![Bad Gastein, Austria](https://images.suitcasemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10135540/where-to-travel-in-january_653d35df4f7be.jpeg)
Bad Gastein
Austria
There's something distinctly Wes Anderson-eque about this elegant Austrian town. Once a favourite of European royalty, who found its curative waters and restorative mountain landscapes suitably de-stressing, it's now where in-the-know Austrians and Germans head to hit steep, relatively empty slopes and carve up scenic cross-country routes. Bad Gastein is higher than most Austrian resorts, so you can count on the powder to be fresh - considerable snowfall is expected across the region for the 2023 season. Try The Blonde Beans, a Swedish-owned café serving coffee made from Malmö-roasted beans and Gastein mountain water. The sticky homemade kanelbullar (cinnamon buns) are an added bonus. You'll find the café across the street from the train station. Stay at architect and hotelier Ike Ikrath's Hotel Miramonte for sweeping valley views, a private Aveda spa and 36 elegant yet intimate bedrooms.