Bad Gastein/Ski Amade Info please!

A snowHead

Hi, Just booked next week, 6th to 13th Mar at Bad Gastein, Hotel Elisabeth with Sunweb, all a bit last minute & an area we've not been to b4. Looked at piste maps & it would appear there's a fair bit of skiing around Bad Gastein itself, tho' not sure how well it all links up? Our ski passes are for the Ski Amade area, but can't see from piste maps how Bad Gastein links with the rest of the ski Amade area

The ski bus stop is, apparently, directly outside the hotel (we don't like walking in ski boots lugging skis!) however they give no info of where it/they go, just says it runs morning & afternoon to get you up & back

Any info welcome, the good, the bad & the ugly - reports on the hotel, particularly food are somewhat mixed, but the area seems to have a good rep

Would just like a LOT more info about how it all links up, areas to avoid due to crap links, that sort of thing, we're 4 high intermediate piste skiers, will ski pretty much anything as long as it's not sheet ice & vertical

Thanks in advance, cheers Russ

A snowHead

It doesn't link up at all! Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein are connected, otherwise there are 3 separate areas - all worth a visit. DorfGastein is further down the vallley and is accessible via a ski bus or two (we had to change buses at Bad Hof). It's a good place to go for a day particularly if the weather is good. Sport Gastein is a bus ride in the other direction, it's quite small but good fun. Don't go if the weather is bad, it's likely to be closed. Graukogel is a small ski area just above Bad Gastein. This year it tends only to be open Friday through Sunday, although when I was there they did open it one day when the weather was bad in the main resort. Ski buses timetable seemed fairly reliable, your hotel will almost certainly have copies of the timetables. Typically they all run to the train station where you can change to get to the other resorts.

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Hi @Russbost,

Ski Amade is more a collection of a number of unlinked ski areas - the principal ones being Gastein, Hochkonig, Snow Space Salzburg (Flachau, Wagrain, Altenmarkt, Zauchensee) and Schladming. Realistically the only way to travel from Gastein to the others is if you have your own transport (and then probably 45 minutes drive to get into the Flachau area and 1h30 to get to Schladming). The only sensible way without a car would be to ski over from Dorfgastein to Grossarl and then catch a bus to Alpendorf to access the Alpendorf/Wagrain area.

I can't comment much on the Gastein area itself - only one day on Grossarl/Dorfgastein some years ago - but it seems that there are 4 (or more?) separate areas there which are only connected at valley level by a bus - https://www.skigastein.com/en/winter/infrastructure/ski-bus

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@Russbost, we are visiting this valley for the first time too and staying in Bad Hofgastein from 5th for one week. The conditions look to be excellent when viewing the webcams. And as luck would have have it all the apres ski bars can reopen from 5th officially!!! Very Happy

I did try to book with Sunweb but gave up as their lack of communication concerned me, ended up booking with Igluski who in turn are part of Crystal wh in turn are part of Tui!!! Confused? You bet!

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I have been there twice and really like the area. Last time we had a car so drove up to Sport Gastein (Minimal trees) and Dorf Gastein. I am a good skier and was happy to stay within the valley. There was a bit of accessible off-piste to enjoy too.

Interesting town. Victorian era gambling mecca. Some good bars. Not a massive amount or restaurants in town but plenty on the mountain. There is a spa in Bad gastein and Bad Hofgastein.

Shame I got covid there March 2020

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I have been there twice and really like the area. Last time we had a car so drove up to Sport Gastein (Minimal trees) and Dorf Gastein. I am a good skier and was happy to stay within the valley. There was a bit of accessible off-piste to enjoy too.

Interesting town. Victorian era gambling mecca. Some good bars. Not a massive amount or restaurants in town but plenty on the mountain. There is a spa in Bad gastein and Bad Hofgastein.

Shame I got covid there March 2020

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OK, getting my head around this a bit more now, I'd checked atats for bad gastein & was finding around 200km of piste, but couldn't see on the piste map anything like that much, thanks to the above info I now have a map for badhof gastein as well & I see how they link, actually looks a pretty fair area without the additional bits/ The ski Amade pass looks to be a bit like the ski Dolomiti in that it gives access to loads of areas, some very small, which you are highly unlikely to ever use as it would waste so much time on buses etc getting there

If anyoone else has anything else to add, favourite runs, runs to avoid etc please pile in!

