Bad Gastein (Salzburg (SalzburgerLand))
Built vertically into a forested Hohe Tauern gorge at 1,002 meters, Bad Gastein looks like a Wes Anderson film set brought to life: 19th-century imperial palace hotels surround the thunderous Gasteiner Wasserfall while 46°C thermal springs fill cliffside rock pools.
Getting There & Around: Direct ÖBB Railjet and EuroCity trains stop at Bad Gastein Bahnhof (400m from the Stubnerkogel cable car and Felsentherme): 1h 30m from Salzburg Hbf and 4h 05m from Wien Hbf. The ÖBB Autoschleuse Tauernbahn car-shuttle train connects Böckstein (Bad Gastein) to Mallnitz in Carinthia in 11 minutes.
Top Sights & Highlights
- Gastein Waterfall (Gasteiner Wasserfall) — Plunges 341 meters in three stages right through the middle of town; cross the historic stone bridge and follow the Wasserfallweg.
- Straubingerplatz Belle Époque Architecture — Restored 19th-century icons Hotel Straubinger, Badeschloss, and Grand Hotel de l'Europe.
- Felsentherme Bad Gastein — Swim in outdoor 34°C alpine thermal rock pools at 1,100m directly opposite the Stubnerkogel cable car (€36.50 day pass).
- Stubnerkogel 140m Suspension Bridge & Glocknerblick (2,246m) — Walk Europe's highest year-round suspension bridge with views to the Grossglockner.
- Sportgastein (Nassfeld, 1,590m) — High-altitude glacier valley inside Hohe Tauern National Park with traditional rustic dairy huts (Almen).
Stadtviertel & Kieze
Historisches Zentrum & Straubingerplatz (€135–€310 / night)
Dramatic cliffside architecture beside the roaring waterfall.
Bahnhof & Stubnerkogel Quarter (€115–€215 / night)
Flat, convenient plateau linking the ÖBB station, Felsentherme, and gondola.
Bad Hofgastein (10 min Down-Valley) (€110–€210 / night)
Sunlit, wide valley floor with the Alpentherme spa gardens and pedestrian center.
Local Food & Kaffeehaus Specialties
- Salzburger Bauernschmaus, Schwarzbeerknödel & Gasteiner Radon Thermal Water — Hearty roasting platter of smoked pork, roast pork, frankfurter, sauerkraut, and bread dumpling, followed by wild alpine blueberry dumplings dusted with cinnamon sugar.
- Typical Price Range (€ EUR) — €15–€27 across historic Belle Époque dining rooms and Gastein valley alms
- Where Locals Eat — Wirtshaus Jägerhäusl, Bellevue Alm, and Straubinger Grand Hotel Dining Room
Nahverkehr vor Ort
Direct ÖBB Railjet and EuroCity trains stop at Bad Gastein Bahnhof (400m from the Stubnerkogel cable car and Felsentherme): 1h 30m from Salzburg Hbf and 4h 05m from Wien Hbf. The ÖBB Autoschleuse Tauernbahn car-shuttle train connects Böckstein (Bad Gastein) to Mallnitz in Carinthia in 11 minutes.
Easy Day Trips
- Mallnitz & Carinthia (11 min through the Tauern rail tunnel on the ÖBB train).
- Liechtensteinklamm Gorge in St. Johann im Pongau (30 min by train/bus).
- Zell am See (45 min by ÖBB train via Schwarzach-St. Veit).