Hall in Tirol, Austria
Hall in Tirol
Population:12,000. Elevation: 574 m (1,882 ft). Country-Area code: +43-(0)5223.
License plate: IL (short for Innsbruck Land, belonging to the rural district around Innsbruck).
First mentioned in 1256, Hall is roughly the same age as Innsbruck. Although much smaller than its sprawling Olympic neighbor, Hall in the Middle Ages wielded tremendous power, owing to its abundance of salt. 
The financial boon of the so-called “white gold” is translated in the town’s Celtic name, meaning salt, as well as illustrated on Hall’s coat of arms (pictured), two heraldic lions clutching a drum of salt. While Innsbruck was barely more than its namesake bridge over the Inn River, Hall already had some 3,000 inhabitants by the 1400s; practically a city in those days. As Hall’s population and salt production grew, so did its economy. Merchants from all over Europe converged on Hall, thus the jumble of currencies from umpteen fiefdoms was, to say the least, confusing. To help counter this monetary melee, in 1477 Duke Sigmund moved the royal mint to Hall. This is where the story becomes utterly familiar. You see, in 1486 the mint began stamping what became known as the Haller Taler. This unsuspecting silver coin, the Taler has been repackaged, redesigned and resold throughout the ages, becoming a timeless piece of history that can still be found today in the pockets of millions of us across the world—known as the dollar.
Located a mere 7 km east of Innsbruck, Hall is an easy side trip via bus, which drops off near the recommended Mint Museum. Hall is picturesque like Innsbruck, with quaint cobbled lanes and colorful facades, but much quieter with a fraction of the tourists. Moreover, Hall’s Old Town is a fair bit bigger than Innsbruck’s. So, with extra time in your schedule, visit the home of the original dollar and its charming Tyrolean backdrop. And if you’re holding a valid Innsbruck Card, the bus ride there and admission into the Mint Museum is free!
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To get there from Innsbruck: Drivers, exit the A12 autobahn at Hall in Tirol (Mitte/Zentrum), cross the Inn River toward Hall and immediately prior to the intersection ahead turn right into the parking lot, GPS: N47 16.792 E11 30.333. The lot neighbors Burg Hasegg in which you’ll find the Mint Museum. Otherwise, street parking in Hall is generally Mon-Fri 8:30-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, Sat 8:30-12:00, 50¢/30 min, max 180 min. Railers, the easiest way for you is to ride bus 4 direction Milser Strasse and get off at (Unterer) Stadtplatz, 20-min ride (bus departs Hauptbahnhof, Landesmuseum, Polizeidirektion every 15 min, and every 30 min after 20:15 Mon-Sat and all day Sun).
From the (Unterer) Stadtplatz bus stop in Hall there are toilets (WC, exit bus right) and a Billa grocery store (Mon-Fri 7:15-19:30, Sat 7:15-18:00, exit bus left and walk about 50 meters around the corner). From Unterer Stadtplatz, visit the Old Town (allow 60 min) then Mint Museum (60 min). If you’re crunched for time, head straight to the museum from the bus stop (in which case you’d exit the bus left and go right through the old stone portal at No. 17, leading to the Münze Hall, or former mint, in the courtyard on the far side of the grassy reserve). To reach the Old Town from (Unterer) Stadtplatz, exit the bus left, cross the street when clear (or descend steps into underpass) then climb the cobbled lane (Langer Graben). At the market square ahead note the Apotheke, or pharmacy, to your right if needed. On the left, Hall’s soaring parish church is dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers (who were so vital to the local economy in medieval times transporting the white gold downriver). When a devastating earthquake shook Hall in 1670, the original pointy Gothic church tower collapsed with the night watchman still inside. The tower was rebuilt in Baroque-style, as you see it today with the onion dome.
Continue straight and pass the fountain using either lane leading to tourist information ahead on the left (Wallpachgasse 5, Tourismusverband, Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-13:00). If the TI is closed when you arrive, its foyer (daily 8:00-22:00) has a brochure-filled rack. Pick up the informative booklet with regional histories “from Hall…to Wattens” as well as the free one-page Old Town map and sightsee your way around town and back to the former mint and its museum.
To return to Innsbruck from Hall: By train is a 10-min trip, 3/hr, free with Innsbruck Card. Hall’s station is an easy 10-min walk from the Unterer Stadtplatz bus stop (walk the main road west toward Innsbruck and opposite the gas station go left on Bahnhofstrasse to the train station at the end of the street). By bus 4 from Hall back to Innsbruck, the stop is just off the main road and therefore tricky to find: From the Old Town side of the Unterer Stadtplatz bus stop, walk the main road west toward Innsbruck to the fountain at the intersection. From here, continue in the same direction and walk with the traffic light across the street then over the next smaller crosswalk to the bus stop in front of you on Gerbergasse. Bus 4 departs here direction Innsbruck at generally the following times past the hour: Mon-Sat :10, :25, :40, :55 (and Sun :21, :51) until 21:20 then hourly.
The Mint Museum, locally Münze Hall (Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun also April-Oct, last entry 16:00, adult 6€, student/senior 5€, family 15€, or free with Innsbruck Card, www.muenze-hall.at), is located at Burg Hasegg, within a 90-second walk from either the Unterer Stadtplatz bus stop or the Drivers’ parking lot. First mentioned in the 13th century, Burg (or “castle”) Hasegg was originally built to safeguard the salt mines as well as the salt route and river trade before it became favored as a royal residence (in the 15th century) and the preferred home of the mint (in 1567). The former mint, a museum since 2003, leads visitors (with the assistance of a hand-held audio guide) on a historic and interactive tour of coin production from the 15th century. One of the many tour highlights is the wowing view of the Inn Valley and Alps from the Mint Tower (Münzerturm), Hall’s lofty landmark, symbolic of power and wealth in its day (204 steps, 4€/adult, not covered by Innsbruck Card. Pictured: view from Mint Tower). Near the end of the tour, look for the provided pencil and paper to etch a copy of the Taler. In the gift shop, you can even stamp your own Taler (from 2€) with an antique screw press. Drivers, if you have time after the mint, visit the Old Town, in which case have a museum staff member point you to the (Unterer) Stadtplatz bus stop. Once there, begin reading “To reach the Old Town…” above in the paragraph, “From the (Unterer) Stadtplatz bus stop…”.
Click here for Introduction Innsbruck.
Click here for do-it-yourself Innsbruck, Day 1.
Click here for do-it-yourself Innsbruck, Day 2.
Click here for Accommodations Innsbruck.
(This page was last updated June 2011)
Note: The updated 2011 guide is no longer available for download (The updated 2012 guide will soon be released in February)
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