!!!Bad Hofgastein

Bad Hofgastein, market town in the province of Salzburg, district of 
St. Johann, alt. 858 m, pop. 6,085, area 
103.72 km%%sup 2/%, 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 15%%sup th/%  and 16%%sup th/%  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
W. Baetzing, Bad Hofgastein. Gemeinde-Entwicklung zwischen 
Oekologie und Tourismus, 1985; S. Hinterseer, Bad Hofgastein und die 
Geschichte Gasteins, 1977.


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