Useful Tricks

The evening at "Felsentherme": Since the hotel only has a small sauna and not some giant wellness area, that means making an evening trip over to Felsentherme next door. With your Gastein Card-from the hotel-there's almost always a discount. After 6:00 PM is normally cheaper-and it's also less crowded then.

Balcony Request: Ask for a room with a balcony facing south towards the mountains. Beautiful view! Catch some afternoon sun as well. The north-facing rooms are looking at the street/hillside.

Dinner is normally served at a fixed time or within a specific window of availability, for example between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Austrians are sticklers for punctuality in hospitality service; do not be late for the soup course because that might just be the best part of the meal.

Explore the "Geisterstadt", take a walk into the old town center. Bad Gastein is famous for its "faded glory" and empty grand hotels (though some are being renovated). The contrast between the lively ski area and the historic, slightly eerie architecture of the center is unique to this town.

Water from the Tap: The tap water in Bad Gastein is fresh alpine spring water. Don’t buy plastic bottles; just bring a reusable bottle and fill it up in your bathroom. It tastes better than anything you can buy.