Bad Gastein travel guide
A 341 m waterfall, faded Belle Époque hotels and radon spa tunnels
Bad Gastein is a 19th-century spa town built around a waterfall in Salzburg's Hohe Tauern, with thermal baths and four ski areas in the valley. Come from December to March for skiing or June to September for hiking. Two to four days is about right. Costs are above average, and Schengen rules apply.
Bad Gastein climbs the walls of a narrow gorge at the head of the Gastein valley, in the Hohe Tauern of Salzburg state, about 1,000 m up. A 341 m waterfall drops through the middle of town in three steps, and the tall hotels around it date from the 19th century, when monarchs and the wealthy came here to take the waters.
Long before the spa trade the valley lived from farming and gold mining. The name itself means grey rock. Several of the big Belle Époque hotels stood empty for years and restoration has been uneven; grand facades and boarded windows share the same streets. That slightly faded look is part of the appeal.
Warm, radon-bearing spring water is why the town exists. Felsentherme Gastein, built into the hillside, is the easy option for a soak after a day on the slopes. Down the valley in Böckstein, the Gasteiner Heilstollen runs patients by small train into an old mining tunnel for heat and radon therapy; it is a medical treatment, not a sightseeing ride.
Behind the railway station, the Stubnerkogelbahn climbs to the summit, where a 140 m suspension bridge and the Glocknerblick platform look across to the Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain. Angertal connects the Stubnerkogel with the Schlossalm above Bad Hofgastein. The free ski bus runs up to Sportgastein at the end of the valley, a small, high ski area that is usually far less crowded.
Allow two to four days. For a long lunch with a view, book Bellevue Alm or Windischgrätzhöhe, both serving Austrian cooking above the town. Bring shoes with grip, because lanes, stairs and lifts link the different levels.
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Top things to do in Bad Gastein
A waterfall in the middle of town, radon spas and four ski areas within a short bus ride.
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Best time to visit Bad Gastein
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Skiing on the Stubnerkogel, Graukogel and Sportgastein, with thermal baths afterwards.
Hiking from the Stubnerkogel, the suspension bridge and walks to the waterfall.
Quiet, with lifts closed but the spas still open.
Thermal pools fill up on snowy or rainy afternoons, so go in the morning on bad-weather days.
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Getting there
Tauern railway and the A10
Bad Gastein station is in the middle of town at the foot of the Stubnerkogelbahn, on the Tauern railway, with trains every hour or two from Vienna, Linz, Salzburg and Graz, often via Schwarzach-St. Veit. Salzburg is the handiest airport. Drivers take the A10 toll motorway to Bischofshofen, then the B311 and B167.
- Nearest airport
- Salzburg (SZG), then bus to the main station and train
- Train
- Bad Gastein station, beside the Stubnerkogelbahn
- By car
- A10 to Bischofshofen, then the B311 and B167 via Bad Hofgastein
- From the south
- Car train through the Tauern tunnel from Mallnitz
- The Tauern rail tunnel is due to close fully from 8 February to 9 July 2027 for modernisation, with replacement buses between Schwarzach-St. Veit and Bad Gastein, so check ÖBB before you travel.
- Streets climb steeply from the station; ask your hotel whether it collects guests with luggage.
- From the south, a car-carrying train runs through the Tauern tunnel from Mallnitz.
- A toll-free route from Germany runs via Lofer.
Where to stay
Sleeping above the falls or down the valley
How much climbing can you face? The station level is best for skiers, steps from the lift. The lanes around the falls hold the grand old hotels, some restored, some shuttered, with stairs to everything. Bad Hofgastein, one stop down, is flat and family-friendly, and Böckstein suits Heilstollen patients and walkers.
- Station level
- Closest to the Stubnerkogelbahn and trains; handy for skiers, less atmosphere
- Around the waterfall
- Belle Époque hotels and the best views, but steep lanes and stairs to everything
- Bad Hofgastein
- Flat, family-friendly, own thermal baths and Schlossalm lift; a bus ride to Bad Gastein
- Böckstein
- Small and quiet near the Heilstollen and the road to Sportgastein; few places to eat
Getting around
Valley buses, ski buses and lifts between levels
The town climbs a gorge, so expect stairs, steep lanes and a few public lifts between the station and the waterfall streets; wear grippy shoes in winter. Valley buses and trains link Dorfgastein, Bad Hofgastein, Bad Gastein and Böckstein, and free winter ski buses reach every lift, including Sportgastein.
- Stubnerkogelbahn
- Cable car from behind the station to the Stubnerkogel
- Ski bus
- Free to Sportgastein and Angertal in winter
- Valley buses
- Bad Hofgastein, Böckstein and Dorfgastein all year
- Sportgastein relies on very few lifts, so check they are running in high wind before riding the bus up.
Know before you go
What makes Bad Gastein worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Gastein waterfall, dropping 341 m in three steps right past the old hotels.
- The Stubnerkogel summit, with a 140 m suspension bridge and a view of the Grossglockner.
- Sportgastein on a busy day, high, remote and usually without queues.
- Felsentherme Gastein, for a warm soak after skiing.
- Lunch at Bellevue Alm, Austrian cooking with the valley below.
Good to know
- The Heilstollen is a therapy, booked as a treatment course.
