Bad Hofgastein
- Location
- Bad Hofgastein, Austria
- Water type
- radioactive
- Temperature
- 37 °C
- pH
- 7
Water profile
Soothing — neither hot nor cold, perfect balance.
Rich in active gases or metals — a strong mineral character.
Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.
Tucked into the high Gasteinertal valley near Bad Hofgastein, the Gasteiner Heilstollen occupies a former gold-mining tunnel bored into the Radhausberg massif. Opened in the 1940s for ore extraction, the passage turned out to hide something unexpected: a steady heat near 40°C, near-saturation humidity, and a natural presence of radon in the air. Miners working underground reported feeling noticeably better, prompting the University of Innsbruck to launch detailed research into the phenomenon as early as 1946.
Since 1952, the gallery has welcomed visitors who lie on stretchers over a kilometer beneath the mountain, spending time in its distinctive underground atmosphere. The experience, unusual in Europe for both its depth and its long history, now draws visitors from across the world into a setting still true to its mining past — ore carts, rail tracks, and bare rock walls intact.