Salzburg · Drone filming

Drone filming in Bad Gastein

A drone operator in Bad Gastein is a registered pilot who films and photographs from the air — for hotels, real estate, events, tourism and brand films — and who plans each flight around the rules for the exact spot before taking off. Bad Gastein is a natural subject for aerial footage, because its most famous feature is vertical: the town stacks up a mountainside around a waterfall.

The tourism board describes that waterfall as a drop of 341 metres in three levels right through the centre of Bad Gastein, fed by the Anlaufbach and the Naßfelder Ache, both coming from the Hohe Tauern National Park. Under the EU open category the drone must stay within 120 metres of the closest point of the ground, in visual line of sight, and never over gatherings of people. On a slope this steep, that means a slow climb that follows the terrain, with the pilot positioned to keep the drone in view at every level. The bridge and promenades above the falls are busy, so flights here are planned for early morning or off-season hours, and the Austro Control Dronespace map is checked for zones before every flight. A drone shoot takes one to three hours on site; you receive edited clips and stills within a week.

Bench on an alpine meadow in the Gastein valley — Illustrative photo

Location ideas in Bad Gastein

01
Gastein waterfall from above
A slow reveal from the lower cascade up past the bridge to the hotels — one continuous shot that explains the town in seconds.
02
Village on the slope
A wide, high view across the Belle Époque roofs and the valley towards Bad Hofgastein for hotel and real estate films.
03
Kötschachtal
The open side valley at the edge of the village, with meadows and forest for calmer landscape footage away from the busy centre.

Good to know

Check the Dronespace map for the exact location before every flight and again on the day; zones can change.
Plan waterfall flights for early morning: fewer people on the bridge and promenades, and the spray catches the first light.
Leave the national park areas above Böckstein out of the plan unless the Hohe Tauern National Park administration has confirmed that flying is allowed.
Spray near the falls settles on the lens and the drone’s sensors; keep a safe distance and wipe the camera between flights.

Photographers in Bad Gastein

We are onboarding photographers here

Profiles for this area are not online yet. Send a request with your date and we personally check which local photographers are available — no obligation.

You tell us the date, place and kind of shoot.
We check which independent photographers working there are free and email you their details and a quote.
You compare portfolios and book directly with the photographer you choose. Asking costs nothing.

Send a free request

Frequently asked questions

May we fly a drone over the waterfall in Bad Gastein?

Only within the rules. A drone operator in Bad Gastein checks the Austro Control Dronespace map for zones, keeps within 120 metres of the ground and in sight, and never flies over people on the bridge or promenades.

Do we need to register a drone for filming in Bad Gastein?

Yes, if the drone weighs 250 g or more or carries a camera, its operator must be registered in Austria. The drone operator who films for you in Bad Gastein is registered and holds the required certificates.

Can you fly drones in the national park near Bad Gastein?

Do not assume so. Parts of the valley above Böckstein lie inside the Hohe Tauern National Park, so a drone operator in Bad Gastein asks the park administration before planning any flight there.

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