Bad Gastein is a fashionable health resort and a winter sports
community in the Gastein Valley. Gastein is located in the Gastein
Valley in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The place owes its
reputation as a health resort to the unique radon thermal springs.
In the middle of the Hohe Tauern National Park in the Salzburg
region, Bad Gastein is 1,000 m above sea level. Its characteristic
townscape with the buildings from the "Belle Epoque" blends in
harmoniously with the natural surroundings. The Austrian world
health resort offers relaxation and recreation, combined with an
ideal mountain climate and Gastein thermal water.
Guaranteed
snow, attractive slopes, cross-country trails of all levels of
difficulty characterize Bad Gastein. In summer there are hiking
trails, running and Nordic walking routes, bike and bike tours in
and around the Hohe Tauern National Park.
Bad Gastein waterfall
The
Gasteiner Wasserfall is the iconic landmark of Bad Gastein, where
the Gasteiner Ache plunges about 341 meters in three cascading
stages right through the heart of the spa town, fed by streams from
the Hohe Tauern National Park; the stone waterfall bridge dating
from 1840 (expanded in 1927) offers the classic view, and the volume
varies dramatically with the seasons while a path along the falls
(closed in winter) leads toward Badbruck.
On the Stubnerkogel -
year-round accessible 2 140-meter suspension bridge at almost 2,300
m above sea level and the Glocknerblick viewing platform, an
adventurous rock path on the Stubnerkogel.
In Bad Gastein's
thermal spring park, the thermal water gushes impressively and
completely naturally from the rock.
Zirbenzauber am Graukogel -
The Graukogel is known for its particularly beautiful and ancient
stone pine, some trees are almost 400 years old.
Gletschermühle
- natural monument in the center of Bad Gastein.
Bad Gastein and its district of Böckstein are home to several
historic churches that reflect the valley’s long religious and mining
heritage, ranging from a late-Gothic filial church to 19th-century
neo-Gothic parish churches and an 18th-century miners’ pilgrimage
church, all set against the dramatic Alpine backdrop of the spa town.
Church of Sts. Primus and
Felician
The Catholic parish church of Saints Primus
and Felician (Preimskirche) is Bad Gastein’s main Catholic church, a
neo-Gothic single-nave building of unplastered stone whose foundation
stone was laid in 1866 and which was consecrated in 1876 after earlier
churches on the site dating back to at least 1333; it stands under
monument protection and features statues and reliefs linked to the
town’s founding legends.
Nikolauskirche/ Church of
St. Nicholas
The filial church of St. Nicholas is the
oldest largely unaltered church in the Gastein Valley, a small
early-Gothic building completed around 1389 (first mentioned in 1412)
that sits on a hillside at the northern edge of Bad Gastein beside the
old road to Badbruck, surrounded by a cemetery and noted for its
late-Gothic frescoes and simple single-column interior.
Church of St. Mary Mother of
the Good Council
The Catholic parish and pilgrimage
church of Mary, Mother of Good Counsel (Maria vom Guten Rat) stands on
the Kirchhügel in Böckstein and was built between 1764 and 1767 as a
miners’ church in early-Classical style to designs by Wolfgang
Hagenauer; elevated to parish status in 1891, it remains a focal point
of the historic mining settlement.
Bad Gastein’s museums focus on the region’s dual heritage of
thermal spa culture and Alpine gold mining, with the main
collections housed in the Grand Hotel de l’Europe and in the
carefully restored historic mining buildings of Altböckstein,
offering visitors insights into geology, Belle Époque tourism, and
centuries of hard-rock mining.
Altböckstein Mining Museum
The Montanmuseum Altböckstein, located in the protected 18th-century
mining settlement of Altböckstein near Böckstein, occupies the
former salt barn and pack-animal stable and displays original tools,
models, documents, and a working ore-processing plant that
illustrate gold mining in the Gastein Tauern from the 14th century
until 1945; it is open seasonally and holds the Austrian Museum
Quality Seal.
Christophoruskirche/ Christophorus
Church
The Protestant Christophorus Church is a small
neo-Gothic building constructed between 1868 and 1871 to designs by
Wilhelm Salzenberg of Berlin and consecrated in 1872; built largely
with support from Prussian visitors including Emperor Wilhelm I, it
stands on Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Strasse and continues to serve the
evangelical community of the Gastein Valley for occasional services.
Gastein Museum - The museum, which was redesigned in 2011, focuses
on the thermal water, the history of the spa, the Gastein customs
and the picture gallery.
Imhof Show power plant Nassfeld in
Sportgastein - In the show power plant models of various machines
from the gold rush time are exhibited, which are explained in detail
during an interesting tour.
