While many may flock to the huge French resorts of Val D’isere or Chamonix, for a more intimate romantic ski getaway one hidden Austrian getaway scoops the title
Is Austria’s Gastein valley one of Europe’s most romantic winter getaways(Image: Atelier Wolkersdorfer)
There are ski resorts built for thrill seekers, and there are ski resorts built for those searching for glamour. Then there is the Gastein Valley in Austria, a place that seems designed for something else entirely – romance.
Hidden deep within the Alps in the province of SalzburgerLand, the valley’s twin spa towns of Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein combine sweeping mountain scenery, healing thermal waters and classic wooden ski huts that ooze quintessential Austrian charm.
While German may not be known as a romantic language, the Austrian alpine culture all but makes up for it with its cosy wooden lodges with roaring fires, extremely good local wines (I promise it’s not just Riesling), and let’s not forget about the fondue. Something I indulged in for the first time on a recent trip, surrounded by a roaring fire in said cosy lodge, at Bellevue Alm Gastein. Washed down with a good quantity of schnapps, of course.
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With plenty of lodges to curl up in, it’s clear why the region has quietly gained a reputation as one of the Alps’ most romantic winter destinations. The resort of Bad Gastein itself is unusual. Rather than spreading gently across a valley floor like most Alpine resorts, it clings dramatically to the side of a steep gorge.
After a walk around the town during golden hours on a brisk February evening, looking at the mountain views and the marvels of architecture that surrounded me, it hit me – I’m in a Wes Anderson film. The streets were lined with grand pastel coloured hotels perched perilously onto the mountainside, just like in one of my personal favorite films, The Grand Budapest Hotel. I walked through the flakes, feeling as though I had just stumbled onto a film set with Ralph Fiennes and Bill Murray.
But this wasn’t just a figment of my imagination. The cult-classic director is said to have traveled to Bad Gastein, seeking alpine inspiration for the Oscar-nominated hit. Clearly, he found it. It is especially easy to spot when looking up at the façade of the Grand Hotel de l’Europe. The hotel looks out over a cliff, a gentle waterfall crashing below, with all but a bright pink 19th-century funicular distinguishing it from the film itself.
As I continued my wander, the noise of the waterfall offered its own theatrical backing track – and one that becomes even more magical in winter, when mist from the waterfall freezes into crystals and snow dusts the pastel-coloured buildings. This is a magic that has been enchanting people for centuries, with the town having inspired many Romantic composers.
Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss found musical inspiration from the valley, while it is said Mozart himself was born in Bad Gastein before his pregnant parents moved to the nearby city of Salzburg.
Today, that historic grandeur remains, giving the resort a slightly surreal atmosphere that feels part Hollywood and the perfect place for a day together on the slopes.