After all it is free

The H1/H2 run down towards Bad Hofgastein is a lovely red. If conditions are slushy on the last section to the bottom, don’t bother with that bit. Sport Gastein well worth a visit on a sunny day.
Oh and don’t forget the spas! Finish skiing a bit early one day to make the most of it.

I liked Dorfgastein as well.

Yes, it is not as interconnected as one would like but it is a superb area and also some great lunchstops
2020

A sort of trip report I did a couple of years ago

https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=3535089&highlight=badgastein#3535089

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@northantsred, Yes, conditions look good as does weather for most of next week!Didn't know about the bars reopening as we're not huge "apres" fans, tend to spendspend most of our time with a quiet drink at the hotel bar or local to it.
Sunweb's communication has been absolutely brilliant, my mate booked on same hol, filled in something slightly off on the personal info section of the booking (the form is slightly confusing), rang them Sat morning to check with them, got straight thro' & spoke to a human being, not a machine & got it sorted. Also had to ring them to check some details on Monday, again, straight thro' no waiting. Try the same with Crystal, if you ring now, it will probably be answwered b4 lunch! So far as I know, Igluski is independent, Crystal just advertise their hols there, same as Inghams, Neilson & other big operators. We've used Crystal (who are TUI) a couple of times, they screwed up both times & don't respond to complaints properly, complete bunch of clowns!

looks to be an interesting area to explore! You never know, might bump into you on the slopes, hopefully not literally! snowHead

Thanks for info guys!

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Back from a great week's skiing, I thought I'd do a quick follow up in case someone is later searching for similar info.
The Hotel ran their own minibus up to the main Stubnerkogel gondola in Bad Gastein, so minimal walking was good. The area didn't get the snow that hit a lot of Austria a couple of weeks earlier so although pistes were well prepared what was under a couple of inchesof soft stuff was rock hard & icy, so grip tended to get steadily worse as the day wore on except when very low & on south facing slopes when it was like skiing slush puppy - one afternoon about a foot deep!
Links over to Bad Hofgastein were simple enough, several ways to ski there, defo not a resort for beginners tho', very few blues; & reds were generally on the steeper side, strangely some of the blacks seemed significantly easier, possibly due to lower usage & often in better condition than the reds.
We took the bus to Sportgastein a couple of days, did a half day there & then longer busride to Bad Hofgastein to ski back to Bad Gastein in the afternoon. Sportgastein bus goes every 15 mins or so just outside the Stubnerkogel lift, same side of road. Dorfagastein bus opposite side of road a little further towards the Shell garage. Buses to Dorfgastein were only every half hour & same coming back from Sportgastein, annoying if you miss one by a couple of minutes - they seemed to run pretty accurately to the timetable which we'd been able to download online, the hotel being about as much help as a chocolate fireguard in this respect!
Sportgastein has some nice runs, but has only the main gondola, but you can get off/on at midstation, & a single T bar which we never used. Loved the S5 black from the mid station to bottom, great condition & only one really steep part, easier than some of the reds, which could be icy.
Dorfgastein was well worth the longer bus journey & would keep almost anyone entertained for a day or 2. The links from one side to the other weren't particularly well signed & we managed to go wrong on a couple of occasions, so best leave some time in hand for the bus ride back if you're tied to time. Loads of testing reds in generally better condition the an the other resorts.
At Bad Gastein & Bad Hofgastein there was obviously loads of off piste available which wasn't worth doing whilst we were there as too hard p[acked, there are a no. of itineraire type runs which might be very nice in more suitable conditions. There aren't generally many short runs, it seemed a story, generally, of long lifts & long runs back down., but certainly enough with the other areas for a week. Grau Kogel the season finished on March 6th so we weren't able to go there
Bad Gastein itself, if you're into apres then this really isn't going to be for you, there was one lively bar called the Silver Bullet up the top of the town, but outside of that, few restaurants & even fewer bars, very, very quiet for a ski resort
All in all it was an interesting resort as a change to many of the "regulars" we've done, great for a one-off, but wouldn't be in a hurry to rush back there

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@Russbost, Good Trip Report. Next time look at basing yourself in Wagrain/Flachau/Zauchensee. All linked and more central to explore the wider Ski Amade. Even if you fly over, if you have a group splitting costs then it is easy to book a Minibus with one of the many taxi firms and take the 30 min trip up to Hochkonig or down to Schladming to make the best use of your pass. You won't need to go to Gastein again. Very Happy

@Russbost, @RedandWhiteFlachau, we got back on Saturday 12th after one week in Bad Hofgastein. And I agree with your opinion on the skiing here in that it is really good. Our favourite area was Dorfgastein despite having to take a 10min bus ride to get there, it was beautiful skiing. We didn't actually get to Sport Gastein as we enjoyed the two areas mentioned so much.
Après was quiet and I suspect it is always quiet here although there are some nice bars to chill out in after skiing.
I have skied several places in Ski Amade in fact I've skied many resorts in the Alps, and have to say these runs stand favourably compared with anywhere. From such a low base there is much variety on piste and reasonable vertical.
Downside as @Russbost, mentioned the very last bits at the bottom mid to late afternoon however given the 6 days of bluebird skies it a small pill to swallow!! Also we didn't attempt any off piste as it was a tad crusty although some hardy souls gave it a go. Another thing that was slightly irritating was the final bus was at 5.00, which meant you couldn't really hang around for what apres that was available?
Mountain huts were brill and quite inexpensive too.
I would return here, anytime. Loved it. We were a party of 5 adults and one infant.

You know it makes sense.

@northantsred, Ski Buses. Here in Flachau or Wagrain it depends on where you stay. A lot of the apartments are within walking distance of the Apres Bars, even in ski boots and all the entry points have ski storege depots. Once the free bus stops at 17.15, if you can't be bothered to walk then the taxi firms run shuttles to most areas, you just have to stump up as group. I live a 5 min walk from the Hofstadl in Flachau. Our apartments in Wagrain are a 10 min walk from the Kuhstal and downhill! Very Happy

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Sounds nice. I have skied in Flachau briefly, we had a day out from Obertuaern(sp) one year and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I am looking to take my family away next year with two grandsons aged 5 and 6 when we holiday. How is the nursery ski area there?

A snowHead

@northantsred, The nusery area depends on which ski school you book. They all have their own. If you stay in Flachau only Sport am Jet (which happens to be the school I work for!) has a nursery area on the mountain at the top of the Achter Jet gondola. The others are at the bottom so unless you are booking them in all day with supervised lunches you would need to come down the hill for lunch. If they can already ski then that is less of an issue as they will ski on the mountain whoever you book with.
The easier runs are actually on Kleinarl/Flachauwinkel so if you want to ski together then Kleinarl might be a better option. In Wagrain the Skischule Wagrain has a nursery area on Kirchboden near the Flying Mozart lift, which is close to our apartments as well. If you head up the Graffenberg lift instead, then you are straight on to the easy runs between Wagrain and Alpendorf.

A snowHead

Thanks, they don't ski so it will be their first time and I just want them to have fun and enjoy their time, if they get up on the hill then brilliant but I'd be more than happy for them just to get a taste for it and want more. I think it would be best to have them in nursery school at the bottom that way mum and grandma will have an easier time with childcare, so it sounds like Wagrain might be better suited for us?

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@northantsred, Maybe. The Wagrain Waterworld is between the kinderschule and our apartments plus you get a discount on entry with the Wagrain Tourist Cards. I'd focus on booking your accommodation first and then pick the nearest ski school. Flachau has more to offer for the non-skier or non-skiing kids. Therme Amade, petting park at the Dorfalm, sleigh rides and snow-shoeing (to name a few) is better served in Flachau. Don't book in Reitdorf unless you are up for hopping on and off the bus all day.

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@northantsred,
The two big water parks are superb for kids. They will love them.

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@RedandWhiteFlachau, @musher, Thanks guys all good stuff to digest. Very Happy

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@RedandWhiteFlachau, I have received a couple of offers for accommodation which appeal and wonder if you could give a little more advice please?
offer 1 is in Flachau and about 300 metres from the spacejet 1 and am I right in thinking there are nursery teaching slopes adjacent, as there looks to be 2 small drags- dinojet and bingojet?
This offer is at Sieglhub hotel resort which looks ok to me as we can rent two chalets joined to each other which will work well for our party number, do you know it? And is it as convenient to amenities as it appears to be?
I don't normally worry too much when booking for skiing but this time around I have so many different aspects to consider including probably non skiing partners.

