Vacation in the Beautiful Gastein Valley

Skiing, Mountains & Thermal Spas 

Skiing in the Gastein Valley. The Gastein Valley ski area is a collection of resorts, situated in Austria’s Tauern mountain range, which offers visitors fantastic powder skiing at a great altitude, in an area known as an international health and wellness centre – due to the proliference of natural spas that are to be found here. With the 2 main towns being hot spring spa centres, established in the 19th century, the region maintains an air of formal elegance and sophistication, with grand hotels and upmarket shopping, and attracts a high class clientele. In addition to the clean mountain air and the mineralized energizing springs, Gastein Valley offers some of the most underrated skiing in Austria, with an excellent snow record and a lengthy season from December to May.

The Slopes
Gastein Valley consists of 4 main ski areas – Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein, Dorfgastein and Sportgastein, with a combined terrain of 250km served by 53 lifts and reaching a top elevation of 2700m. The resort itself is part of the even bigger Amandé skiing network, with a massive 860 km throughout 28 resorts. Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein make up the largest single lift linked area in the valley and it’s possible to ski from the first to the second and then return to Bad Gastein by train. Of the 4 resorts, only these 2 are linked, however there is a bus service shuttle available throughout the valley. Beginners should head for the area between Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein, known as the Angertal ski region, to find a separate nursery area with gentle slopes, in an area that’s not too intimidating and fairly sheltered from the elements, and then progress to the Schlossalm, the mountain above Bad Hofgastein. Everything else really caters for the intermediate skier, with the largest ski area to be found on the mountain above Bad Gastein, the Stubnerkogel. Sportsgastein, the smallest resort, boasts the highest altitude at 1600 m, and a gondola ascends to 2685 m to find the best runs on the Kreuzkogel Mountain, plenty of above tree lined trails amidst scenic glaciers. Experts who visit the Gastein Valley will be spoilt for choice, especially with the off-piste opportunities and plentiful steep narrow runs with sheer verticals – each resort boasts a drop of at least 1000 m – and the options presented by the multi-passes available.     

The Resort
 
Gastein Valley attracts almost as many visitors annually as Vienna, and the list of things to do and see off the slopes is vast. It’s possible to go to the theatre, take a day trip to Salzburg or try your luck in the casino, along with the usual array of après-ski fun. The cuisine is first class and the shopping upscale, and no skiing trip here would be complete without a trip to the spa or thermal baths, especially after a hard day on the fabulous slopes of the Gastein Valley.

Events in the winter 2005/06
24 March until  2 April 2006: Snow Jazz Gastein - "Keys" 
28 – 30 April 2006: International Ski- & Golf Competition Gastein 

                    For further information please go to:

                    Gasteinertal Tourismus 
                    Tauernplatz 1 
                    Tel.: +43 (0)6432 3393 (Fax: - 120) 
                    www.gastein.com , info@gastein.com