Hall in Tyrol, a place with (salty) wealth

In former times, salt equaled gold… in Halltal, 10 million tons of salt were mined. It was shipped over the river Inn and Hall became one of the hubs of European trade in the Middle Ages. In 1486 Archduke Sigismund ordered the minting of the first Haller Guldiner, a high-quality silver coin. It is the namesake of the dollar and the predecessor of the euro. Thus the dependence on costly export commodity, gold, was ended and created a currency that was popular far beyond the country’s borders. This further accelerated the economic boom of Tyrol. Thanks to its assets, Hall has a very appealing urban landscape.

The strong devotion of its citizens to religion and the wealth of the city led to the construction of many churches. The most impressive is the parish church in Hall, which is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors.