Gastein Healing Gallery

The Austrian Alps are famed for their breathtaking hiking paths that offer stunning views. However, just as enticing are the luxurious spa hotels where weary hikers can soothe their tired muscles in a complex of saunas and steam rooms, all filled with the refreshing scent of eucalyptus. Among these spas, none is more intricate than the radioactive caves in Bad Gastein.

Located within Austria’s Gastein Valley is the Gastein Healing Gallery, a facility dedicated to health and rejuvenation. This wellness center distinguishes itself by utilizing natural elements for therapeutic purposes. Visitors have the opportunity to experience a 2.5 km-long tunnel within the Radhausberg mountain in Bad Gastein, offering elevated radon levels, high humidity, and comforting warmth. This therapeutic regimen provides scientifically validated benefits beyond the conventional.

This treatment offers lasting relief from persistent pain, a notable reduction in medication requirements for up to a year, and enhanced immune system support. The Gastein Healing Gallery specializes in addressing rheumatic-inflammatory conditions related to the musculoskeletal system, respiratory passages, and skin. From a medical standpoint, it is advisable to consider a treatment duration of 2-4 weeks, with 3-4 Gallery sessions weekly, promising a distinct path toward health and vitality.

This natural healing climate was created at the end of the Ice Age. Cascades of melted snow water found their way through unmineralized crevices, slowly saturating a substantial 3,000-meter layer of gneiss beneath the earth. These subterranean reservoirs transformed into vast stores of thermal water, heated by the earth’s embrace. As this rejuvenating hot water ascended, it underwent a transformative journey, enriched with radium, fluorine, and chromium. Radium, dissolved within the water, naturally evolves into radon, infusing the steam with this unique element. This radon-infused steam gently flows through crevices into the gallery, where it elevates the temperature to a comforting 40°C.

Around six and a half decades ago, the Gastein Healing Gallery was unveiled, and since then, its remarkable healing environment has proven immensely successful in addressing rheumatic ailments.

Radon therapies: benefits and risks

Radon therapy employs the use of radioactive radon for medicinal purposes, offering various treatments such as radon galleries, baths, air baths, steam baths, and radon-infused waters. Patients are exposed to concentrated radon for a brief period, resulting in pain relief lasting several months and a reduced reliance on painkillers. Radon therapy primarily targets rheumatic conditions, encompassing chronic inflammatory joint or spine disorders like ankylosing spondylitis, as well as chronic degenerative joint issues such as arthrosis. Those with respiratory tract ailments, including obstructive pulmonary diseases, asthma, or chronic sinusitis, may also find relief through radon inhalation.

Nonetheless, some precautions must be taken into consideration. Contraindications include pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, and a one-year pause after successful chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy for patients with malignant tumors before embarking on Heilstollen treatment. Children and adolescents are generally excluded from radon therapy.

The debate over the benefits and risks of radon therapy persists. While radon concentrations in radon healing caves are notably high, the short duration of patient exposure only slightly raises the risk of lung cancer. This increase in risk is justifiable if there is an expected medical benefit. When radon is absorbed through the skin or gastrointestinal system via bathing or drinking, the radiation-related lung cancer risk is much lower compared to radon galleries, as only minimal quantities of radon reaction products are inhaled.

Ultimately, radon therapy can offer relief that lasts up to nine months and significantly reduce the need for pain medications for up to a year. Consistent therapy sessions over time can lead to reduced reliance on pain relief medication and a substantial enhancement in one’s quality of life.

Gasteiner’s offer

The personalized treatment programs range from 2 to 4 weeks, tailored to specific ailment and symptomatology. Guests (patients) can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of healing galleries with three to four sessions each week.

It is important to notice that after one to two first sessions in the galleries, guests must take a break for one day before re-entering. The first session, which includes a comprehensive medical examination and relaxation, takes approximately 4 hours, while subsequent sessions are about 3 hours each. One session costs approximately € 80. It is possible to acquire packages of multiple sessions.

The center is conveniently located just an hour’s drive from Salzburg, making access easy. For those arriving by air, the nearest airports are Salzburg (approximately 100 km away) and Munich (around 230 km).