Bad Hofgastein: the perfect starting point for skiing and wellness in the Gastein Valley

Planning skiing or wellness in the Gastein Valley in Austria? Looking for the best place to stay? Bad Hofgastein is within easy reach of several ski resorts. There are also spas, restaurants and space for other sports and relaxation activities.

The town Bad Hofgastein is a small Austrian town in the Gastein valley in Austria. There are several ski resorts in the vicinity of Bad Hofgastein, a spa with an aquapark, cross-country skiing trails and a public skating rink in the town.

Ski resorts around the town

• Gastein - Gastein is the closest ski resort. It is less than 5 minutes by car from the town. Public transport also runs here. Free parking is available directly at the resort.
• Zell am See Kaprun - Beautiful resort. Reasonably difficult slopes. Lots of places to relax. Excellent food in restaurants with great views.
• Kitzsteinhorn (glacier) - Skiing on the glacier is amazing. But before you go here, check the webcams to see what the weather is like. It might be foggy and you won’t see anything, so you’ll have a spoiled skiing experience. In addition to groomed trails, there are also freeride trails.
• Saalbach
• Maria Alm
• Mölltaler Gletscher
• Grossglockner
• Hochalm Bahnen
• Grossartal

Spa and Aquacentre

There is a large Wellness Centre in Bad Hofgastein.

On the upper floor there are two swimming pools, whirlpools, massage loungers and a children’s corner. You come here in a swimsuit.

On the lower floor there is a sauna world and a large outdoor jacuzzi. Here you can wear bathrobes, towels or sheets. You are only allowed in the outdoor jacuzzi naked. You can only bring a towel or sheet into the saunas. The lifeguards check this regularly and if you have a swimsuit, they will chase you out to change. There are over 15 saunas in the wellness centre. There are steam saunas, infrared, Finnish, Swedish or herbal saunas. There are also salt and ice caves. There is an outdoor cooling pool at the back of the sauna world and by the outdoor hot tub.

Inside the wellness centre there are then 3 separate relaxation rooms with sun loungers, a water fountain and a bar.

In the “Cascadia” part of the wellness centre, various “shows” such as “beer or wine sauna”, “herbal sauna”, “with dynamic music”, “with relaxing music”, etc. take place every day (all day long). They recommend to take a tour of the sauna world and look at the schedule of activities.

I would also recommend arranging accommodation, such as Haus Vorrath, which has a contract with this centre. You can get a good deal on admission, and there’s nothing better than going to the hot tub or sauna to relax after a day of skiing.

Restaurants and bars

Cross-country skiing and jogging trails

Cross-country skiing trails are both right in Bad Hofgastein and around the town. There is a smaller cross-country skiing circuit directly inside the town. Other circuits can be found here.

A route suitable for free running is along the river along Wiener Allee, Achenpromenade and Gasteiner Achenpromenade. This route will take you all the way to Bad Gastein.

Public skating at the stadium

Gallery