GASTEIN, a valley in the Austrian duchy of celebrated for its mineral springs. It is a side valley of the upper Satzach valley, and is about 23 in. long and 1.+, rn. broad. It has an elevation of between 3,000 and 3,500 feet. Behind it, to the south, tower the mountains of Malnitz or Nassfeld-Tauern, 7,820 ft. high, and the Ankogel, 10,700 ft. high, and from the right and left of these mountains two smaller ranges run northwards, forming its two side walls. The river Ache traverses the valley, and near Wildbad-Gasteiu forms two magnificent waterfalls, the upper, the Kesselfail, 200 ft., and the lower, the Barenfall, 280 ft. in height; and near these falls another called the Schlcicrfall, 250 ft. high, is formed by the stream which drains the Pockhart Sec. The principal villages are Bockstein, Hof-Gastein, and Wildbad-Gastein, and the population of the whole valley is about 3,800. Hof-Gastein, with a population of about 1000, possesses gold and silver mines which, in the 16th c., yielded 1180 lbs. of gold and 9,300 lbs. of silver annually. They are now, however, much neglected, and many of the old mines arc covered by glaciers. The village contains a military hospital, and iu the open platz there is a bust of the emperor Francis I., who, in 1828, caused a conduit of upwards of 5 m. long to be constructed for the purpose of conveying the mineral waters thither from Wildbad. 1Vildbad, the principal watering-place, is visited' by upwards of
3,000 persons annually, and among its visitors is the present emperor of Germany. The thermal springs, which were known as early as the 7th c., issue from the granite mountains, and have a temperature of 117° Fahr. They are made use of in cases of nervous affections, general debility, and skin diseases; but the reason of their effiCacy is somewhat mysterious, as chemical analysis discovers only a slight difference iu the ingredients from those of ordinary spring water. The village is formed chiefly of wooden houses rising above one another in terraces; and there are several fine villas, one of which was constructed by the archduke John of Austria, and has a botanical garden.
GASTEIN, oF, concluded at Wildbad-Gastein, Aug.., 1865, between Austria and Prussia, to regulate the relations of these two powers with respect to the duehieg of Sleswick-Ifolstein and Lauenburg, which they had taken from Denmark, and occupied in common. They agreed that Sleswick should be placed entirely under Austrian administration, while Laucnburg should be annexed to Prussia, Austria ceding its part of it for 2,000,000 thalers.