Things To Do In Bad Gastein
Skiers of all abilities may enjoy the almost 200 kilometers of ski trails at the Gastein ski area, which is close to Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein. While more experienced skiers have access to roughly 70 trails—an extra 18 kilometers reserved for professional athletes—novices may enjoy around 35 kilometers of local courses. Remarkable routes with different characteristics and difficulties are Sportgastein, Graukogel, and Dorfgastein – Großarltal.
Since there is ice and rock, skiing should be done with extreme caution, especially on high-speed routes like Nordabfahrt that are also vulnerable to avalanches. Skiers with experience can try their mettle on difficult courses like Tiefschneeabfahrt. Three important ski areas with distinct features and accessibility are included in the region: Sportgastein, Schlossalm – Stubnerkogel, and Graukogel.
A cable car ride away, Sportgastein is renowned for its snowfall and avalanche danger and provides a variety of skiing opportunities. Beginners beginning to ski love Schlossalm, which can be reached via Skizentrum Angertal. Because of its difficult paths and shaded slopes, Graukogel draws seasoned skiers, particularly during thaw seasons.
With a variety of amenities including an 80-meter half-pipe, boardercross circuits, and snow parks appropriate for novices to specialists, Bad Gastein also appeals to snowboarders. While several lifts give access to slopes that suit a variety of tastes, ski schools provide both individual and group training.
Years-round, Bad Gastein provides a variety of activities in addition to skiing and snowboarding. Popular summertime activities are climbing, mountain biking, and hiking; picturesque locations like the suspension bridge provide amazing vistas. Other sports to suit a range of hobbies and tastes include horseback riding, hang gliding, golfing, and squash.
A distinctive experience may be had by visitors at the town’s horse-drawn sleigh rides, ice skating, curling, and bowling facilities. Bad Gastein is a great place for both leisure and outdoor lovers because of its wide range of recreational options and breathtaking natural setting, which cater to all interests and seasons.
Winter Activities In Bad Gastein
Ski in Bad Gastein
All ability levels of skiers and snowboarders may find something to enjoy at Bad Gastein’s ski and snowboard offers. Five different slopes that are reachable by mountain trains allow tourists to climb over 1000 meters and descend significant distances. The ski area has more than 200 kilometers of varied runs, giving plenty of chances to enjoy skiing and snowboarding.
There is a variety of terrain and stunning views at the ski areas of Graukogel, Schlossalm-Angertal-Stubnerkogel, and Dorfgastein-Großarltal. At 2,686 metres, Sportgastein is also a freeride hotspot in the Austrian Alps. Its great slope conditions, especially in warmer weather, guarantee snow reliability all year round.
Following a day on the slopes, guests may unwind in Bad Gastein’s warm thermal waters after indulging in the best food at mountain restaurants and quaint ski huts. Skiers and snowboarders of all levels and tastes may access a huge network of 196.9 kilometers of ski courses with only one ski pass, including choices for blue, red, and black runs.
Panorama Platform Glocknerblick
A circular observation deck called the Panorama Platform Glocknerblick juts out over the slope, giving guests the exhilarating impression that they are floating in midair. Made mostly of steel and wood, the platform is seven meters in circumference. You may enjoy the view unhindered as wire mesh secures the sides. The front glass floor of the platform is its most thrilling feature; it allows you to see into the chasm below.
The platform takes its name from the Austrian tallest peak, the Grossglockner, which is visible from there on clear days. A representation of the natural beauty and cultural legacy of the nation, the Grossglockner is a component of the Hohe Tauern National Park, the biggest nature reserve in the Alps. In addition, the platform provides an amazing perspective over the other peaks and valleys in the Gastein area, including the Angertal, Graukogel, and Schlossalm.
With the Stubnerkogel cable car, which takes you from the village of Bad Gastein to the top of the Stubnerkogel mountain in around ten minutes, you can easily reach the Panorama Platform Glocknerblick. Year-round service hours for the cable car are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; a round trip ticket costs 24 euros for adults and 12 euros for children. For 36 euros for adults and 18 euros for children, you may also purchase a combo ticket that includes the cable car and admission to the Felsentherme, a thermal spa in Bad Gastein.
After climbing the Stubnerkogel, you may follow the pavement route and the signage to the platform in around five minutes. In the winter, the platform is open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; in the summer, it is open until 4:30 p.m. Entrance to the platform is free of charge.
