family travel guide
Austria's ski resorts are known for being family friendly. But skiing can be different.
If you want more challenging pistes and children's ski school classes in well-equipped and well-lit areas, choose Gastein.
A nice addition to this choice is the thermal pool, where you can warm up after a day on the slopes. For more on the benefits of a family holiday in Gastein, read our review of Kidpassage.
Gastein is a ski resort in central Austria, in the province of Salzburg. It is part of the district of St. Johann im Pongau (the administrative centre — the town of St. Johann im Pongau).
The distance from Gastein to Salzburg is 105 km, to Innsbruck — 190 km, to Klagenfurt — 220 km.
Gastein is one of the resorts in the Ski amadé region. This region also includes the Salzburger Sportwelt, Schladming-Dachstein, Hochkenig and Grossarltal. That's a total of 760 kilometres of slopes, 220 of which are in Gastein.
And in the valley where Gastein is located, thermal springs have been discovered whose water has proven therapeutic properties. At the turn of the XIX-XX century, the royal families of Europe came to rest in Gastein, and now everyone can improve their health here.
Gastein has earned the reputation of being an elite ski resort. This is not easy: all the resorts in Austria are of an exceptionally high standard. But Gastein has something to be proud of.
Firstly, it is the largest resort in the Ski amadé region. Second, it is a great place for those who like to show off their skiing skills. Thirdly, its soft-snow slopes attract freeriders like a magnet.
And it's just as good to come to Gastein with children.
The ski schools are like the best amusement parks, family-run hotels offer children's activities and kindergartens welcome the youngest travellers.
Another advantage is that a holiday in Gastein does not require acclimatisation. The resort is situated at a moderate altitude of 1000-2000 metres, and children adapt quickly to such conditions.
Only babies can have problems getting used to the cold in winter, so it is better to come in spring or summer if you are on holiday with an infant.
Hotels and apartments do not need to advertise — Austrian service is always first class. The price range for accommodation in Gastein is wide, but even in the top resorts it is possible to have an inexpensive holiday with a child.
There is one small drawback: there is not much entertainment for children in Gastein. However, if skiing, tobogganing, skating, summer hiking and swimming in the pools are just as interesting to your child as the attractions, you won't have any problems finding something to do.
And you can combine sightseeing with travel: it takes just one and a half hours to get from Gasstein to Salzburg.
The skiing season in Gastein officially lasts almost five months, from the beginning of December to the end of April. However, the weather in the first and last weeks of the season is not always favourable for skiing.
The best time to come is between the end of December and the end of March.
But there are some subtleties. The resort is overcrowded at Christmas, New Year and in February and the first half of March.
There is a lull in January after the holidays. The second half of March is also a good time to go on holiday with a child.
Another reason to come to Gastein in January, rather than at the start of the season, is the Snowboard World Championships. In winter, the resort is usually the scene of various festivals and concerts (see the official website for a detailed programme).
The best time to visit Gastein with a baby is in the summer, when you can spend more time in the fresh air. If you postpone your trip until the autumn, you can still enjoy the clear weather - just dress warmer.
And now for more on the climate of the resort and when it is best to go to Gastein.
Gastein's climate is typical of the Alps: long, snowy winters, rainy summers and a short, cool off-season. The weather in May and November is less suitable for recreation, but the rest of the months are full of holidaymakers.
Winter in Gastein begins at the end of November. Daytime temperatures are still above zero, but at night it's -2-7°C and sometimes -12-15°C. Snowfall begins and by December the mountains are covered in a thick blanket of snow.
With the onset of winter, the frost becomes harsher. In December and February the thermometer reads -2-8°C during the day and -7-15°C at night.
Sometimes the temperature drops below -20°C, but such frosts only last for a day or two. It snows a lot and the tracks are in excellent condition.
In March there can still be heavy frosts at night. But during the day the temperature rises to +1-5°C and the weather is clear — the best conditions for a holiday in Gastein with children.
In the middle of spring the air warms up to +8-10°C and the snow gradually melts. In May the temperature rises to +13-15°C, and in June-August it stays at +17-20°C. The breeze in Gastein is mild and pleasant.
At night, the thermometer drops to +3-5°C. Summer in the Alps is rainy, but there are as many sunny days as cloudy ones.
In September-October the weather is unpredictable: the temperature can rise to +24°C or fall to zero. The nights are always very cold, sometimes with frost of -8-10°C.
The Gastein Valley is famous for its hot springs with radon-nitrogen water (temperature of the springs +42-46°C). The therapeutic waters are used for baths, swimming pools, drinking cures, inhalations and other medical procedures.
For more serious treatment you can visit the radon tunnels in the mountains. The therapy in the galleries includes three elements — radon, heat and increased humidity, which improves the body's ability to repair damaged cells.
