Day 3 Austria : Vienna to Hallstatt

Today we will be leaving Vienna and go to Hallstatt , there is actually a few ways to get there one being the more direct way the other one involved the scenic route via the UNESCO-listed Semmering Railway but this till take another 1 hr +( about 4hr in total ). Information from here. Same thing , it's better to book way in advance for cheaper fares but you will have to commit to the train timing. Tickets can be purchase here 180 days in advance.
Bought some sandwiches again for breakfast onboard as we had opt for the longer scenic route which mean we will need to do a 3 train transfer from Wien HBF to Linz/Donau Hbf then Linz/Donau Hbf to Attnang-Puchheim Bahnhof and finally Attnang-Puchheim Bahnhof to Hallstatt Bahnhof. Thie will only gets you on the east side of the Hallstatt Lake, The Hallstatt town is on the west side of the lake, so you need to take a ferry called the Stefanie from Hallstatt Bahnhof to Hallstatt town.The ferry cost 2.50 Euro/way.
Hallstatt , known as the most beautiful lake town in Austria is an UNESCO heritage site and also consider to be one od the oldest still inhabited settlement in Europe. It's also known for its World’s First Salt Mine and the stunning salt caves which can be visited by tourists.Most tourists will usually do a day trip to Hallstatt but we decided to stay one night to avoid the crowds. So if you prefer to enjoy the town to yourself , it's advisable to stay overnight ( but lodging are not that cheap here and is limited )
After check in and dropped out luggages, we proceed to the Salt cave , first you need to take the funicular up then you still need to walk up to the entrance of the cave. Highlight of the salt cave other then the history is the wooden slide ( you will have change to do it twice) then also the small tunnel train experience once the tour is over.
                               

Fried chicken with fries

Pork Schnitzel

We stayed at Fenix Hall , walking distance to the Salt mine , about 900m ( 10 min walk) to the jetty and about 5 min to the bus station. There are few restaurants which opens for dinner but we opt for a kiosk near the jetty. Hallstatt is really beautiful when the day crowd leaves , of cos weather plays a part too but then quaint little town is good to just take a stroll , look at al the house , the lake and nature. (we left next day in the afternoon and it was really super crowded which makes us really glad to have stay overnight). Oh I actually wanted to take the engine boat ride but the weather on the first day was not very good and did not see anyone operating :(.