Snowpark Gastein
Snowboarders and freeskiers seeking a range of features and challenges in a picturesque alpine environment frequent Snowpark Gastein.Situated in the Austrian Gastein Valley, the park opened its doors in 2009 and will mark its fifteenth anniversary in 2024.
Together with a halfpipe and a funslope, the park has parts for all ability levels, from novice to expert. A committed group of shapers regularly updates and maintains the park, guaranteeing ideal circumstances and imaginative setups.Seasonal activities and competitions at the park include the Shred Poker, Girls Shred Session, and Spring Battle.
Along with shredding, Snowpark Gastein offers a social and enjoyable environment for like-minded individuals. Riders may unwind and take in the view at the park’s cool area, which has sun loungers, music, and a BBQ.Furthermore linked to the park is the neighboring ski resort of Schlossalm-Angertal-Stubnerkogel, which provides extra runs and lifts for skiers and snowboarders of all skill levels.
Funslope Gastein
A Funslope atop the Schlossalm provides snowboarders and skiers with a winter paradise that amps up the typical downhill experience. 900 metres long, this slope is intended to amuse the entire family and suit people of all ages and sizes.
Funslope Gastein on the Schlossalm draws winter sports fans of all ages and skill levels with its 208 kilometers of slopes in the Gastein Valley. The Funslope is a specifically built course that offers snowboarders and skiers an exhilarating experience with twists, turns, boxes, rails and kickers. Its easy hills are perfect for novices, highlighting family fun while also offering thrills to more seasoned riders.
Among the many attractions on the Funslope Gastein are a Butter Box for easy glide, steep banks for collecting speed, tunnels for extra thrill, kickers for jumps, and a variety of obstacles like the Rainbow Box and Snail. Reached via the 4-seater chairlift “Kleine Scharte” and the “Sendleitenbahn,” riders may take many runs all day long.
All things considered, snowboarders and skiers will find Funslope Gastein on the Schlossalm to be an exciting and pleasurable winter sports destination.
Cross-country skiing
There are around fifty kilometers of well maintained routes in the cross-country skiing area in Bad Gastein, accommodating both classic and skate techniques. There are seven distinct, varying-length, varying-difficulty trails to select from. Among the most often used ones are:
- Böckstein cross-country ski trail: The 4.5-kilometer Böckstein cross-country ski track winds from Bad Gastein to Böckstein along the Gastein Ache river. Families and novices would find this route to be beautiful and simple. It’s also one of the few local dog-friendly routes where you may ski with your furry companion.
- Sportgastein Bernhard Gruber Olympia cross-country ski trail: Sportgastein, the highest ski location in the valley, with a 10-kilometer trail situated 1,600 meters above sea level. It bears the name of Bad Hofgastein-born Olympic gold medallist Bernhard Gruber. The Hohe Tauern and Niedere Tauern ranges are spectacularly visible from this demanding and rewarding journey.
- Angertal cross-country ski trail: This eight-kilometer trail links Dorfgastein and Bad Hofgastein’s ski facilities. Through the stunning Angertal valley, where you can see frozen waterfalls and snow-covered woodlands, lies this moderately challenging path.
The floodlit routes in Bad Hofgastein and Dorfgastein are also open for skiing after sunset; they are lit until 9:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., respectively. There is the enchantment of nighttime skiing and quiet.
It costs 7 euros for a day, 35 euros for a week, or 60 euros for a season to use the cross-country ski tracks in Bad Gastein.
Natural ice skating in Gastein
In the valley are many frozen lakes and ponds that provide an unusual and picturesque ice skating environment. But only in good weather and with sufficiently thick and solid ice are these natural ice skating locations accessible. Before stepping onto the natural ice, it is therefore crucial to confirm its safety and present condition.
Spiegelsee, often known as Mirror Lake, in Sportgastein is one of the most stunning natural ice skating locations in Gastein. Situated 1,600 metres above sea level, this lake is encircled by the magnificent hills of the Hohe Tauern National Park. The lake’s name comes from its surface that resembles a mirror and reflects the magnificent surroundings. Usually frozen from January through March, the Spiegelsee provides a roomy and peaceful ice skating surface. From Sportgastein, take the Goldbergbahn cable car to the lake, then walk along a designated route for around fifteen minutes. The cable car ticket covers usage of Sportgastein’s cross-country trails and ski slopes and costs € 25, or € 20 with the Gastein Card.