Villa Karlstein
Villa Karlstein at Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Strasse
22 is a protected early-20th-century residential villa built in 1907
by Alexander Zickler with master builder Angelo Comini; today it
functions as self-catering apartment accommodation with mountain
views, located a short walk from the town center, the waterfall, and
the casino.
Hotel Straubinger
Hotel Straubinger on Straubingerplatz, directly beside the
waterfall, is one of Bad Gastein’s historic grand hotels; its main
building was erected in 1840–1842 on the site of an older tavern and
remained in the Straubinger family until 1980, later undergoing
major restoration and reopening as a modern luxury hotel that
preserves its Belle Époque character.
Grand Hotel de l’Europe
The
Grand Hotel de l’Europe is a monumental late-historicist building of
ten storeys completed between 1906 and 1909 to plans by Matthäus
Schlager; once one of the most modern and luxurious hotels of the
Austro-Hungarian monarchy, it now houses apartments, a restaurant,
an event hall, and the Gastein Museum while remaining a defining
landmark of the town center.
Hotel Badeschloss
Hotel Badeschloss, standing opposite the Straubinger on
Straubingerplatz, is a classical building erected between 1791 and
1794 for Salzburg Archbishop Hieronymus von Colloredo; long
associated with spa guests including Emperor Wilhelm I, it has been
extensively restored and reopened as a contemporary design hotel
featuring a rooftop infinity pool.
Congress House
The Kongresshaus (Congress House) is a striking Brutalist concrete
structure designed by Gerhard Garstenauer and completed in 1974 on
the site of the former Wandelbahn; once a major congress and
cultural venue with innovative movable floors, it has stood largely
unused since 2007, is under monument protection, and remains a
controversial yet architecturally significant feature of the town
center.
Böckstein Castle
Schloss
Böckstein (also known as Jagdschloss Czernin) is a small romantic
hunting lodge built between 1882 and 1884 for Count Rudolf von
Czernin on the Kirchhügel in Böckstein; destroyed by fire in 1902
and promptly rebuilt to plans by Josef Wessicken, it remains
privately owned by the Czernin-Kinsky family and is not open to the
public.
Gastein Museum
The
Gastein Museum, located inside the Grand Hotel de l’Europe since
2011, is one of the oldest regional museums in Salzburg outside the
city of Salzburg; its collections cover the history of the thermal
spa, the famous springs, gold mining, local traditions such as
Krampus and Perchten, and a gallery of historic paintings and
tourist memorabilia from Bad Gastein’s heyday.
By plane
Air travelers can reach Bad Gastein via the airports
Salzburg (IATA code: SZB, 97 km), Munich (IATA code: MUC, 266 km),
or Innsbruck (IATA code: INN, 191 km).
By train
The
Tauernbahn station, which was typical of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, is located near the Stubnerkogelbahn valley station.
The trains are operated by ÖBB, all express trains on the route stop
in the town.
Occupied counter times are: Mo-Fr 7:00 a.m. -
12:25 p.m. and 1:25 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sa 8:00 a.m. - 12:25 p.m. and
1:25 p.m. - 5:45 p.m., Sundays and Sundays. Public holidays 10:00
a.m. - 12:25 p.m. and 1:25 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
By street
Coming from the Salzburg area, take the A10 toll road south to
Bischofshofen and the Gasteinertal exit, continue on the Austrian
federal road B311 to Lend and turn off onto the B167 into the
Gasteinertal. Continue via Bad Hofgastein to Bad Gastein.
The
toll-free journey from the north in the route via Lofer and on
well-developed federal roads, but with some through-town traffic, is
from the Munich - Salzburg motorway, exit Traunstein-Siegsdorf in
Germany and further on the B306 (D) via Inzell, Schneizlreuth
(border ), B178 (A) to Lofer, from there you can continue on the B
311 to Lend at the entrance to the Gastein Valley. Distance from the
Traunstein motorway exit approx. 134 km.
Coming from the
south, Bad Gastein is reached via the Mallnitz Tauern lock.
Town name
The town was called Wildbad or Wildbad Gastein in
the last few centuries. From 1906 to 1996 the community was called
Badgastein. On January 1, 1997, the spelling was set to Bad Gastein.
The name "Gastein" goes back to two Indo-European roots and means
either "gray river" or "spraying river". The oldest still existing
document with the name "Gastuna" can be found in 963 in a
certificate of the noble Rosmuot.
Baths and spa facilities
In the beginning, the bathing facilities were communal pools, in
which bathers passed the time with breakfast and board games. For
the successful spa cures of the Middle Ages, long bathing times and
the generally long cure duration of six weeks were required. The
Gasteiner Heilstollen is also supposed to offer natural help with
rheumatic diseases as part of radon balneology.
