Skiing in Bad Gastein

Bad Gastein: three ski areas, the 1,440 m Nord and a train to the gondola

Bad Gastein ski guide: 61 official pistes with lengths, Die Nord, Sportgastein, 2026–27 Gastein vs Ski amadé passes, direct trains and where to stay.

Kilometres of slopes in Skigastein (operator total)

180

Highest point, Sportgastein, metres

2650

Numbered pistes in Ski amadé's live slope lists for Gastein (Dorfgastein side only)

61

Vertical drop of Die Nord, metres

1440

Adult 1-day ticket, main season 2026–27, ticket office, €

81.50

Kilometres of slopes covered by a multi-day pass (Ski amadé)

760

Skiing & terrain in Bad Gastein

Every numbered piste and ski route in Ski amadé's live slope lists (winter view) for the Gasteiner Bergbahnen ski areas, checked 18 October 2026: 61 pistes and 4 ski routes, grouped by the list each one appears on (Schlossalm, Stubnerkogel, Sportgastein, Dorfgastein-Grossarltal). The Angertal list has no numbered pistes of its own. Added at the end and not counted: Die Nord, the Infinity loop, the two ski-area connections and three area rows.

Numbered pistes and ski routes in the lists

65

Numbered pistes

61

Ski routes (marked, not groomed)

4

Kilometres of numbered pistes in the lists (plus 9.0 km of ski routes)

131.6

Kilometres of slopes, Skigastein total (includes the Großarl side)

180

• Blue (easy) pistes in this table — Schlossalm 4, Stubnerkogel 8, Sportgastein 2, Dorfgastein-Grossarltal 9: 23
• Red (medium) pistes in this table — Schlossalm 9, Stubnerkogel 8, Sportgastein 6, Dorfgastein-Grossarltal 8: 31
• Black (difficult) pistes in this table — Stubnerkogel 3, Sportgastein 2, Dorfgastein-Grossarltal 2: 7

Colours follow the lists' own categories (easy = blue, medium = red, difficult = black); lengths and vertical are the operator's figures as published by Ski amadé, and 63 of the 65 numbered entries have a length (B12 Hartlgut and B21a Skiweg Stubnerkogel do not). The lists add up to 131.6 km of pistes and 9.0 km of ski routes, while Skigastein quotes 180 km — the Dorfgastein-Grossarltal list covers only the Dorfgastein side, and the Großarl side, which the day ticket also covers, is listed under the Grossarltal region. The Graukogel list contains only ski-touring ascent routes, and the 2026/27 operating times list no Graukogel lift operation, so it is not in the table. Fun parks, Skimovie tracks, toboggan runs and winter hiking trails from the same lists are left out. Opening status changes daily in winter: check the live lists.

Bad Gastein pistes: Schlossalm, Stubnerkogel, Die Nord and Sportgastein

Skigastein, run by Gasteiner Bergbahnen, is three separate ski areas in one valley, with 180 km of slopes up to 2,650 m. The biggest is Schlossalm-Angertal-Stubnerkogel, the largest interconnected area: the Schlossalm above Bad Hofgastein and the Stubnerkogel above Bad Gastein, linked through the Angertal. Sportgastein, at the head of the valley (1,590–2,650 m), is the highest ski area in Ski amadé. At the valley entrance, Dorfgastein shares the Fulseck with Großarl in the Dorfgastein-Großarltal area, about 70 km of slopes. The three are not linked on skis; the free ski bus connects them.

Ski amadé's live lists for the Gastein areas give 61 numbered pistes — 23 blue, 31 red and 7 black — plus 4 ski routes, with a length for almost every run. The longest pistes are two 7 km reds, H32 Käferstall on the Schlossalm and B11 Angertalabfahrt from the Stubnerkogel; the longest blue is H31 Kasereben at 6.9 km. The signature run is Die Nord: H1 Hohe Scharte Nord continuing into H2 or H2a, 1,440 m of vertical, marketed as the longest descent in the province of Salzburg. The Infinity loop links Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein via both mountains in four descents and 4,000 m of vertical.

Sportgastein is for snow-sure high skiing and freeride: Skigastein counts about 24 km of runs there, and three official ski routes — Golden Powder, Golden Rush and Golden Ride — are marked but not groomed. Before going off-piste, stop at the Freeride Info Base at the Goldbergbahn top station. The Graukogel above Bad Gastein has no lift operation in the 2026/27 winter timetable.