Situated close to the settlement of Böckstein at the end of the Gastein Valley, the Böckstein pond is another natural ice skating site in Gastein. Family and kid-friendly, the pond is a little yet comfortable spot. Accessible for free, the pond is often frozen from December to February. The adjacent historic inn, Gasthof Rader, offers ice skating rentals along with regional food and beverages.
Summer Activities In Bad Gastein
Rock Trail of Stubnerkogel
In the Austrian Alps is the picturesque and strenuous Rock Trail of Stubnerkogel. Situated close by is the well-known spa and ski resort town of Bad Gastein. Start and finish of the round Rock Trail is the mountain terminal of the Stubnerkogel lift, which is accessible by gondola from the valley. The steel footbridge that runs the about 100-meter route is fastened to the craggy rocks. A metal grated floor of the walkway lets people observe the plunge below. A suspension bridge of 16 meters is another feature of the walk that takes you to a natural plateau with a commanding view of the neighboring mountains. For anyone that wish to take in the splendor of nature and are not frightened of heights, the Rock Trail is an exhilarating experience.
Opening as a summertime attraction, the Stubnerkogel Rock Trail debuted in 2012. Its design is to go well with the Glocknerblick observation platform and the suspension bridge that are already in place on the Stubnerkogel mountain. Connecting the mountain restaurant terrace to the transmitter station is the 140-meter-long, one-meter-wide suspension bridge. Seven meters in diameter and constructed of steel and wood is the Glocknerblick viewing platform. The Großglockner, Austria’s tallest mountain, and other peaks in the High Tauern range are breathtakingly visible from it. The Stubnerkogel lift, which runs daily in the summer from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., provides access to the suspension bridge, the viewing platform and the Rock Trail.
An unusual and thrilling approach to see Bad Gastein’s alpine scenery is to hike the Rock Trail of Stubnerkogel. All age groups and fitness levels of hikers can do it as long as they are not frightened of heights. June to October, subject to weather, is when the path is open. Follow the safety guidelines and dress appropriately, including having on solid shoes. Although the Stubnerkogel lift requires a ticket, which costs 24 euros for adults and 12 euros for children, the Rock Trail is free of charge. Those seeking an exciting and unforgettable day out in the Austrian Alps should definitely choose the Rock Trail.
Golf in Gastein
With its founding in 1960, the Gastein Golf Club is among the oldest in Austria. Originally designed as a 9-hole course by architect Bernhard von Limburg, it was eventually extended to 18 holes to accommodate players 42 years later.
The 18 fairways provide a spectacular and enticing golfing experience even with the massive mountain background. Particularly the fair course on the Gasteinertal valley level encourages enjoyment golfing. The par 5s provide particularly difficult challenges, while holes 1 through 9 have broad fairways and big greens, some with sloping topography. By contrast, holes 10 through 18 have lesser distances but need accuracy because of their smaller greens and narrower fairways.
All skill levels and ages may play the course because of its smooth integration of hilly landscape with different altitudes, slopes, and welcoming fairways. The experience is enhanced overall by the old trees, winding mountain streams, and verdant alluvial forest, which provides more than simply a sporting activity. In addition, the well kept fairways and greens and the amazing sweeping vistas from every tee add to the course’s enduring appeal.
Situated in the stunning Gastein Valley in Austria, the Gastein Golf Club offers an amazing golfing experience. Its address is Golfstrasse 6, 5640 Bad Gastein.
Hiking and walking
Because Bad Gastein is encircled by mountains and woods with a plenty of routes of varying lengths and difficulties, hiking and walking are among the most well-liked summertime pursuits. Hiking to the Alps’ sweeping summits, including the Schareck, Graukogel, or Stubnerkogel, is possible in the Hohe Tauern National Park. The three villages of Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, and Dorfgastein are linked by the high-altitude Gasteiner Höhenweg, which you may also hike. A more relaxed stroll may be had by following the Kaiserin-Elisabeth-Promenade, a paved walkway that follows the river and past historic sites and monuments.
Swimming and water activities
You won’t be let down by Bad Gastein if you enjoy swimming and aquatic sports. Thermal springs in the town are well-known, and you may enjoy them in the Felsentherme spa. There you may unwind in the mountain-view outdoor hot springs or take use of the sports pool, indoor pool, or kids’ pool with a slide. Visit the natural bathing lake with sandy beach and crystal-clear water situated between Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein. Rafting, kayaking, or canyoning on the Gasteiner Ache river, which winds down the valley and forms a stunning cascade in the heart of Bad Gastein, are more daring water sports.