In the Middle
Ages, word of the healing power of the Gastein thermal baths spread.
Despite the primitive bathing facilities and accommodations at the
time, princes and noblemen took long and arduous journeys to the
thermal springs. The thermal water was led from the springs to the
inns in open wooden gutters, later in wooden well pipes. The
medicinal water was brought to the neighboring Bad Hofgastein by
means of barrels and horse-drawn carts before a thermal water pipe
was built in 1830.
Gastein Convention
On August 14, 1865,
the Gastein Convention was passed between Austria and Prussia in Bad
Gastein, which regulated the condominium over the duchies of
Schleswig (administered in Prussia) and Holstein (administered in
Austria) acquired as a result of the German-Danish War in 1864.
Mining
The centers of gold mining in the Hohe Tauern are
located in the Böckstein district. The most important gold supplier
at all times was the Radhausberg. In 1557, 830 kg of gold and three
times as much silver were brought into the Salzburg silver trade
(purchase monopoly of the sovereign) from Gastein and Rauris. The
mining of precious metals was nationalized in 1616. This operating
period, now referred to as "Aryan", lasted until 1865/1868.
After the state shutdown, private investors took over the mining and
founded the first Radhausberg union, which lasted until 1904/1905.
Then the Swiss tunnel builder Karl Imhof (1873–1944) became
interested in mining, found a financier in the Swiss tobacco
producer Fritz Mayer and founded the Second Radhausberg Society. The
economic success remained low. Production was inactive from 1926 to
autumn 1937. After a brief engagement by the English Edron Trust,
the German mining company Preussag started mining at the end of
March 1938; Although this did not achieve any success, it was
responsible for the creation of today's Gasteiner Heilstollen. Today
the Böcksteiner Montanmuseum and the Via aurea association remember
this time.
Post war history
After the Second World War, a
DP camp was set up from requisitioned hotels in Bad Gastein for
Jewish, so-called displaced persons, most of whom had been moved
from the DP camp on the grounds of the Ebensee concentration camp to
Bad Gastein. The camp, in which up to 1,300 people lived at times,
was closed in March 1946.
After the First and Second World
Wars, Bad Gastein was no longer able to assert itself as a
fashionable health resort for the upper classes. Winter sports
tourism was established as compensation from 1946. In addition,
rehabilitation clinics run by health insurers and wellness hotels
have increasingly settled due to the alleged healing properties of
the radon-containing thermal water.
For many years, the tourist infrastructure of the place has
increasingly shifted from the historical core to the station area.
Due to its level location, the location on the main road and the
immediate vicinity of mountain railway stations (winter sports), it
is more attractive and convenient for tourists to reach. The
Felsentherme, also located there, which was facing bankruptcy due to
ailing facilities, was extensively modernized by November 2017. Due
to changed leisure habits (the summer season, which used to be
dominant, was replaced by the winter season) and completely outdated
buildings (many hotels had not been modernized since the 1970s and
had insufficient heating facilities), the former Belle Époque
hostels were increasingly decaying. The Grand Hotel Gasteinerhof,
which only had three bathrooms, closed in 1987, and the owners of
the renowned Grand Hotel de l’Europe, once one of the largest and
most exclusive luxury hotels in Europe, had to file for bankruptcy
in 1988. Since then, the multi-storey house has been used as an
apartment building, with most of the owners only being there a few
weeks a year. The casino moved out in 2015. Between 2001 and 2005
the Viennese real estate entrepreneur Franz Duval acquired five
historic buildings that characterize the center (Haus Austria,
Kongresshaus, Hotel Straubinger, Badeschloss, k. U. K. Post office)
for a total of five million euros. Since then, the properties have
fallen into disrepair, and son Philipp Duval, who inherited the
property in 2013, did not present any redevelopment plans either.
However, the Viennese architect Franz Wojnarowski announced in
February 2017 that there were potential buyers who, like himself,
were striving for "an architectural combination of old, classicist
building tradition and modern new buildings". Wojnarowski held 50
percent of some of the old buildings on Straubingerplatz, Philipp
Duval the other half. Duval was the sole owner of the House of
Austria and the desolate congress center and, according to the
municipality, had "broken off all contact".
Since investments
in the tourist future of the town center were uncertain for years,
there were attempts to temporarily use the "eyesore" artistically
and to inspire guests for the "morbid charm" of the area. The Summer
Fresh Art Festival has been held in July since 2010 and since 2011
artists have been invited to work in studios in the listed power
plant at the foot of the waterfall and to live in hotels for a few
weeks. In this context, the press referred to avant-garde
performers, high-quality restaurants and described Bad Gastein as a
“stronghold for creative and crazy people”.
