Visiting Hallstatt is like a stumbling on a movie set, or a dream crossing into reality. Majestic swans gliding on glassy mountain lakes, red flowers growing on windowsills, old skis stored above doorways, whimsical red balloons floating about for no reason – I never thought such things existed. At least, not all in the same place.

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Photography is often a quest to find order and harmony in the mismatched mess of the real world. We strive for a carefully framed perspective with one central idea. But Hallstatt takes away all the hard work of avoiding gaudy billboards and neon signs. For a lover of classic European architecture, it is, more or less, visual perfection.

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This place so won the heart of a Chinese businessman that he sent a group with measuring tapes and the charge to completely recreate this town in China. Believe it. And they’ve done incredibly well. But as with all Chinese knock-offs, it isn’t quite as good as the original. They can’t recreate the theatrical backdrop of alpine cliffs, the nearby salt mine and the very real history and culture of the people who are indigenous to this unique part of the world. 

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Needless to say, I loved Hallstatt, but I couldn’t help thinking.. is this place for real? Is this where cliques are born?
Enjoy these images and trust me, no photoshop tricks necessary.

Hallstatt, Austria-14

Hallstatt, Austria-4

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