Action! Where Hollywood filmed in the Salzkammergut

Hallstatt is one of the most photographed places in the world – no wonder Hollywood keeps knocking. From 007 to an assassin ballerina: a little film tour through the Salzkammergut.

James Bond – with Aussee roots, twice over

For "Spectre" (2015), the 007 crew and Daniel Craig came to Altaussee. There Bond tracks down his old adversary Mr. White. Filming took place on Lake Altaussee, with a traditional flat-bottomed "Plätte" boat in the shot and the solar ship serving as a platform for the director. Around five minutes of the Ausseerland made it into the finished film, and the name Altaussee is mentioned three times.

The second Bond connection goes back further: Klaus Maria Brandauer, born in Bad Aussee in 1943 and raised in Altaussee, played the villain Maximilian Largo in "Never Say Never Again" (1983), opposite Sean Connery. Brandauer is one of Austria's great actors. He played the lead in "Mephisto", which won the 1982 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. For "Out of Africa" he received a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

John Wick: Ballerina – Hallstatt as a village of assassins

In the "John Wick" spin-off "Ballerina" (2025), Hallstatt is the setting of the finale: in the film, the whole village is inhabited by members of an assassin cult. Ana de Armas plays the lead, and Keanu Reeves appears as John Wick. Filming took place in Hallstatt in early 2023, while some scenes were shot in the Czech town of Štramberk. Don't worry: the people in the real Hallstatt are a lot friendlier.

Nine Perfect Strangers – Nicole Kidman and the salt mine funicular

In the second season of "Nine Perfect Strangers" (2025), the nine strangers set off from Hallstatt. The Salzbergbahn funicular takes them up towards the retreat, and the series shows the village's alleyways, lakeside and historic houses. Nicole Kidman was there for the shoot – yet hardly anyone in the village actually saw her, as the Oberösterreichische Nachrichten reported. The retreat itself, Schloss Blühnbach, is near Werfen in the state of Salzburg.

Hunters – on Hitler's escape route

The Amazon series "Hunters" stopped by the lake too: in the first episode of the second season (2023), the Nazi hunters follow Hitler's escape route all the way to Hallstatt.

The classics: The Sound of Music and Sissi

The wedding of Maria and Georg von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" (1965) is world-famous. It was filmed in the Basilica of St. Michael in Mondsee. And the "Sissi" films starring Romy Schneider? The real engagement of Sisi and Franz Joseph took place in Bad Ischl in 1853. In the film, Schloss Fuschl on Lake Fuschl stood in for Sisi's family home, Possenhofen.

Mondsee Basilica – where the Trapp wedding in “The Sound of Music” was filmed

Myth or truth?

Frozen: Hallstatt is often said to have been the model for the kingdom of Arendelle. Disney never confirmed it – Norway is considered the inspiration. Hallstatt in winter looks like a fairy tale all the same.

The Monuments Men: The story is true. During the Second World War, thousands of artworks were stored in the Altaussee salt mine and rescued at the end of the war. George Clooney, however, filmed the finale in Germany. You can hear the true story on a tour of the Salzwelten Altaussee.

Photos: Rudi Kain Photographie (cover), Pixabay / maxmann, Salzkammergut Tourismus, TVB Mondsee-Irrsee