Gastein in SalzburgerLand
Thermal spas, mountain adventures and skiing - full of energy between relaxation and experience
Introduction
In the three main towns of the Gastein Valley, Alpine life can be experienced in many ways throughout the year: Bad Gastein impresses with its Belle Époque architecture and roaring waterfalls. Bad Hofgastein offers family-friendly trails, bike parks and small mountain lakes. Around Dorfgastein, you’ll find quiet Alpine paths, historic mills and regional cuisine.
Active holidaymakers can explore more than 600 km of hiking trails – from themed routes and the Gastein Trail to leisurely bike tours and refreshing mountain lakes. Families enjoy varied programmes including gold panning, climbing and play areas. Dining ranges from gourmet cuisine to traditional mountain dishes, often with spectacular views. Gastein's thermal water is used in many treatments. And in winter, Gastein becomes a sports and nature paradise with skiing, cross-country skiing, winter hiking and tobogganing offering plenty of variety.
The Gastein Card comes with free-of-charge tours, reduced entrance fees for thermal spas, and up to 50% reduction for cable cars and various experiences. The SalzburgerLand Card offers free entrance to more than 190 attractions.
Meet Gastein
Top highlights
Thermal spas and wellness in Gastein
The thermal water at Gastein emerges from its springs after a journey of centuries underground, carrying dissolved minerals and radon. At the Felsentherme in Bad Gastein you bathe in it inside the rock itself, across four separate spa areas, with the surrounding mountains in view.
The Alpentherme in Bad Hofgastein has water areas, saunas and quiet rooms. Whether you are winding down after a day in the mountains or simply want some peace, both are places to spend an afternoon in the Hohe Tauern.
Forest bathing and yoga in Gastein
In the Gastein Valley, forest bathing means walking slowly through the woods, stopping, and paying attention – the smell of the trees, the sound underfoot, the light between the branches. There is no distance to cover and no summit to reach.
Yoga in the Gastein mountains takes place outdoors, from gentle morning practice to sessions at the end of a day of walking or cycling. Whether you come for a few quiet days or to wind down after time outdoors, Gastein has room for both.
Top events
Unique places to stay
Protected areas and getting around in Gastein
About 43% of the Gastein Valley is under protection: the Hohe Tauern National Park, along with further protected areas, natural monuments and biotopes. Many of them can be visited – the Gadaunerer Gorge, the Entrische Kirche show cave, the glacial mills above Bad Gastein.
You can reach the valley by train on the Tauernbahn, and manage without a car once you are here. Buses run every 15 minutes in summer, e-city buses serve Bad Hofgastein, and ski and hiking buses go to the trailheads. The Guest Mobility Ticket covers all public transport in the province of Salzburg free of charge. There are also cycle paths, bike hire and car-sharing.
Gastein’s thermal water is used for more than bathing: some of it also supplies heating, including for tourist buildings. At the Alpentherme in Bad Hofgastein, heat recovery systems put the water’s warmth to further use.