- Many businesses close between the winter and summer seasons.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Bad Gastein, month by month
Bad Gastein's summers are cool and wet, with July highs near 22°C and about 174 mm of rain. January nights fall to roughly −7°C.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Bad Gastein (Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, via Wikipedia).
Stubnerkogel to the Schlossalm without a bus
Bad Gastein sits in the middle of the valley's ski terrain. Ride the Stubnerkogelbahn behind the station, warm up on the upper runs, then cross through Angertal to the Schlossalm above Bad Hofgastein without a bus. Keep an eye on the last lift out of Angertal, and save the quieter Graukogel for a morning when queues build.
The Graukogel, on the opposite side of town, is smaller and often quieter, a sensible choice for a morning when the Stubnerkogel queues build. Keep one clear day for Sportgastein at the very end of the valley. The free ski bus goes there, and with only a few lifts on higher ground, it tends to hold snow late into the season and rarely feels crowded.
January and February are the coldest months, with daytime highs of only 1 to 3C and lows near minus 7C, so dress for wind on the exposed ridges. After the last run, Felsentherme Gastein is the obvious place to thaw out. On a rest day, ask about a session in the Heilstollen at Böckstein.
Waterfall paths and the Glocknerblick in summer
Summer here starts at the waterfall, loudest in early summer as snowmelt drops through the gorge beside the hotels. Then take the Stubnerkogelbahn to the 140 m suspension bridge and the Glocknerblick platform, where the Grossglockner shows on clear days. Go up early: June to August bring 150 to 175 mm of rain each.
On the second day, take a valley bus up to Böckstein at the head of the valley, or follow marked trails down from the summit area. Book a long lunch at Windischgrätzhöhe or Bellevue Alm, both perched above town. In the evening, soak at Felsentherme Gastein, open all year, then walk back past the lit facades of the old Belle Époque hotels around the falls.
Kasnocken on the Bellevue Alm terrace
Two places above town pull people uphill for the view as much as the plate: Bellevue Alm and Windischgrätzhöhe, both serving Austrian cooking on terraces that look down the valley. In town, Orania Stüberl is a smaller, cosier choice for dinner. Skiers should fit in a stop at the Jungerstube, a hut that skiers in the valley recommend to each other.
This is Salzburg mountain food. Kasnocken, small dumplings baked with strong mountain cheese and finished with fried onions, appear on most hut menus, alongside Kaiserschmarrn and filling soups. Portions are sized for people who have skied or walked all morning.
Book the hut terraces ahead on sunny weekends and in high season, and check opening days in spring and late autumn, when much of the valley closes between seasons.
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How we research our Bad Gastein travel guide
Bad Gastein's Tauern railway links, ski buses and Heilstollen notes were checked with the town, Austria.info and ÖBB.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of Bad GasteinAustria.infoÖBB Austrian Federal Railways
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Bad Gastein.
Getting there
Not directly. Ride a city bus from the airport to Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, then pick up a Tauern line train, which runs every hour or two and stops right in town.
For most visitors, yes. The station is in the centre, valley buses link Dorfgastein, Bad Hofgastein and Böckstein, and the winter ski bus to Sportgastein costs nothing.
Bad Gastein station is in the middle of town at the foot of the Stubnerkogelbahn, on the Tauern railway, with trains every hour or two from Vienna, Linz, Salzburg and Graz, often via Schwarzach-St. Veit. Salzburg is the handiest airport.
General
Bad Gastein has the gorge, the waterfall and the grand hotels, but it is steep. Bad Hofgastein is flatter and easier with children, and the Schlossalm lift leaves from there.
A former mining tunnel at Böckstein where patients ride a small train inside for warm, radon-rich air treatments. It is booked as therapy, not a sightseeing ride.
January highs average about 1C with nights near minus 7C. July is warmer at around 22C but also the wettest month, with roughly 174 mm of rain, mostly in afternoon showers.
Sportgastein, at the end of the valley, is usually the quietest. The free ski bus runs there from Bad Gastein.
It drops 341 m in three steps right through the centre of town, and is fullest in early summer during the snowmelt.
Yes, on a clear day from the Glocknerblick platform at the top of the Stubnerkogel, next to the 140 m suspension bridge.
Felsentherme Gastein, built into the hillside, is the main public spa. Bad Hofgastein, down the valley, has its own thermal baths.
It is steep. Stairs, lanes and lifts connect the different levels, so allow time and wear shoes with grip in winter.
The town climbs a gorge, so expect stairs, steep lanes and a few public lifts between the station and the waterfall streets; wear grippy shoes in winter. Valley buses and trains link Dorfgastein, Bad Hofgastein, Bad Gastein and Böckstein, and free winter ski buses reach every lift, including Sportgastein.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Bad Gastein is Dec to Mar, Jun to Sep. Ski season in the Gastein valley, then summer hiking with the Stubnerkogel lift running.
- Winter: December - March (Skiing on the Stubnerkogel, Graukogel and Sportgastein, with thermal baths afterwards)
- Summer: June - September (Hiking from the Stubnerkogel, the suspension bridge and walks to the waterfall)
- Shoulder months: April - May, October - November (Quiet, with lifts closed but the spas still open)
Visa & documents
Austria is a Schengen country. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Crime rates in Austria are very low. The main risks are in the mountains: changeable weather, avalanches and hiking accidents. Check avalanche warnings before skiing off-piste, start hikes early after checking the forecast, carry insurance that covers mountain rescue, and call 112 in any emergency.
