Summer 2022:
'Germany & Austria'
'Germany & Austria'
Normally, I always go looking for waterfalls on my own, but this year my wife came along too. That always means an adjustment in my schedule but it is also very relaxing. Instead of visiting as many waterfalls as possible every day, I was now more inclined to enjoy and take it easy. I like that, less stress and more enjoyment.
Day 1-3: Heidelberg & Bad Reichenhall (Germany)
On the way to our destiantion we made a stop in Heidelberg. A nice town with quite a history. Although we only stayed 1 night, we enjoyed the city, the shops, architecture, some nice food and off cause some streetart (I love streetart).
The next day it was a five hour drive to our next stop, a region with a lot of waterfalls I haven't visited before. For a long time I wanted to visit the Konigssee with the highest waterfall of Germany, the Röthbachfall.
The first day we visited the Almbachklamm with the Sulzer wasserfall. I didn't expected much of it but this gorge was so beautiful. A nice hike brings you to one of the nicer waterfalls in Germany, the Sulzer wasserfall. A nice beginning of a holiday with many many waterfalls.
Bad Kleinkirchheim seems to be a nice and cosy small town with many good restaurants. The perfect base for a stay in the region Berchtesgaden/Bayern.
The next day we started early because a boat trip on the Konigssee is very popular. There are several huge parkings and we had no problems parking our car near the ticket office. The boat trip brings you along the Königsbachfall (a little dissappointing) and the Schrainbach Wasserfall. From here the surrounding is amazing, I have no words for it. You just have to see it. Especially the walk from the end of the lake to the Röthbach wasserfall is gorgeous. I think I shot over a hundred pictures..... The waterfall itself is special because of the surrounding and its height, but there wasn't very much water in it.
Afterwords we went to the Wimbachklamm (also gorgeous) and to the Weissbach wasserfall, an unknown waterfall but worthwhile to visit. I think I want to go back one day, I love Bayern.
Visited Waterfalls
Day 4-9: Zell am See (Austria)
I love luxury and beautiful hotels but most of the time I find it to expensive. This time we booked a hotel at the lake (very expensive!) The location is perfect but the price/quality value is to low. Nevertheless it was a perfect base for visiting waterfalls in the region.
On the way to Zell am See we first went to the Heutal with two amazing waterfalls: the Fischbachfall and the tall Staubfall. It was the second time I was here, but this time the waterfalls were even more beautiful.
We had some time left before checking in, so we went to Kaprun to vist the Sigmund Thun klamm. Wow, what an experience, so beautiful. It isn't a big gorge but water was coming down over the rocks falling on the roof of the stairs. I love it. At the end there is a manmade waterfall but a good place to make a selfie!
It was time to enjoy Zell am See and to lay back at the lake. To our surprise we where eccompanied by a big (but harmless) snake at the waterfront. So nice that people let the snake warm up and didn't bother him to much.
In total I visited about 38 waterfalls. The best experiences are the surprises you don’t expect. Neunbrunnen near Grosskirchheim (Grossglockner) I found it very special and it is a relatively unknown waterfall. It makes me feel like an explorer who has found something new.
I also found the gorges I visited very beautiful. The Wimbachklamm (Berchtesgaden) had several small streams at the end that came down over the moss. Very beautiful to see. The Groppensteinschlucht (Obervellach) has three beautiful waterfalls in a row with a good chance of seeing a rainbow, always nice.
I regret I wanted to visit all those waterfalls in the Malta Valley very quickly. I did not really enjoyed it and I had to pay €20 for the Malta Hochalmstrasse, just to visit two waterfalls (and I skipped one…) All in all, Austria is a lovely country with nice hotels, reasonably cheap petrol, delicious (affordable) food, usually good weather in summer and lots to do/see.