Bad Gastein for beginners: the XXL GASTI Park in the Angertal and easy blues

The main learning zone is the XXL GASTI Park at the Angertal ski centre near Bad Hofgastein: 35,000 m² with conveyor belts, modern lifts, a mini funslope and a ski school office on site. In Bad Gastein, the GASTI Park Stubnerkogel sits by the Stubnerkogelbahn valley station, with two magic carpets, a slalom pole course and a double chairlift up to an easy practice slope. In Dorfgastein, the 17,400 m² GASTI Park at the Fulseck valley station has four magic carpets and the Rauchleiten platter lift.

For a first ride up the mountain, Skigastein sells a taster ticket at the Angertal (€17.50 adults, €9 children at the ticket office) for one lift ride and a descent on the blue B23 back to the ski centre. Next steps are the long blues: H31 Kasereben (6.9 km) and H3 Hamburger (5.5 km) on the Schlossalm, B14 Almabfahrt (3.2 km) on the Stubnerkogel, and in Dorfgastein GASTI's Family Line, a kilometre-long blue from the Fulseck top station to the middle station, plus the D7 family runs.

Getting to Bad Gastein: Salzburg airport, direct ÖBB trains and the free ski bus

Gastein has no airport. The nearest is Salzburg (SZG), about an hour and a half away by transfer or shuttle; Munich, Vienna and Innsbruck also work with train or shuttle connections. By car it is about an hour from Salzburg and two from Munich via the Tauern motorway (A10), exit Bischofshofen, then into the Gastein valley — you need a vignette and winter tyres.

The train is the easy option: ÖBB Railjet and Intercity trains on the Tauern line stop in the valley. Bad Gastein is the long-distance hub, with direct trains every hour from Salzburg, Vienna, Munich and other cities, and an overpass straight from the platforms to the Stubnerkogelbahn valley station and the Felsentherme. Bad Hofgastein and Dorfgastein stations are served every two hours. The ÖBB shuttle can take you from Bad Gastein or Bad Hofgastein station to your accommodation if booked by 8 p.m. the day before, and many hosts issue the Guest Mobility Ticket, which makes public transport in the province of Salzburg free during your stay.

In the valley, the ski buses link Bad Hofgastein, Bad Gastein and Dorfgastein with the Schlossalm, Angertal, Stubnerkogel, Fulseck and Sportgastein, and are free with a valid ski pass or ski gear. Arriving from the south by car, note that the Tauern motorail between Mallnitz and Böckstein is closed from 8 February to 9 July 2027.

Bad Gastein with kids: GASTI Parks, ski schools and the thermal spas

Children born in 2021 or later ski free on Gasteiner Bergbahnen lifts, and on weekends the Junior Weekend Bonus brings a child's day ticket to €26 (teen €39.50). Families have three dedicated learning parks — the XXL GASTI Park in the Angertal, GASTI Park Stubnerkogel and GASTI Park Dorfgastein — plus the Funslope and Familypark on the Schlossalm, the Snowpark Stubnerkogel and Skimovie tracks.

The Best Learn2Ski partner schools include Skischule Bad Gastein at the Stubnerkogelbahn valley station, Skischule Bad Hofgastein and Skischule Schlossalm in Bad Hofgastein, and Skischule Dorfgastein Holleis and Alpin- & Skischule Angerer in Dorfgastein. Skischule Bad Gastein runs the Zwergerl Club for the youngest, group courses for children and adults including lunch, and teaches in German and English, with other languages on request. Book courses and childcare in advance in school holidays.

For a parent who does not ski, Gastein has the Felsentherme in Bad Gastein and the Alpentherme in Bad Hofgastein (in early and late season, the Ski & Spa ticket from €82.50 combines skiing with either spa), winter walks, the Stubnerkogel suspension bridge and the Hirsch & Maus mountain restaurant with an indoor play area.

Where to stay in Gastein: Bad Gastein, Bad Hofgastein or Dorfgastein

Bad Gastein suits train travellers and anyone who wants Sportgastein close: hourly direct trains, the Stubnerkogelbahn and Felsentherme across the overpass from the station, and the Belle Époque town with its waterfall. The trade-off is that the Schlossalm side is a ski or bus ride away, and lodging away from the station means a bus or walk to the lift.

Bad Hofgastein, in the middle of the valley, has the liveliest village centre with cafés, the Alpentherme and the Schlossalmbahn, which starts at Schlossalmplatz; the Angertal ski centre and its big beginner park are on bus line 551 from the Schlossalmbahn. It is the most central base for the Schlossalm-Angertal-Stubnerkogel area; trains stop only every two hours, but valley buses run almost hourly.

