The Hallstatt cemetery - between heaven, lake and history
High above Lake Hallstatt, right next to the Catholic church, lies one of the most impressive cemeteries in Europe. The Hallstatt cemetery is not a place of mourning, but a place of peace and respect – small, well-kept and surrounded by an almost solemn silence.
Situated between the rock face and the water, the view from here is unparalleled: the roofs of Hallstatt below, the glistening lake in front and the mighty peaks of the Dachstein massif behind.
Every step across the small grounds tells a story – of families, craftsmen and sailors who lived here for generations and found their final resting place.
The graves are simple, yet lovingly designed: carved wooden crosses, colorful flowers and hand-painted name plaques. Nothing seems monumental, and yet there is something sublime about this place – perhaps because life, faith and transience come together so naturally here.
Anyone who visits this cemetery immediately senses why it is one of the most beautiful of its kind. It is the view, the tranquillity and the palpable proximity to history that make it one of the quietest but most impressive places in the whole of Hallstatt.
Location & history - A cemetery between rock and lake
The cemetery of Hallstatt is located directly above the Catholic parish church of Maria Himmelfahrt – on a small terrace between the mountain and the lake. People from the village have been buried here since the Middle Ages. The place high above the rooftops was safe from flooding and at the same time offered a view that was supposed to provide comfort even in death.
Like almost everything in Hallstatt, this cemetery is characterized by its location. There was hardly any space between the steep rock face to the west and the deep blue Lake Hallstatt to the east.
This is why the complex is unusually small, the graves are close together, carefully arranged and surrounded by flowers, carved wooden crosses and handmade metal decorations.
The present form was created in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the character of the site has never changed. Each grave is individually cared for, many crosses bear artistic carvings or old inscriptions, some tell stories of past centuries. You will look in vain for monumental gravestones here – instead you will find simple signs of remembrance, which often seem more personal than any stone.
As space remained limited over the centuries, the graves had to be regularly reallocated. The remains of previous generations were later buried in the ossuary next door – a form of remembrance that is unique in Europe.
The cemetery thus became a place where space and time meet: small, peaceful and deeply rooted in Hallstatt’s history – a piece of silent culture that perhaps expresses the soul of the place better than any picture.
Design & atmosphere - A cemetery like a garden above the lake
Who can visit the Hallstatt cemetery The special atmosphere is immediately noticeable when you enter.
There is no heaviness here, but a peaceful calm – like a small garden floating above the village. Between colorful flowers, well-tended paths and simple wooden crosses lies an atmosphere that is both quiet and lively.
The graves are lovingly designed: carved crosses, artistic wrought ironwork, fresh flowers and small mementos that tell of closeness and connection. Nothing seems ostentatious, and yet every detail is significant – each grave a silent sign of remembrance.
The paths lead gently across the grounds, past flowerbeds and shady corners, to the edge of the plateau. From there, one of the most beautiful views in the entire Salzkammergut: Below you lie the roofs of Hallstatt, in front of you the glittering Lake Hallstattand behind it the peaks of the Dachstein massif.
In moments like these, you almost forget that you are in a cemetery. Instead of sadness, you feel peace – a sense of gratitude and reverence for time.
Perhaps that is precisely what makes this place so special: it is a reminder that beauty and transience have always been closely linked in Hallstatt.
A place of peace - why it's worth a visit
The cemetery of Hallstatt is not a place that you simply visit – it is a place that you feel. Between flowers, carved crosses and the view over the lake, a calm unfolds that is quiet but deeply perceptible.
It is this special mixture of nature, history and humanity that makes it one of the most moving places in the Salzkammergut.
A short climb from the old town is all it takes to stand above the rooftops of Hallstatt – where the sky and water almost meet. Whether in the bright summer light or the soft mist of fall, the atmosphere remains the same: quiet, peaceful, meaningful.
Up here, time seems to flow more slowly. Life in the valley seems distant, and yet everything is connected – the mountains, the lake and the history of the people who found their final resting place here. This place reminds us that beauty and transience are not opposites, but two sides of the same truth.
If you really want to understand Hallstatt, you should visit this place. Not to mourn, but to pause for thought.
The cemetery above the lake is a quiet symbol of what Hallstatt is all about: respect, permanence and the quiet realization that the essential often lies in silence.
Experience Hallstatt in all its depth.
Our private tours from Salzburg take you to the quiet places of the World Heritage Site – from the cemetery to the ossuary to the lake.