To celebrate Christmas 2024, Jana, Filip, and I drove to Hallstatt, Austria.( Filip is my boyfriend and Jana is his mother) It was a fantastic way to end a year filled with travel, adventure, and exploration. I think I traveled more this year than ever before, visiting four continents, eight countries, and countless cities. As I reflect on these experiences, I’m filled with gratitude and have many memories to cherish and process.
Hallstatt is about a four hour drive from Prague. As we approached the Alps, I caught sight of a serene lake surrounded by towering mountains. The scene compelled me to ask Jana to pull over so I could jump into the lake. She gave me a skeptical look, understandably so, given the near freezing December temperatures. However, my love for cold exposure and the urge to move my body won out. Eventually, we stopped, and both Filip and I Jumped into lake Traunsee.
The water was crystal clear, revealing the sandy lakebed below. Surrounded by snow capped peaks, I felt completely present in my body and deeply connected to nature. Cold water immersions bring me to a state of focus and calm, as there is no space for distractions. I concentrated on my breath, calming my mind and body. .Emerging from the lake, I felt rejuvenated, light, energized, and ready for whatever came next. That brief pause at Traunsee reminded me of the beauty of embracing the journey itself, rather than rushing toward a destination. I shared this philosophy with Jana, encouraging her to savor the little moments along the way. Life isn’t just about arriving; it’s about finding joy in the process.
As we neared Hallstatt, traffic began to build. I’d known it was a popular tourist destination, but the scale of its popularity became clear when we arrived and saw the numerous parking lots designed for visitors. After parking, we waited for the shuttle bus to take us to our hotel. The chill seeped through our layers as we waited longer than expected. Glancing up, we spotted two paragliders soaring above Lake Hallstatt, framed by the majestic mountains. I turned to Filip and said, “We have to try that someday.” The sight filled me with curiosity about the experience, a mix of solitude and shared adventure.
Finally, the shuttle arrived, but the driver’s grumpy demeanor triggered my own frustration. I was cold, annoyed, and didn’t handle the situation well, letting my irritation spill into our interaction.I stormed off after he refused to take us until 4:00. The bus was every 30 minutes but because he was late he would take us for another 20 minutes. Filip and I opted to walk to the hotel instead. The brisk walk allowed me to process my emotions and recognize behavior I wasn’t proud of. Upon arrival, I approached the driver to apologize. I acknowledged my rudeness, explained my frustration, and wished him a Merry Christmas. His understanding smile reminded me of the importance of extending kindness, even when it’s challenging. Afterwards Filip looked at me and said, “why did you apologize to that man? He was so rude to us”. I explained that it was not only about him, but it's about me. I didn't like the way that I treated him, now I feel some discomfort in my body. I feel upset about it. I need to communicate my truth, I need to apologize. It's for him, but it's also for me so that I can be at peace.
That evening, we settled into our hotel with a breathtaking view of Lake Hallstatt. We explored the snow-covered town, visiting a small Christmas market and marveling at the tranquil beauty of the lake illuminated at night. Filip discovered a staircase leading to a viewpoint where we could see the entire town. The quiet streets were a stark contrast to the bustling crowds earlier in the day. We dined at the hotel restaurant and struck up a conversation with Czech travelers, Filip is Czech and we live in Prague so finding fellow Czech's was exciting. The Czech's introduced us to their geologist daughter. As fate would have it, she and her mother were the paraglider's we’d seen earlier. She shared fascinating insights about her work and offered to connect us with paragliding opportunities in the area for the future. They turned out to be very familiar with the area as it is their weekend home. We got all of the trips an advice for what to do in the nature surrounding Hallstatt. It's these synchronicities that I live for while traveling!
The next morning, I woke before sunrise and strolled through the empty streets. The quiet town, blanketed in snow, was serene. I was the only one in the streets. At the iconic viewpoint, I found signs urging visitors to respect the locals, to be quiet and that this was their home. A wave of empathy washed over me as I thought about the challenges they face living in such a popular destination. Later, I took a dip in lake Hallstatt, this time behind our hotel and naked. The icy water shocked my system but left me feeling alive and deeply attuned to my surroundings. As I got out of the lake my hands froze to the metal ladder, which reminded me just how crazy I am, I couldn't help but laugh. Jana was watching from her balcony laughing and and so were a bunch of tourists, honestly, I enjoyed putting on a show.
After breakfast, we followed a suggestion from the Czechs to try snowshoeing. We took a ferry across Lake Hallstatt to Obertraun, on our walk through Obertraun we ran across some Austrians and Jana began to speak with them and asked them how to get to the gondola. They shared with us that they are locals from Hallstatt and that they come to Obertraun for some peace because of all of the tourists.They shared with us that there are 800 people that live in Hallstatt and over 3 million tourists visit per year. Wow. That number is pretty astonishing. I shared with them my compassion and sympathies for them and that I understand why they need to go to Obertraun for some peace.
We continued our journey through the snow covered forest and then a gondola up to Mount Krippenstein. The views were breathtaking, and snowshoeing offered a peaceful way to explore the snow covered landscape. It was our first time trying it, and the experience felt both grounding and exhilarating. The mountain’s solitude allowed us to fully absorb the beauty of the Austrian Alps. When I am in the mountains, looking down I feel that anything is possible. It is a reminder that we are so small and to not take life and ourselves so seriously. The mountains provide me a sense of clarity and perspective.
As we returned to Hallstatt, the crowds had thinned, so we made our way back to the hotel at sunset. We asked the receptionist at our hotel for help with the shuttle bus. The woman working at the front desk of the hotel shared with us that sometimes the guy who drives the shuttle bus is crabby, that she's dealt with him before.I asked her how she deals with over tourism. She shared that it's okay when she's inside the hotel, but out on the streets it's a mess. It's hard to even walk. She admitted she cant handle driving through Hallstatt because it's just too frustrating. She shared with me that her father once had an experience with a German man who was being rude to him. Her father was a little bit rude back and the German said to him, “if it wasn't for us, you'd be walking around in your underpants”. her dad responded,” if it wasn't for you, I could!” That made me giggle.
When the shuttle bus came to pick us up, it was the same guy who was rude to us upon our arrival in Hallstatt. As we left, I gave him a nice tip and I wished him happy holidays. I thanked him for his service and he smiled and he looked so surprised by my behavior. Filip was also surprised that I gave him money and he didn't understand it. I explained to Filip that I did this because I want to spread joy, love, and light. I don't want to leave him with those same feelings he left me with. It is my duty to have the awareness and understanding that I can make a change through the way I interact with others. By treating him kindly and offering him a tip and sharing my light with him, he may spread that to the next person. Even if he doesn't, it leaves me feeling a sense of peace. I make the conscious choice to go through life spreading kindness instead of negativity.
Speaking with locals throughout our stay, I gained a deeper appreciation for their patience and resilience in the face of over tourism. Their stories and humor provided valuable lessons about maintaining joy and perspective amidst challenges. This trip was an excellent reminder of why I travel, not to collect pictures or check off destinations, but to connect with people, learn from their experiences, and grow through meaningful interactions. Cheers to more travel in 2025! To travel that is meaningful, powerful, and connected. Connecting with others is, for me, the most valuable thing that we can do. We must not create barriers between us, but embrace each other and love and accept each individual.
I invite you, on your next journey, to engage deeply with the people you meet. Open yourself to the wisdom they can offer, the lessons they can impart, and the ways in which you, too, can share your own knowledge. The true beauty of Hallstatt was not merely in its iconic landscapes, but in the profound lessons it showed me, to embrace the journey fully, to find serenity in the present moment, and to choose kindness, even amidst life’s challenges.
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