NOTE: This Blog is a compact version of my original article published in Hilton Grand Vacation Gateway Guide. Visit the full article here for details including other HGV articles and resources.
Quick Recap of our Planning & Arrival to Badgastein, Austria
In the first part of this blog series, I discussed planning with my wife our first trip to the Austrian Alps in the summer of 2023. After some research using the HGV website, we settled on the MONDI Bellevue resort in Bad Gastein, Austria. We were able to book a 1-bedroom suite for a week that provided comfortable accommodation for myself, my wife and our son Zak.
The town’s ‘Belle Epoque’ architecture style makes you feel time-travelling back to the past century. The 1-bedroom suite offered plenty of room for the three of us with a kitchen and large dining area and a large collapsible wall-bed for Zak. The view of the enchanting town and the surrounding mountains from our balcony was breathtaking.
Our resort was located at the heart of the town. The main entrance was close to restaurants and shops, while the back entrance was a few hundred yards from the famous Badgastein waterfall in the town center. The parking lot up the hill was near Bellevue Alm Alpine lodge offering panoramic views of the town and ski activities during winter months. The Stubnerkogel Peak, a 10-minute walk from the resort, has Austria’s tallest walking bridge. It was accessible on foot or via cable car next to the train station.
We also visited many nearby sites and castles featured in many movies and tv dramas like Salzburg, Hohenwerfen castle and world’s most Instagrammable village of Hallstatt. However, one of our main purposes of this visit was to explore the majestic Austrian Alps. We found this to be a relatively easy task when based on a location like Bad Gastein and using a suitable car to explore the region.
Planning A Trip to The Mountains
Our plan was to explore the scenic lakes, mountain passes and eventually reach the highest peak of the Eastern Alps – Grossglockner. For our trip we relied on a MINI Countryman, rented for its ability to negotiate small corners, climb mountain passes, fit 3 passengers with luggage and still be fuel efficient. As with any outdoor trips we also prepared with emergency flashlights, warm clothes and battery chargers and a full tank of gas. The facilities in the Austrian Alps provide great network connection, an emergency hotline for stranded tourists and even electric charging stations at many points of these mountain ranges. T-Mobile customers in the USA can enjoy free wireless network connection across most of Germany, Austria and Italy. A higher speed connection is also available for an additional daily fee. Other major U.S. networks like Verizon and AT&T also offer global plans for Europe travels. We also planned our stops so refueling the car and ourselves within a comfortable time and distance will still allow us to cover all our targets on a day trip.
Venturing out to Foothill of The Austrian Alps
The first stop on our trip was the scenic “Thumersbach” Park, a little over an hour drive from our resort. The park had free parking and offered a great view of the Alps and a quiet, serene environment to enjoy the scenery overlooking the towns of Zell Am See, Kaprun and the majestic High Tauern mountains. From there, we drove past the tiny village of Fusch, at the foothill of the Alps and featuring a scenic waterfall. This is the last stop to refill your car or recharge the batteries before heading up the ‘Grossglockner High Alpine’ road, one of the great mountain passes of Europe that treks through almost 300 peaks and connects Salzburg and Corinthia region of Austria over the Alps.
Visiting Edelweisspitze, highest elevation point in Grossglockner High Alpine Road
The High Alpine Road is one of Europe’s top 10 popular Mountain Passes that snake through the High Tauern National Park and over 300 peaks. There are numerous trails, lakes and observation points along the pass. As we climb higher the scenery dramatically changes from lush green forests to snow covered mountains. The highest point on the road offers an observation tower at nearly 8000 ft. elevation on the peak Edelweissespitze. Next to the peak is a lodge/restaurant where we stopped for lunch and to enjoy the amazing view of the surrounding peaks.
Grossglockner, Highest Peak of the Eastern Alps
One of the main attractions on the pass is Grossglockner, the highest peak of the Eastern Alps, towering over 12000 ft. of elevation. The best view of this peak is from the Observation tower across the glacier. This location offers a large parking lot, shops, restaurants and access to trails and Glacier tours. If you take one of the tours or explore any of the trails, make sure to have 2-3 hours at hand and wear proper clothing. Even during summer, snow and ice covers most areas outside the road and facilities.
Another must-see attraction on the pass is one of many beautiful small lakes by the peaks, many of which are accessible near designated parking areas. After our excursion we had an enjoyable ride back to our resort with the view of the afternoon sun glistening on the snowy peaks.
Final Thoughts
We found the MONDI Bellevue Resort at Badgastein to be a perfect base for exploring the Austrian Alps as well as nearby attractions. The resort was a perfect balance of comfort, history and alpine living with attentive staff and well arranged facilities. The location allowed us to make day trips to Mountain Passes or towns and lakes at the foothill of the Austrian Alps. The scenic view, excursion opportunities and family friendly vibe make Badgastein an ideal choice for a great vacation destination for couples and families.