At the beginning
of November 2017, the State of Salzburg bought the vacant historical
ensemble on Straubingerplatz with the Hotel Straubinger, the
Badeschloss and the post office building, which was in need of major
renovation, for 6 million euros and financed an initial, makeshift
renovation. In November 2018, the buildings were sold on to the
Munich-based Hirmer real estate group for 7.5 million euros, subject
to the stipulation that at least one 4-star superior or a 5-star
hotel would be built no later than three years after the necessary
permits had been obtained. A 520 meter long pedestrian tunnel and a
new multi-storey car park should solve the traffic problems in the
center by 2021. The number of overnight stays has risen
significantly, regardless of the in-town ruins. In 2018 they were
1.2 million per year compared to 850,000 in 1990. In February 2019,
there was even talk of a new “gold rush mood”.
Location and Key Characteristics
The municipality covers an area
of approximately 170.6 km². The town center lies at an elevation of
1,002 meters above sea level. Its coordinates are approximately
47°06′53″ N, 13°08′08″ E. The town is situated roughly 80–100 km south
of Salzburg, in the heart of the Eastern Alps.
Bad Gastein is part of
the Hohe Tauern National Park (*Nationalpark Hohe Tauern*), the largest
protected area in the Eastern Alps. The Gastein Valley runs roughly
north-to-south, separating the Ankogel Group (*Ankogelgruppe*) to the
east from the Goldberg Group (*Goldberggruppe*) to the west; both
massifs belong to the Hohe Tauern mountain range.
Topography and
Character of the Valley
The valley features a typical Alpine U-shaped
profile formed by glacial activity. The center of Bad Gastein is unique:
it is built directly onto steep slopes and rocky outcrops surrounding a
waterfall. There is an elevation difference of approximately 80 meters
within the town itself (from the *Quellenpark*—or "Springs Park"—to the
railway station). Multi-story hotels and buildings, densely packed onto
steep terraces, create the distinctive appearance of a "skyscraper
village" (*Wolkenkratzerdorf*) characterized by narrow, steep streets.
The municipality comprises the following areas:
the main Gastein
Valley;
the side valley of Kötschachtal, including the village of
Kötschachdorf;
the Böckstein district;
the higher-altitude
Nassfeldertal, including Sportgastein;
Anlauftal. Elevations within
the municipality range from approximately 850–900 m in the lower areas
to over 2,600–3,200 m on the surrounding peaks. The average elevation of
the territory is significantly higher than that of the town center.
Mountains
Major peaks in the immediate vicinity:
Ankogel —
approx. 3,252 m (one of the highest in the area);
Graukogel — 2,492
m;
Stubnerkogel — 2,246 m (featuring a cable car, a suspension
bridge, and the "Glocknerblick" viewing platform, which offers a view of
the Grossglockner);
Kreuzkogel and the peaks of the Sportgastein area
— up to approx. 2,686 m;
other notable peaks — Radhausberg,
associated with historical gold mining.
In the distance, the highest
peaks of the High Tauern range are visible, including the Grossglockner
(3,798 m).
Hydrography
The main river is the Gasteiner Ache.
Its headwaters lie in the high-altitude zone of the national park
(including the Nassfelder Ache, originating from the Schlapperebenkees
glacier area at an elevation of about 2,400 m). The river is formed by
the confluence of several streams, including the Anlaufbach and
Kötschachbach.
Within the town limits, the Gasteiner Ache forms the
famous Gastein Waterfall (Gasteiner Wasserfall)—a cascade with a total
height of approximately 341 m (comprising three main tiers). It is one
of Austria's most famous waterfalls and the town's primary natural
landmark. The waterfall flows directly through the center and is spanned
by bridges.
Tributaries within the municipality include the
Anlaufbach, Kötschachbach, Palfner Bach, and others. There are numerous
high-altitude lakes (including Untere Bockhartsee, Palfner See, Riedsee,
the Höhkar lakes, Gamskarlsee, and others).
Climate
The
climate is humid continental (Köppen Dfb), with subarctic
characteristics due to the elevation. Summers are moderately warm with
cool nights, while winters are cold and snowy (average annual snowfall
is around 345 cm). Precipitation is abundant (approximately 1,200 mm per
year or more), with marked orographic enhancement.
Neighboring
areas and transport links
To the north lie Bad Hofgastein and,
further on, Dorfgastein. To the south, the Tauern Tunnel (Tauerntunnel)
provides a connection to Carinthia (Mallnitz, etc.). Other neighboring
municipalities include Rauris, Grossarl, and Hüttschlag, as well as
areas on the Carinthian side. The Tauern Railway (Tauernbahn) runs
through the valley.
