an interesting exhibition.

History of Rudolfsturm

It was built as a defense tower in the late 13th century for its advantageous position. Then, until the 1954 it served as a residence for manager of the salt mining in the area. During the 20th century there were multiple changes done. First there was an arbor added to the building followed by another constructions. None of them lasted to the nowadays. In the year 1954 the building lost its function as an administrative building to the salt mines. Therefore it was later rebuilt to a restaurant, to keep it in use and not just let it dilapidate.

Rudolfsturm Now

Because the tourism was getting bigger in this area from the second half of 20th century, there was more space added to the original building. The added hall on the Northeast side of the tower however collapsed in 2006 due to snow pressure. Two years later the Rudolfsturm was renovated with another annex and it remains in this shape till this day. Restaurant in the building is open daily according to the times of a cable car Salzberg. Apart from restaurant you can find also an exhibition in the upper floors of the building. Besides of the exhibition the reason to visit it is also the view from the tower over the lake
and mountains around.

Exibition

There is a permanent exhibition inside the tower. It concerns mostly the history of the building itself. You can see the changes that have been made since it was builded. The history is in pictures of the Rudolfsturm and its surroundings with explanations and other documents. All parts of the exhibition are available in English and German languages.

Restaurant Rudolfsturm

The best way for you to fully pump up the atmosphere of this place is go to the restaurant for a lunch. The terrace of the restaurant offer you amazing views right from your table. The cuisine is mostly European and Austrian. You can try some of the traditional Austrian meals and drink up here. It is open in dependency to the cable car timetables on a daily basis. The prices are similar to other restaurants in the center of Hallstatt, with average 10-24 € per person

How to get there

On your way up to the Rudolfsturm you have two options. First – you take a cable car from Hallstatt, second – you go up by feet. The cable car starts at the parking “P2” in Hallstatt. Durration of the way up is approximately three minutes. Times of the operation of the cable car are different depending on the time of the year. You should check the current timetable before you go.

Foto: Salzwelten

Timetables:

In summer: 9:00 to 18:00
In winter: 9:00 to 16:30
Holidays: 9:00 to 12:00
The prices are also varied by dependency of your trip. If you are planning to visit a Salt
mine up on the hill, it is more advantageous to buy a ticket with a cable car together.
Rudolfsturm and the Skywalk view are one your way from the cable car to the Salt mine.

Prices:

Cable car/funicular

  • Adults: 22 €
  • Children (4-15 years): 11 €
  • Child with family: 10 €

Cable car + Salt mine entrance

  • Adults: 40 €
  • Children (4-15 years): 20 €
  • Child with family: 18 €
  • Groups from 20 persons (every 21st free) 38,- Eur
  • School- & youth groups (without pre-booked tickets) 20,- Eur

If you decide to walk up to the Rudolfsturm by your feet, the duration of your hike will be 1,5 hour. The route is 2,2 kilometers long if you start at the main boat station in the center of Hallstatt. The elevation of this hike is 340 meters and it offers many views during the walk.

How much are the Skywalk tickets?

Surroundings of Rudolfsturm

As the Rudolfsturm building with the restaurant is mostly used as a rest point, there are many things to see around. Right next to the Rudolfsturm is a Skywalk viewpoint, from where you have an amazing view to the lake and Hallstatt right below you. There is no extra payment to enter this viewpoint and it is a must on your list of Hallstatt vacation.

Salt mine is definitely the place you shouldn’t miss when you are at Hallstatt. When you are at the Rudolfsturm, it is not far away from there by walk. This area is know for its salt mining industry for almost 7000 years. It is the oldest salt mine in the world and it is still working. The tours through the salt mine is approximately 90 minutes long and you will experience it by walk (2 kilometers once you enter) and then by the mine train. It is an amazing experience for a whole family that’s absolutely worth the visit.

Rudolfsturm – the center of your trip

Whether you are going to the salt mine or not, Rudolfsturm with its views is most definitely a place you shouldn’t miss when you are visiting Hallstatt. The restaurant in the best place offers you not only great food, but also a great atmosphere of this area. In summer go refresh yourself with a German beer on their terrace to improve your vacation.

Contact information Rudolfsturm

Restaurant Rudolfsturm

Salzbergstrasse 1
4830 Hallstatt, Austria
Tel: +43 (0)664/882 80 101

info@rudolfsturmhallstatt.at
www.rudolfsturmhallstatt.at

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