2 minute read
Best things to do in Hallstatt
from Travel magazine
by hieuntt10
ITS WINDING STREETS AND COLORFUL HOUSES ARE THE DEFINITION OF CHARMING
Gazing upon Hallstatt is like looking at a work of art. It’s hard to turn away from the breathtaking views of the Austrian Alps, but if you take the time to wander through the town’s winding cobblestone streets, you’ll see that each little nook and cranny holds more charm and beauty than the last.
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Hallstatt is full of pastel-colored houses and picturesque streets ideal for getting lost in. You can wander through the small village for hours on end, taking in the sounds and smells of the shops and bakeries and watching life unfold in this tiny Austrian village.
FOLLOW ALEXANDRA MAHONEY
PHOTO: USPLASH PHOTO: USPLASH
PHOTO: USPLASH
GIETHOORN
Giethoorn is located about 55 miles and an hour and 20 minutes by car from Amsterdam in the of Overijssel province. This historic village has been around since the 13th century.
Its name originated when the first settlers of farmers and refugees discovered hundreds of wild goat horns, that died from a flood, in the marshland. The settlement was called Geytenhoren. Somewhere along the way, the name was shortened to Giethoorn.
The village is surrounded by a natural reservation called De Wieden and was near the National Park Weerribben-Wieden. Giethoorn is part of the area’s vast canal system, waterways and miles of trails.
Many of the houses in the village is only accessible by boat, bike or on foot. There are no roads to get around, only canals. So, how was this historic town built?
In addition to discovering the wild goat horns, the first settlers also found an area with large amounts of peat moss. Peat is decomposed plant material mixture that has built up in waterlogged areas. It became a valuable energy source when dried before coal usage. Thus, Giethoorn became a settlement of peat harvesters.
Ponds, canals and lakes formed when the settlers extracted, cut and transported peat. The settlers built farmhouses on these small peat islands using the reeds found around the area for the roofs. The wooden bridges were built to connect the islands. The flat-bottomed punter boats along with the pole to help move it along were used to cruise the shallow canals.