Dorfgastein is the small, quiet family village at the valley entrance, with the Fulseck gondola to the gentler Dorfgastein-Großarl area and its GASTI Park. It is the furthest base from the Stubnerkogel and Sportgastein. Whichever village you choose, check the walking distance to the nearest ski bus stop or lift — the bus is free with a ski pass.

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Skigastein vs Ski amadé ski pass 2026–27: prices and what each covers

Day and hour tickets cover the three Gastein areas — Schlossalm-Angertal-Stubnerkogel, Sportgastein and Dorfgastein-Großarl. In the main season (19 December 2026 – 26 March 2027) an adult day ticket costs €81.50 at the ticket office (online early booking from €69.50), youth (born 2008–2010) €62 and children (2011–2020) €41; in START & FINALE (11–18 December 2026 and 27 March – 4 April 2027) the adult price is €76, and partial-operation days before 11 December and from 5 April cost €59 (checked 18 October 2026).

Multi-day passes from two days are Ski amadé tickets, valid on all 760 km and 260 lifts of the five Ski amadé regions, so you can also ski Schladming-Dachstein or Snow Space Salzburg. Six days in the main season cost €432.50 for an adult at the ticket office, from €367.50 online. The Ski amadé ALL-IN Card White season pass is €855 in presale until 3 December 2026, then €914.

Train travellers can buy the ÖBB Erlebnisticket Skigastein (11 December 2026 – 4 April 2027): a return train ticket to Bad Gastein with a 1-, 3- or 6-day ski pass. Keycards carry a €3 deposit and tickets are personal.

Best time to ski in Bad Gastein: snow history, 2026–27 season dates and forecasts

The best snow window is late January to early March, with February the most reliable; December and late March are the shoulder months. In a SkiPair calculation from GeoSphere Austria's official monthly records for the Bad Gastein station (1,092 m, winters 1991–2019), the average monthly maximum snow depth is about 35 cm in December, 44 cm in January, 48 cm in February and 45 cm in March, falling to 22 cm in April; there is snow on the ground on about 28 days in January, 27 in February and 23 in March, but only about 7 in April. New snow is fairly even from December (about 67 cm a month) to February (62 cm), so December can bring powder before the base has built. Those figures are for the village level — the pistes run up to 2,650 m at Sportgastein, which holds snow much longer, while the long valley runs soften first in spring. Historical averages do not guarantee any season.

For 2026–27, Gasteiner Bergbahnen plans partial operation on the Schlossalm and Stubnerkogel from 27 November 2026, the Angertal ski centre from 4 December and the full Schlossalm-Angertal-Stubnerkogel connection from 11 December 2026 to 4 April 2027 (Schlossalm partially to 11 April). Dorfgastein-Großarl runs 4 December 2026 – 4 April 2027. Sportgastein opens daily from 18 December 2026 to 11 April 2027 and then at weekends until 2 May 2027. All dates depend on snow.

Before you go, check the live slope lists and the snow report, and watch the snow line: rain at 1,000 m can leave the valley runs soft while Sportgastein is wintry. In March and April, ski high in the morning and save the valley runs for when they have been groomed or have frozen.

Find ski partners in Bad Gastein for Die Nord, Sportgastein or the Infinity loop

Gastein works well for a solo trip: you can arrive by train at Bad Gastein and be on the Stubnerkogelbahn minutes later, and the free ski bus ties the three areas together. On SkiPair, add your dates, village and level to find someone skiing the same days — for Die Nord, an Infinity loop day, or a high day in Sportgastein.

Agree on the plan first: which area you are skiing (the areas are not linked on skis), where you meet — the Stubnerkogelbahn or Schlossalmbahn valley station, or the Angertal ski centre — and whether everyone's ticket fits the plan (a Gastein day ticket does not cover the rest of Ski amadé). Off-piste in Sportgastein, ski only with a partner, the right avalanche gear and a check at the Freeride Info Base.

Ski pass prices for Bad Gastein

Check the operator’s current prices for your ski dates, ticket duration, age group and the area covered by the pass.

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Weather and snow

A clearer view of the snow in Bad Gastein: recent snowfall, what is forecast next, and an outlook for your dates.

Snow and temperature are model estimates. They do not confirm that lifts or pistes are open. Further-ahead dates show seasonal patterns rather than a weather forecast.

Flights & getting to Bad Gastein

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Recommended airport for Austria: Innsbruck (INN).

Bad Gastein is better with your kind of people

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A glimpse of Bad Gastein

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