Hallstatt is easily one of Austria’s most photogenic places (Photo: Dimitry Anikin)

Whether you’ve crisscrossed the globe five times over or simply scrolled through Instagram on a lazy afternoon, you’ve undoubtedly learned by now that some destinations are just more photogenic than others. That’s not to say that “ugly” cities and towns aren’t worth visiting; places that impress with personality alone are certainly bucket list-worthy. It’s more about this plain statement of fact: not all destinations are equal in the eyes of the camera’s lens.

But there are some spots that just have “it.” You know the ones I’m talking about. New York. Paris. Rio de Janeiro. Barcelona. The list goes on. But I wanted to introduce you to one place I’ve seen floating around a lot on Instagram lately: Hallstatt, Austria.

Found near the center of the country, along the western shore of a lake bearing the same name, Hallstatt is like a fairytale come to life. The lakeside town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is guarded by the mountains of the Northern Limestone Alps on one side, and juts right out into Lake Hallstatt on the other, making it easily one of the most photogenic places in all of Austria.

Hallstatt has such international appeal that China built an actual-size replica of the town in its southern Guangdong province back in 2012. Of course, the folks in Austria will tell you there’s nothing like the original, where you can find the oldest salt mine in the world; waterfalls, streams, and hiking trails brimming with natural beauty in nearby Echern Valley; and the archaeological excavations that have uncovered centuries-old remains in the center of town.

But hey, let’s get to the real reason you clicked on this post — the travel porn! Words hardly do this place justice, after all. Keep scrolling to see what I’m talking about: