The Ski Classics Season XIV kicks off in Austria on December 10 and 11, 2022, with the Bad Gastein Pro Team Tempo on Saturday and the Bad Gastein Criterium on Sunday.

Now, a new Ski Classics Challengers event for professional and recreational skiers joins the circuit with a race on Saturday afternoon, the Gastein Classics.

Surrounded by the Hohe Tauern National Park, participants can expect an event in beautiful nature and a 30-kilometer-long race in classic technique. Contrasts and extremes characterize Bad Gastein: tradition meets modernity, untouched nature and natural healing resources meet urban dynamics, art, and culture.

In addition, the spatial location is unique: a waterfall in the middle of the village center, reminiscent of earlier times with magnificent buildings in the Belle Époque style, has made Bad Gastein the “Monte Carlo of the Alps.”

But the southernmost town in the Gastein Valley has much more to offer. With peaks that exceed 3000 meters and its connection to the Hohe Tauern National Park, it is a paradise for nature and sports lovers.

Sportgastein, situated at 1600 meters above sea level, is particularly popular and unique in winter, with snow guaranteed from mid-November to the end of April due to its location.

Long-distance and traditional cross-country skiers will enjoy a network of perfectly prepared tracks – both for classic and skating – and can appreciate the winter landscape surrounded by the Hohe Tauern National Park.