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).
주요 지구 및 동네
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
시내 교통 및 이동
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).