Thanks in advance, Greg

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After all it is free

@northantsred, Seigelhub is at the outer edge of the village,opposite the Weinstadl pizza place (which is excellent) and very near the MPReiss small supermarket. There is a nursery slope at the Space Jet 1 with the drag lifts - about 7 - 10 mins walk I would say - so from a perspective of family skiing with somewhere to eat out reasonably and self cater it will be fine.

If you want more ameneties, i.e. bigger supermarket, more restaurants, you will be about 20 minutes walk from the centre - all on the flat. There are other restaurants closer to you - Jagdhof which is great for families (they have a play area) and Salzburger, Also Schnitzel Eck but I don't rate that.

@holidayloverxx, thanks for this info, seems like nothing will be too far away if we decide to stay here. Very Happy

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@northantsred, also the dampfkessel is at the space jet1, apres bar and/but the food is very good

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I've sometimes wondered how "Ski Amade" is pronounced. What's the answer, @holidayloverxx? Is it similar to the Spanish Armada?

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@pam w, I've always assumed that there's a Mozart connection, and so it's pronounced like Amadeus with the last syllable missing. But that's just a guess.

I pronounce as Hurtle describes but I don't think I've ever heard an Austrian say it

You know it makes sense.

@northantsred, picking up on earlier posts the bus to the therme...takes 5 mins...would be virtually outside the door of the Seigelhub I think

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@holidayloverxx,

A snowHead

@northantsred, I agree with @holidayloverxx. No issues with the Seigelhub although I've not been in it! Close enough to the Nursery Lift, but your kids will be hoping on the bus to get to their ski school slopes, or book with us and take Space Jet 1 & 2 Chairs to mid-level.

A snowHead

@RedandWhiteFlachau, hi Red, if we do book this and book with your ski school which is up on the hill, will it be easy with the two young lads(5 + 6 years old) getting them on the lift to get up the hill bearing in mind it will be their first experience?

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@northantsred, Yes. The Achter Jet Gondola lift drops you right next to the ski school meeting point and you can always come down on the Gondola if they're not up to skiing down.

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@RedandWhiteFlachau, but that then raises the question whether they should book nearer the achter?

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@northantsred, from the seigelhub ...following red's comment,...you need to get to the achter by bus, then the achter is about 15 mins in the gondola, after you've queued (a few mins...20 mins depending on your week).

Dunno why you can't get lessons at the space jet 1 nursery slopes...I see lessons there all the time..but I've never looked into it.

To get to the ski school meeting point at the top of the achter without doing the bus/achter gondola....space jet 1, foot passengers possible carrying skis, walk a few yards downhill to space jet 2...no foot passengers..so if not able to ski a little bit it's not an option..as also getting off space jet 2 to get to the meeting point is a short ski.

I suggest an email to tourist info or the ski schools.

If you decide against Seigelhub we can advise

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@holidayloverxx, when you say you can advise, do you have alternative properties in mind?
What we have in mind is a 4 bedroomed place with space to chill and in Flachau. We are taking the half board option if we book at Seigelhub and we have an offer open until 12th April.

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@northantsred, I meant if you tell us a property you like we can advise on convenience. I don't have any properties in mind as I don't know who has what configuration or catering options. Have a look on Google at places near the achter...they will be dearer though I expect. You might decide the seigelhub suits you best despite having a good 30 min plus to get to the meeting point...If indeed lessons are not available at the space jet 1 nursery slope. I'd start by checking that

After all it is free

@holidayloverxx, thanks. I think I’ll go ahead and book it. There are schools at base camp which is preferable for the youngsters and the non skiers.

@northantsred, excellent, I thought there must be

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Anyone with views on typically conditions in Bad Gastein over Christmas/ New Year, like is there typically enough snow to bother.

I am looking at this as being an easy destination to reach from Salzburg on the train, i.e. about 1 hour with the station right in the resort so no need for more transport.

Any other better locales for that criteria?

Help!!

Bad Gastein/Ski Amade Info please!

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