Indications for treatment in Gastein include rheumatic, joint and respiratory diseases.
Public transport in Gastein is well developed: not every resort in Austria can boast three railway stations.
From the main villages you can take the train to Schwarzach-St.Veit station, which opens the way to Salzburg, Innsbruck and other cities. You can also travel by bus. Tickets cost around 5-6 euros, with half price for children.
The main winter transport in Gastein is the ski bus. They pass through all the villages in the resort, making several stops in each. In high season the ski buses run every 15-20 minutes, in low season every half hour. The current timetable can be found on the Gastein website.
There are several taxi services in the resort and a trip between the villages will cost you 10-20 euros. If you are travelling by car, parking is easy to find.
The après-ski programme at Austrian resorts is just as interesting as the skiing. And although the Gastein resort does not have a lot of noisy bars and discos, there is plenty to do in your free time.
A visit to a thermal spa is the best way to relax after skiing.
Modern thermal centres such as the Alpentherme in Bad Hofgastein and the Felsentherme in Bad Gastein also cater for younger visitors.
Alpentherme has special water areas for children, several slides, a large outdoor play area and even a water cinema. Felsenterme has separate shallow pools for children and special family rates.
And what can you do with a child in Gastein when the weather beckons you outside? Tobogganing, of course — there are three toboggan runs in the region, ranging in length from 2.5 to 3.3 kilometres.
Skating enthusiasts can visit the ice rink in Bad Hofgastein or Bad Gastein. Children may be interested in learning to curl at the Bad Gastein Ice Stock Club or the Bad Hofgastein Ice Arena.
The concept of "walking with your child" is also being redefined in winter resorts. Dorfgastein has snowshoe trails. And if you're up for an evening's skiing, try one of the Stubnerkogel and Graukogel trails.
The whole family can also enjoy a game of bowling at Pub Gastein (Bad Gastein).
For skiing in Gastein, there are four areas connected by lifts and buses.
The Sportgastein - Bad Gastein ski area is characterised by high altitude skiing, challenging pistes and excellent freeride conditions.
In the Schlossalm - Angertalm - Stubingerkogel area there are many blue runs for children and red runs for experienced skiers. In the same area there is a snow park, a fan slope and places for off-piste skiing. Schlossalm is easily accessible from Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein.
The Dorfgstein area offers a wide variety of skiing. Dorfgstein is very similar to Schlossalm in terms of the number and ratio of easy and difficult slopes.
In the Graukogel area, the slopes are in the forest and sheltered from the wind. Skiing is interesting for experienced skiers. The disadvantage of Graukogel is its isolation from other areas.
If you think there are not enough slopes in Gastein, you can always take a trip to other ski resorts in the Ski amadé.
Despite the predominance of red slopes, skiing with a child in Gastein is very comfortable. The pistes are spread out so that beginners and advanced skiers can ski together.
There are children's ski areas in every resort. The largest is Gasti Snow World, which covers an area of 5,000 square metres and has three ribbon lifts, a ski carousel, training lifts and slopes.
All this splendour is the place for ski school classes. The ski schools in Gastein accept children from 4-5 years old, and those who are not yet old enough to ski spend time in kindergartens.
| General season | December — April |
| Elevation difference | 860 m-2700 m |
| Ski slopes |
199 km — total |
| Ski lifts |
45 total, including
|
| Ski routes | 21 km |
| Toboggan runs | 3 (Bellevue-Alm (2500 m) in Bad-Gastein, Aeroplan (3300 m) in Bad-Hofgastein, Strohlehenalm (2000 m) in Dorfgastein) |
| The longest ski run | 10 400 m (Hohe Scharte Nord ) |
| Interactive scheme of ski slopes and lifts | https://affiliate.skiamade.com/de/winter |
The Ski amadé region has a single ski pass that allows you to ski in Gastein today, the Salzburger Sportwelt tomorrow and then on to Hochkönig or Dachstein.
During the high season (22 December — 15 March) the approximate price of a two-day ski pass for an adult is 106 euros, for young people (16-18 years) — 80 euros, for children (6-15 years) — 53 euros.
Ski passes for 7 days would cost around 460, 345 and 230 euros respectively.
In the low season (until 21 December and from 16 March to 22 April), a two-day pass costs around €100 for adults, €75 for young people and €50 for children. The approximate price of a 7-day ski pass is €286, €215 and €143.
A special offer for those who want to ski all the slopes in the province of Salzburg is the SSSC ski pass. In high season, a 3-day ski pass costs around €166 for adults, €124 for juniors and €83 for children.
Ski hire in Gastein is available in every village and at all the lower lift stations. The range of equipment varies, from budget models to skis and snowboards for beginners and experts.
A day's ski hire for adults costs between €18 and €35, depending on the class of equipment. A day's ski hire for children costs between 7 and 15 euros.
