Hallstatt is a World Heritage Site because it is genuinely irreplaceable: a village wedged between a cliff and a lake, inhabited and salt-mined since 5000 BC, whose burial culture defined an entire period of European prehistory. The Beinhaus in the cemetery holds painted skulls with the names of their owners. The prehistoric salt mine is the oldest in the world still operating. In summer it is extremely crowded during peak hours; staying overnight transforms the experience. About 1 hour 20 minutes from Salzburg by car. The bone house alone justifies a visit.