The bridge
Over the falls.
Ailura — CC BY-SA 3.0 at · VillageHero from Ulm, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Man77 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · VillageHero from Ulm, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Man77 — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Gastein Waterfall is a mountain waterfall that rushes through the middle of the town of Bad Gastein in the Gastein valley of Salzburg state, about 35 km southeast of Zell am See and 78 km south of Salzburg in a straight line. The town is a hot-spring resort in the Hohe Tauern mountains. The Gasteiner Ache river drops about 340 metres in three steps through the heart of the town, with houses and hotels built on both sides of the gorge. Bad Gastein became famous in the 19th century as a spa for its thermal waters, drawing emperors and writers, and its grand hotels from that era still stand above the falls. White water pounds over dark rocks between pine trees, and spray and noise fill the street that crosses the falls on a bridge. Tall Belle Époque hotels stand on either side, seeming to hang over the water. Visitors stand on the bridge in the town centre or follow the waterfall path along its bank. The flow is strongest in early summer as the snow melts. The town offers thermal baths, and ski slopes in winter.
Over the falls.
Belle Époque style.
The town's hot springs.
Centre of Bad Gastein, Salzburg state, Austria
By train to Bad Gastein station.
Early summer, with the snowmelt.