Basilika St. Michael

The town of Mondsee, with its famous St. Michael's Wedding Basilica, lies in the beautiful countryside between the lakes Mondsee and Irrsee. This basilica is famous for the wedding of Maria and Captain von Trapp in the world-famous musical To the Sound of Music. Since then, more than 400 weddings have taken place here. The 12th century basilica is the symbol of Mondsee and one of the largest Gothic churches in Austria. The church received its extraordinarily rich decoration at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. However, the history of this place goes back much further. Originally, the Mondsee monastery stood here, founded in 748. After 800, the so-called "Mondsee Matthew", the oldest translation of the Bible into German, was written in the monastery. After the dissolution of the monastery in 1791, the building was converted into a castle and is now a hotel. The lake is considered one of the warmest in Salzkammergut area.

Hallstatt

Hallstatt is a charming town on the shores of a picturesque lake with the oldest salt mines in the world. Its unique location in the Salzkammergut makes it one of the most popular tourist destinations. Hallstatt is so popular in China, that they have even built an exact replica of the town. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers a wide range of activities. You can sail on the lake, walk along the streets of wooden houses built on wooden stilts, explore the ice cave, go down the salt slide or enjoy the view of the mountain peaks while hiking. The archaeological finds around Hallstatt are so significant that they have given their name to a period of the so-called Hallstatt culture. You can see them in the local museum. Just above Hallstatt you can visit the world's oldest salt mine with a skywalk for the perfect photo opportunity.