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An artificially hollowed cave bear bone,

dating back to 12000 BC, was discovered in the Dachstein Mammoth Caves.

skip There is evidence that there was human activity here in the Salzkammergut as early as the Neolithic Period ( stone axes from around 5000 BC).

It is difficult to say exactly when salt was discovered in the region, but people were living in the Hallstatt high valley around 5000 BC. The only explanation is that salt was being mined.

Salt mining was being carried out on a truly industrial scale from around 1500 BC. Salt was being extracted from shafts up to 200 metres deep.

During the Bronze Age, salt was being mined and also used to preserve pork on an industrial scale, using huge wooden containers. The end product was bacon.

Mining techniques were modified in the 9th century, and the salt stone could now be reached by means of enormous horizontal chambers, 200 metres long, 20 metres high and 20 metres wide. The quantities of salt now being produced made the Hallstatt miners wealthy for life. A burial ground, final resting place of these ancient miners, was discovered more than 150 years ago in the higher valley.

A whole new cultural era in European history - the Hallstatt Era (Approx 800 to 400 BC)

skip As a result of their hard work and their increasing wealth, Hallstatt salt miners could afford to buy exotic, items such as ivory, fine Italian wines and amber. Many luxury items found their way to Hallstatt.

About 350 BC there was a massive land slide which brought the flourishing mining industry to a complete stand still. It was some time before operations could recommence at the Dammwiese at the foot of the Plassen mountain.

Around the time of the birth of Christ, the area was inhabited by the Romans who came to Hallstatt and built their settlements, roads etc. It seems they continued to operate the mines alongside the subjugated Celts until their empire fell apart at the end of the 5th century.

300 AD witnessed the spread of Christianity in the Salzkammergut, and in 600 AD, the region was under the control of the Bavarians.

Lauffen (blockade on the river Traun) dates back to the year 807, and this was evidence that salt was now being transported along the region's water ways to where it was needed.

Around 1000, the salt mines were as significant as they had been in prehistoric and Roman times. There are records of the "Michaelikirche", a romantic little church , dating back to the 12th century AD.

In 1846, gravel diggers

discovered ancient relics. Johann Georg Ramsauer, leading figure in the salt mines, recognised the value of these discoveries.

skip He led the excavation campaign which resulted in the unearthing of the ancient, world famous Hallstatt Burial Grounds.

The first road was built in 1875 from the Gosaumuehle to Hallstatt. This was the first step in the efficient transportation of salt for business purposes. Up until now, a narrow mule track had been the only link to the outside world.

The first goods railway was built between 1876 and 1878. With it came the first tourists. Over time the tourist industry began to develop, and many thousands of visitors came to Hallstatt to enjoy the natural beauty of the region. Just before the turn of the next century, it was necessary to build a road along the lake. Lahn was now connected to the road leading to the Gosaumuehle, but seven homes were destroyed in the process.

In 1964, work began on the "double tunnel with car parking facilities", designed so that traffic would by-pass the town, thus preserving its beauty. This was completed in 1966.

In December 1997, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee made the decision to add the Hallstatt/Dachstein/Salzkammergut region to its list of Heritage sites. Hallstatt is one of the few UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of which there are more than 580 in 112 different countries, which is both a World Cultural AND World Natural Heritage Site.