What Am I Doing in a Mountain Tunnel …And why it matters to you.

We’re in Austria’s Gastein Valley for a week of family birthdays, including celebrating my husband Roy today, as well as my kids and my father who turns 91 (though he still won’t let me post a photo 😉).

This trip is part homecoming, part pilgrimage. Decades ago, forty years ago, I spent time in Bad Gastein during my first year of teaching. Now, as I plan retreats in 2026, I’m not just returning; I’m weaving together memory, history, and intention.

The Valley, the Waterfall, the History

The Gastein Valley, tucked in the Austrian Alps, has been known for centuries as a place of healing waters and alpine refuge.

• Ancient roots: Stone axes suggest human presence here as far back as 4000 BC.

• Thermal springs: Bad Gastein is famous for its 17 thermal springs, bubbling at up to 46 °C. By the 19th century, the valley had become a jewel of European spa culture, drawing emperors and artists alike.

• The waterfall: The Gasteiner Wasserfall, tumbling 340 m through the town, has long inspired poets, painters, and pilgrims. It still serves as the valley’s beating heart.

Klammstein and Entrische Kirche: Castles and Hidden Churches

At the entrance to the valley stands Klammstein Castle, first mentioned in 1272. It guarded the trade path, enforced mining law, and housed the Archbishop of Salzburg’s representatives. Today, it holds a small museum about Gastein’s long mining history.

Nearby, hidden in limestone rock, lies the Entrische Kirche (“Hidden Church”). During the Counter-Reformation in the 17th century, when Protestants were forbidden to worship openly, they gathered here in secret. The cave’s vaulted chambers became a sanctuary of resilience, a reminder that this valley has sheltered both power and protest.

© C.Stadler/Bwag

The Gasteiner Heilstollen

Another chapter of Gastein’s story is underground. The Heilstollen was discovered in the 1940s when miners noticed that working in the tunnels eased their aches and pains. By 1952, it opened officially as a “healing gallery.” Visitors ride a small train into the mountain, entering stations with rising heat (37–41.5 °C), humidity, and natural radon.

I want to be clear: I am not providing medical advice, I’m simply sharing the history and cultural significance of this unique place.

For me, the Heilstollen feels like a metaphor. Sometimes we must enter the dark and hidden places to remember our strength. The mountain itself becomes a womb, holding us in stillness and inviting renewal.

The Heilstollen

The Thermal Baths: Renewal Above Ground

While the Heilstollen represents hidden healing, the thermal baths are the valley’s open embrace.

• Felsentherme Bad Gastein rises directly from the rock, with pools overlooking cliffs and waterfalls.

• Alpentherme Bad Hofgastein offers panoramic pools, saunas, and relaxation worlds.

The thermal water, rich in minerals, has long been part of life here. For centuries, people have come not just for medical cures, but for the joy of soaking in warmth while alpine winds sweep the peaks.

Bad Gastein Thermal Spa

Bauernherbst and Alpine Rhythms

Autumn in Gastein is marked by Bauernherbst (“farmer’s autumn”), a harvest celebration with parades, folk music, cider, pumpkins, chestnuts, and cows adorned for the Almabtrieb (their festive descent from high pastures). It’s a time of gratitude, rooted in the valley’s agrarian rhythm and community life.

Solstice Fires and Retreat Preview

Just as autumn celebrates the harvest, summer in the Alps is marked by the Solstice fires. On the longest day of the year, bonfires blaze on ridgelines, visible from valley to valley. These flames, lit for centuries, symbolize fertility, life, and protection. Standing in the Gastein Valley as the mountains glow with fire is to feel part of something much older than ourselves.

That’s why the Austria Solstice Retreat 2026 is not only about hiking, spa renewal, and cultural immersion, it’s also about honoring these deeper rhythms. We’ll gather in the valley at the height of summer, with nature itself as guide, and participants will also have the opportunity to experience the Heilstollen as a free add-on (adult participants only).

To me, it’s about weaving modern rest with timeless tradition: the warmth of baths, the blaze of bonfires, the hush of the tunnel, the celebration of land and people.

With roots & realness,

Karin

Stay Connected

If this valley story resonates, here are ways to stay connected. I’d love to keep sharing these journeys with you, wherever you are.

• Instagram — @cycredentialed for photos and stories from Austria and beyond.

• Facebook Group — Consider Yourself Credentialed to join our community of reflection and real conversation.

• Newsletter — Join below for the latest freebies, services, and retreat updates (including when new retreats open for registration).

Full Circle: From Teaching to Retreating

Forty years ago, I stood here as a first-year teacher, unsure of where life would lead. In 2026, I will return… not just to visit, but to welcome others into the valley’s embrace. The Gastein Valley has always been more than a destination. It is a teacher, a refuge, a reminder of how we balance light and shadow, work and rest, heritage and renewal.

If you join me in 2026, you won’t just attend a retreat, you’ll step into a story, one written by waterfalls, mountains, castles, caves, baths, fires, and tunnels.

P.S. Don’t forget about my Holiday Coaching Special!

Traveling home to Austria reminds me that we all need places of safety and renewal—especially as the holiday season approaches. For me, the mountains are one form of a secure base. For you, it might be a daily practice, a grounding tool, or a guided conversation.

That’s why my Secure Base Freebie is still available for you to download anytime. It’s a gentle way to steady your nervous system and prepare for the season ahead.

And if you feel like you need a little extra support, I’ve opened Holiday Career & Clarity Coaching Sessions at a reduced rate:

• Regular: $225 → Holiday price: $175

• Available: November 15 – December 31, 2025

• Focus: helping you create calm, clarity, and confidence going into the holiday season