Geologically, the area belongs to the Central
Alps (Tauern Window / *Tauernfenster*, Penninic rocks), featuring
distinct glacial landforms and a history of gold mining (particularly in
the Radhausberg and Böckstein areas).
The valley was settled by Bavarian (Baiuvarian) peasants starting
around the 7th or 8th century. Earlier traces of Celtic presence,
possible Roman visits to the thermal springs, and Slavic place names in
the southern part of the valley have also been noted. By the Middle
Ages, Gastein had already become known as a *Wildbad* ("Wild Bath").
Mining played a significant role in the region's history. Gold and
silver—known as "Tauern gold"—were actively mined here from the 14th
century onwards, with a peak in production during the 16th century.
Dozens of mines operated in the valley, involving the Fugger family of
Augsburg. This legacy left a lasting mark, evident in mining traditions,
a distinct local mindset, museums (such as the one in Böckstein), and
the *Via Aurea* cultural route. The miners' sword dance (*Schwerttanz*)
in neighboring Bad Hofgastein is recognized as part of Austria's
intangible cultural heritage.
Spa Culture and the "Golden Age"
Legend has it that the healing springs were discovered around 680 AD by
monks who bathed a wounded stag. By the 14th and 15th centuries, bathing
had become a regular activity—often involving mixed bathing and games of
chess. The water, which emerges from 17 different springs, contains
radon and reaches temperatures of 44–47°C.
A true cultural
flourishing occurred between the 19th and early 20th centuries, when Bad
Gastein transformed into a fashionable European resort. Visitors
included:
Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth (Sisi),
German Emperor Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck,
composers (Franz
Schubert, who wrote the "Gastein" Sonata here),
writers and thinkers
(Franz Grillparzer, Thomas Mann, Heinrich Mann, Sigmund Freud),
and
other monarchs and celebrities.
The Gastein Convention between
Austria and Prussia was signed here in 1865. The town was developed with
grand Belle Époque hotels, villas, and palaces that literally cling to
the steep slopes surrounding a mighty waterfall (with a drop of about
340 meters). This created a unique cityscape—sometimes referred to as
"Alpine Manhattan." The architecture here is not typically "Alpine"
(featuring wooden chalets) but rather Viennese and imperial in style.
Folk traditions and folklore
Despite its cosmopolitan past, the
valley preserves strong Alpine customs:
*Almabtrieb* (the ceremonial
descent of cattle from alpine pastures) and *Gosaabtrib*—animals return
adorned with flowers and bells.
*Erntedank* (harvest festival)
featuring processions, local produce, and thanksgiving rituals.
Palm
Sunday (*Palmweihe*) with the blessing of palm bouquets.
Maypole
celebrations and village festivals.
Winter customs involving
masks are particularly prominent:
*Krampuslauf* (December 5–6). Over
100 *Passen* (groups)—featuring St. Nicholas, angels, and Krampuses
wearing carved wooden masks and sheepskins and carrying bells—go from
house to house. This is one of the most authentic versions of the custom
found in the Salzburg region. In Bad Gastein, the *Krampus* figures
traditionally wear long fur coats.
The *Perchtenlauf* takes place
every four years (between New Year’s Day and Epiphany). It is a major
procession featuring dozens of figures—including beautiful and "ugly"
*Perchten*, *Kappenträger* (wearers of tall, heavy headdresses reaching
up to 2.5 meters), and characters from the Bible and everyday life.
Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, the custom has
deep pre-Christian roots linked to the figure of Perchta and symbolizes
the banishment of evil and the arrival of light.
These customs
endure not primarily for the sake of tourists, but as an integral part
of the locals' identity.
Contemporary Culture
After a
mid-20th-century decline—when many grand hotels stood empty—Bad Gastein
is experiencing a cultural renaissance. The town attracts artists,
designers, and a creative crowd (including visitors from Berlin). Events
held here include:
contemporary art festivals
(*sommer.frische.kunst*, *art:badgastein*),
jazz events
(*Jazzherbst*, *Snow Jazz Gastein*),
dance and classical music
festivals (*Berg:Klassik*),
and art galleries and installations
housed in historic buildings.
The architecture offers a striking
contrast: *Belle Époque* structures stand alongside Brutalist buildings
from the 1960s and 70s (such as the *Felsentherme*). The town
consciously positions itself not as a glamorous resort like St. Moritz
or Kitzbühel, but as a place with character, where signs of fading
grandeur coexist with fresh energy.