Renting a snowboard for an adult can cost around 20-35 euros, for a child - for 12-15 euros. The cost of renting ski boots is €10 for an adult and €7 for a child per day.
Rental shops also offer helmets, gloves, cross-country skis and sledges.
Summer holidays in Gastein promise to be interesting and eventful. The Gasti Children's Club is open during the holidays for children aged 4 to 12. The programme includes active games in nature, hiking on the lake and in the mountains, visits to the region's natural attractions and much more.
A good idea for a summer holiday is to go hiking as a family. At Schlossalm and Graukogel there are trails of varying degrees of difficulty: the easiest are suitable for parents with prams.
You can also climb to one of the viewing platforms or walk across Europe's highest suspension bridge.
Of course, there are plenty of opportunities for other activities in Gastein — climbing, mountain biking, paragliding.
And if the weather is bad, kids will love the Stubnerkogel entertainment centre with its trampolines, climbing walls and board games.
Just as in winter, people visit the thermal baths in summer, but unlike winter holidays, you can enjoy not only indoor but also outdoor water areas and pools.
There is also a natural lake on the Achen promenade between Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein where you can swim and warm up on the beach.
In September and October, the resort hosts a colourful Harvest Festival with special entertainment for young guests.
Winter holidays with children in Gastein are full of skiing and it's not easy to find time for excursions — especially as the nearest attractions are at least an hour away.
In summer, however, it's not difficult to find time to visit cities in Austria and Germany. What is there to see in and around Gastein?
The nearest town is Berchtesgaden (Germany), famous for its salt mines. Before you go down into the mine, you should change into a dressing gown and take a seat in the wagon: visitors have to travel one and a half miles.
Spend at least two days in Salzburg — it is a city that is full of things for children to do. Here is a short list:
Of particular interest are Hohensalzburg Fortress, from whose walls you can see the whole city, and Helbrunn Castle, with its stone theatre.
If you are travelling by car, add to your list of things to do with the kids the town of Hallstatt — a tiny town at the foot of the Dachstein Massif. From here you can take a trip to the salt mines or the ice and mammoth caves.
Tourists who come to Gastein with children usually stay in one of the four holiday villages: Dorfgastein (830 m), Bad Hofgastein (860 m), Bad Gastein (1002 m) and Sportgastein (1585 m).
Where to stay in Gastein with children is a matter of personal preference. The resort has luxury and budget hotels, apartments, villas and guesthouses.
If you plan to do a lot of skiing, the best areas in Gastein are Bad Gastein (the largest, with the most developed infrastructure) and neighbouring Bad Hofgastein.
The ski area in these resorts, Schlossalm - Angertal - Stubnerkogel, is the largest and ideal for teaching children to ski.
For an independent holiday in Gastein with children, Dorfgastein has its own ski area and the village of Großarl has several excellent family hotels.
All three of these towns have good transport links, with train and bus stations. From here it is easy to get to the ski resorts around Gastein. There are large supermarkets everywhere: Spar, Adeg, Billa, MPreis.
Where to stay with children — hotels or apartments? Family hotels are attractive because they have a playroom for children of different ages, children's pools, cots and high chairs for babies, and sometimes a full children's menu.
An advantage of apartments is the presence of a kitchen where you can prepare the usual meals. Aparthotels often have an outdoor play area and playground.
There are also good options for accommodation in the villages around Gastein. Not very convenient for active skiers, but a good solution for summer holidays.
The nearest international airports to Gastein are Salzburg (88km), Klagenfurt (135km) and Munich (257km).
There is a low-cost shuttle service from Munich and Salzburg to the resort and back eight times a day (cost — about 70 euros each way).
Other options for getting to Gastein from the airport include
- By taxi;
- By rental car;
- Bus to Salzburg or Munich, then train to the resort.
The railway runs through the Gastein Valley. Stations in the valley are Bad Hofgastein, Dorfgastein and Bad Gastein, but from Salzburg you have to change at Schwarzach-St.Veit. The timetable can be found on the ÖBB website: www.oebb.at.
Gasstein is connected to Schwarzach-St.Veit by bus, the journey takes about half an hour. You can buy tickets on the VVT website: http://www.vvt.at.
One way to get to Gastein is to hire a car on arrival. The journey from Munich takes about two hours, from Salzburg one hour. The route: Take the A10 motorway south to Villach, exit at Bischofshofen, take the Gasteinertal exit on the 167 road to Gasteinertal.
From Innsbruck it takes about two hours by car. Route: Motorway to Wörgl, road 312 to St. Johann/Tirol to Lofer. Johann/Tirol to Lofer, motorway 311 to Zell am See to Lend, motorway 167 to Gastein or Kufstein - Salzburg - Villach, exit Gasteinertal, motorway 167 to Gasteinertal.
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