We visited this town in the summer of 2009. A 90 min train journey from Salzburg takes one to the small town of Bad Gastein in the Gasteiner valley. The train station in this town is one of the oldest, opened by Emperor Franz Joseph in 1905. This town rose to prominance as a spa town with healing powers that beckoned emperors and empresses in the 19th-century. Currently it is famous for its world class skiing facilities. Although this town does not have any fancy 5-star hotels or high end boutiques, it has some breath-taking scenery all around.
We did a lot of walking and biking on the 2 days we stayed in this town, admiring and enjoying the beauty around.
The Gasteiner river flows right through town, creating waterfalls in the town center. There are many hiking trails along the river.
Hiking on one of the many trails to a viewpoint for a sweeping view of the snow covered mountains around.
