Gasteiner Heilstollen

Useful Information

Location:	Heilstollenstraße 19, 5645 Bad Gastein - Böckstein. (47.080074, 13.097272)
Open:	All year Mon-Fri. [2025]
Fee:	Per Visit EUR 96.20, 10 Visits EUR 911.70. [2025]
Classification:	Gold Mine Silver Mine Radontherapy
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	T=37,5 °C-41,5 °C, H=70-95%
Guided tours:	n/a
Photography:	restricted/difficult
Accessibility:	yes, fully accessible
Bibliography:	Christof Exner (1965): Die Geologie des Thermalstollens und seiner Umgebung Karl Zschocke (1965): Der Goldbergbau in den Hohen Tauern und die Auffahrung des Radhausberg-Unterbaustollens (Pasel-Stollen, Thermalstollen, Heilstollen) in Böckstein bei Badgastein In: Ferdinand Scheminzky: Der Thermalstollen von Badgastein-Böckstein. Tyrolia, Innsbruck 1965.
Address:	Gasteiner Heilstollen, Heilstollenstraße 19, A-5645 Böckstein, Tel.: +43-6434-3753-0. info@gasteiner-heilstollen.com
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

~1000	gold was found in the Gastein valley and a gold rush started.
1342	Archbishop Heinrich von Pyrnbrunn issued the first mountain regulation.
15th century	starting mining activities financed by the trading family Fugger from Augsburg.
16th-17th century	multiple mining activities in the Gastein valley between Sonnblick und Ankogel for gold and silver ore.
1557	the best mining year with a production of 830 kg of gold and 2723 kg of silver.
1616	Archbishop Markus Sittikus took over the mining, in order to give work to the unemployed miners.
1642	the mining became lukrative again, as new techniques like the use of explosives were introduced.
1741	mining plant in Altböckstein erected.
1864	Erste Gewerkschaft Radhausberg 1864 (First Trade Union Radhausberg 1864) founded.
1907	Erste Gewerkschaft Radhausberg 1864 gave up.
1938-1945	an attempt of the German Preuß AG to reactivate the mining activities (to finance the war) failed.
1946	extensive scientific research by the Universität Innsbruck.
1951	Prof. Scheminszky and Prof. Hittmair of the Universität Innsbruck released their report.
1952	Heilstollen-Betriebsges.m.b.H. founded.
1954	first Stollenkurhaus (adit hospital) built.
1970-1971	hospital extended.
1989	new hospital inaugurated.

Geology

The Radhausberg was folded during the formation of the Alps and suffered several planar fractures, in particular steep north-south-oriented faults caused by the stretching of the rocks in an east-west direction. During a disturbance, the two sides moved horizontally relative to each other, which is called a fault. The folding of the rocks made the rock package thicker and heavier. The high pressure mobilised non-ferrous metals and silicic acid from the Palaeozoic shales of the Habach Formation. These moved upwards in the fault zones. As they cooled near the surface, they solidified into a quartz-filled vein with metal ores. Quartz druses with isolated gold crystals also formed. A second tectonic movement led to further faults, but by then the temperature at depth was too low and the veins contained no gold. Miners therefore call them Fäulen (rotten).

During the last ice age, the Alps were covered by thick glaciers. About 12,000 to 10,000 years ago, this last cold period ended and the meltwater from the thawing glaciers eroded the mountains. Most of the gorges in the Alps were formed at that time. Large quantities of water also penetrated the faults, warm up in the depths and rise again. This hydrothermal cycle transports trace elements such as radium, chromium and fluorine upwards. In combination with fluorine salts, the metallic radium salts decay and form radon, attacking the gold-bearing veins and their metals. In addition, thermal springs form on the side of the mountain.

Historical mining operations excavated the gold-bearing veins from the summit to a depth of 400 metres. At that time, mining ceased because the technical capabilities at the time made it impossible to advance any further into the depths. This is where the transverse Wantschler Fäule was reached. Below, the gold had already been carried away by the convection of the thermal water, which is why the Paselstollen produced hot steam and radon but no gold.

Description

The Paselstollen (Pasel adit) at the Radhausberg in Böckstein was built in 1940, in an attempt to reactivate the mining activities of the 17th century. A motive may have been the necessity to finance the war. So the adit was built below the historic mines, to find the ore filled clefts. But this did not work, no silver and gold ores were found. But the high temperature and the high humidity were noticed, and several miners with rheumatic problems told about reduced discomfort while they worked in the adit. After the war, from 1946 on, the Universität Innsbruck made a scientific research in the adit and the healing effects of the adit were named in a report by Prof. Scheminszky and Prof. Hittmair. The three factors are high temperature, high humidity and the natural radon gas in the adit, with an amount of 4,5 nanocurie per liter air. The most important effect is the ease of ankylosing spondylitis, also known as Bechterew’s disease, a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease. Gastein is the spa with the most patients in the world treated with radon against this disease. Today the adit is called Gasteiner Heilstollen (Gastein Healing Adit) and together with the hospital, the Felsenbad (a spa) and other wellness offers the village really deserves the prefix Bad (the German word for spa), which is given to villages with a healing quality. Located in the Alps, the village also offers multiple winter sport possibilities like skiing and snowboarding.

This is a Healing Gallery, in other words a medical facility. Although it is open to the public, there are no tours or guided visits; you can only enter it for therapy purposes. For the same reason, taking photographs is difficult, as the patients' personal rights must be taken into account. There are also technical problems, as high temperatures and humidity are not conducive to cameras. The visits usually takes the form of a course of treatment lasting one, two or three weeks. If used for medical purposes, the costs may be covered by your health insurance.

Upon first entering, there is a brief check-up to ensure that your body and circulation can cope with the high temperatures. Then you go to the changing room, and the tunnel is accessed wearing a bathrobe, towel and swimwear. An introductory lecture explains what happens in the tunnel. You then travel through the tunnel to Station I on a mine train. The temperature here is 37 °C with moderate humidity. You stay here for around an hour, then travel back out and finish off with 30 minutes of rest in a relaxation room. There are various therapy stations, but you are only allowed to proceed to the next one once you have mastered the previous station.