Bad Hofgastein#

Bad Hofgastein, market town in the province of Salzburg, district of St. Johann, alt. 858 m, pop. 6,085, area 103.72 km2, health and winter sports resort, old centre of the Gasteiner valley, hydropathic centre (1970-1974) with Alpine thermal indoor pool (radioactive springs, since 1828-1830 spring water has been piped in from Bad Gastein, which led to the development of a health resort, since 1936 called "Bad", i.e. "spa", hydropathic centre especially for rheumatic diseases, therapy centre, congress centre, Alpine spa park, Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium secondary school, hotel school; Schlossalm Mountain skiing area: funicular railway up the Kitzsteinalm Mountain and cable railway giving access to the Kitzsteinalm- Kleine Scharte skiing area (2,051 m); health and winter tourism (1,318,905 overnight stays) as main source of income. The first upswing in Bad Hofgastein, owing to gold mining, took place in the 15th and 16th centuries, when the town was the seat of a court ("Hof in der Gastein") and among the richest in the province. Interesting buildings include mansions of the wealthy associates of the mining companies, Weitmoserschloessl (small palace erected 1560; earlier residence of the Weitmoser mining family); late Gothic Lady Church (1498) with Baroque altar (1738) and Gothic Madonna (around 1560); Protestant Salvation Church, monument of Emperor Franz I (1847).

Literature#