Situated in the south-western shore of the Hallstätter See, Hallstatt is a scenic village with its mountain-hugging chalets, elegant church spires and Austrian style inns all reflected in the deep still waters of an Alpine lake. UNESCO named Hallstatt a World Heritage Site in 1997 because of its scenic beauty and unique cultural heritage relating to salt dating back to the mediaeval times. The village has around 800 residents and is famous for its salt production from the world's first known salt mine located above downtown Hallstatt.

Hallstatt is being reproduced in its entirety in a $10 billion real estate project in China's Guangdong province.