Bad Hofgastein
From a conservative health resort to a modern alpine location
Disco ball meets alpine panorama: Not only the Hotel Sendlhofer’s is breaking new ground in Bad Hofgastein.
© Das Sendlhofer’s sendlhofers.com
Die Ärzte or Helene Fischer: Superstars give concerts in Bad Hofgastein and underpin a change of image. The region is changing…
What do Helene Fischer (38), Die Ärzte and David Garrett (41) have in common? In the next few weeks they will all be playing big concerts in the tranquil town of Bad Hofgastein in the Austrian Alps. These megastars are attracted to a region of all things that has not exactly stood for modern pop culture in recent decades. On the contrary, up to now the Gasteinertal has been anchored in people’s minds as a quiet spa area or a classic ski area. A carefully planned change of image is now bringing a breath of fresh air.
The picturesque valley in Salzburger Land stretches for around 40 kilometers and offers both winter sports enthusiasts and hiking fans a perfect holiday destination. In addition, the region with the spa towns of Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein has been a magnet for all people looking for peace and quiet for many years. The unique nature with mountains, waterfalls and almost kitschy green meadows makes the region attractive for spa guests even without snow. But the communities there are in the midst of a change: Bad Hofgastein in particular apparently wants to break new ground in terms of target groups.
That’s why Die Ärzte and Helene Fischer perform in the Austrian spa town
And this target group is significantly younger than the classic spa guest. With the Sound & Snow Festival, a new series of events was launched in 2019: on September 15th this year, the punk icons of Die Ärzte will take the stage, and on October 1st Schlager superstar Helene Fischer will do the honors in the middle of the Alpine panorama . At the valley station of the Schlossalmbahn, a huge concert arena attracts guests who would have given the valley a wide berth a while ago – or had never heard of it before.
This current development is also manifested in the village itself and above all in the gastronomic offers. The culinary scene in Bad Hofgastein is currently being renewed. In addition to long-established rustic restaurants, more and more modern interpretations of regional cuisine and even vegetarian and/or vegan restaurants such as the popular “Kraut und Rüben” are establishing themselves.
Hotel Sendlhofer’s is breaking new ground
Hotel Sendlhofer’s is also breaking new ground with its integrated restaurant, Luke’s Living Room. In addition to classic pastries and traditional meat dishes, there are also hummus, steaks, burgers, burritos and more on the menu – with almost exclusively regional products. The tapas concept that is practiced there (each dish is served in small portions), including an open show kitchen and many design elements in the dining room, could have come straight from a Berlin trendy district and yet it doesn’t seem out of place. Despite the ringing of cowbells in the background and the luxurious spa and wellness area, almost nothing here feels like a dusty spa hotel.
Modern lifestyle without an exaggerated après-ski atmosphere
Without being intrusive or even tipping into the clumsy après-ski direction, the Gasteinertal – and above all Bad Hofgastein – is currently blossoming into a hip destination for city dwellers from nearby metropolises such as Munich or Vienna – flanked by an increasingly international audience. The well-known problems from comparable Alpine areas, some of which have missed the connection to today’s zeitgeist, do not seem to overtake this region in the foreseeable future.