Bad Gastein

Bad Gastein is a Belle Époque spa town whose grand hotels cling to the slope in terraces, while the Gastein Waterfall roars right through the middle. Famous are the radon-bearing thermal springs and the Gastein healing gallery. All around stretches the ski and hiking area of the Hohe Tauern.

Highlights

• Belle Époque architecture on the slope
• Gastein Waterfall in the middle of town
• Radon thermal springs and healing gallery
• Hohe Tauern ski and hiking area

Good to know

Practical info

Background & History

Bad Gastein clings in a spectacular position to the steep slopes of the Gastein valley, cut through by a roaring waterfall that plunges in several stages right through the middle of the town. The spa town became famous for its hot, slightly radon-containing thermal springs, which were already prized in the Middle Ages and which in the 19th century gave rise to the magnificent Belle Époque hotels with their richly decorated façades. Crowned heads, statesmen and artists travelled here to take the cure in the warm springs, among them emperors, chancellors and composers, which earned Gastein the reputation of one of the most fashionable alpine spas in Europe.

The imposing hotel palaces that nestle against the rocks still bear witness to this glamorous era today, even if some of them fell into decay in the 20th century and were only elaborately revived in more recent times. A special feature is the Gastein healing tunnel in neighbouring Böckstein, a former gold-mining tunnel deep inside the mountain, whose warm, radon-containing air has been used for healing purposes since the mid-20th century. The former wealth is also recalled by the long tradition of Tauern gold mining, which shaped the region. Thus Bad Gastein combines the rough history of mining with the elegant tradition of an international health spa, which has preserved its morbid charm to this day and captivates lovers of architecture and seekers of relaxation alike.