If you are looking for crystal-clear mountain air, alpine meadows, rustic huts with fireplaces and Kaiserschmarrn, for healing hot springs and magnificent mountain panoramas, paired with Belle Époque architecture, urban nonchalance, modern art exhibitions, pop-up events and yoga retreats then you go to the world-class spa resort and National Park town Bad Gastein. A place of true contrast. Surreal and unique in every season, the present and the past, the contemporary and the traditional are artfully combined here. And this has been the case for centuries. Einstein, Schubert, Schopenhauer, Thomas Mann, Gustav Klimt, Mozart, to name a few sought inspiration and impulse in the symbiosis of romantic nature and grandiose architecture. One of the most famous (regular) visitors to Bad Gastein from the past was Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary ("Sissi") and you will find references to the Kaisers that visited the town regularly. 

 

Bad Gastein was originally a gold mining area until it became known through its thermal springs since the 13th century. In the 19th century the natural healing hot springs of Bad Gastein became a fashionable resort, visited by European monarchs as well as the rich and famous. Now one of Austria’s most important spas and health resorts, it is also known as an international winter-sports centre and is the home of two magnificent waterfalls with drops of 63 metres and 85 metres. 

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There is so much to read and explore about the 'Monte Carlo of the Alps', but even better is to come and see for yourself how unique this place is. You will not expect what you will see @visitbadgastein

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