During the 19th century Bad Gastein in Austria became a fashionable resort in the Alps, visited by European monarchs and the rich and wealthy. In this period many impressive hotels were built in the principal styles of the era – classicism and art deco. In the decades after WWII Bad Gastein lost its appeal to other places and the remote town became forgotten more and more. Lately efforts were made to preserve and maintain the cultural heritage in Bad Gastein. The shine of the days gone by is coming back again slowly but surely.