Hallstatt, Austria

Eponymous find site of the older Iron Age with prehistoric cemetery and salt mining in the Upper Austrian Alps. The village is not only known for its salt, but is especially famous for its general picturesque appearance, its location at the Hallstatt lake, the painted skulls in the medieval karner and above all as a name-giving finding place for the Hallstatt culture; since 1997 H. has been a World Heritage Site. A special feature is the preservation conditions in the salt mine, which were also able to conserve organic material such as textiles, leather and raw hides and thus offer insight into a material cultural group, which is usually not preserved otherwise. Hallstatt is an important trade hub of the Iron Age and imported goods from the west and east show its position at the intersection of the eastern and western circles of the older Iron Age.