THE FACTS ABOUT BAD GASTEIN

Austria

THE RESORT Bad Gastein has a famous casino and a collection of once-grand hotels, mostly painted in the imperial yellow of Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace and stacked dramatically up a steep hillside. Johan Strauss and Franz Schubert both composed here THE SKIING The main Stubnerkogel ski area is on the western side of the valley and is reached by a modern gondola from the top of the town. The entire valley - with 52 lifts - is best suited to strong intermediates looking for a combination of mileage and challenge THE NON-SKIING Some 23 million litres of hot water bubble up each day from several natural springs and are piped into all the main hotels. The public indoor and outdoor pools at the Felsenbad by the railway station are a popular rendevous where you can wallow in the waters and, through a haze of steam, watch skiers in action just a few metres away THE KNOWLEDGE Take a train ride to the Healing Galleries, 2km inside the mountain near Böckstein. The combination of a 90ºC temperature, humidity and low doses of radon gas can allegedly cure respiratory and muscular ailments. Recommended tour operator: Inghams (020 8780 4444). For more information go to www.badgastein.at