Dürrenbach wasserfall (Hallstatt)

Dürrenbach wasserfall (Felsentor)

The Dürrenbach wasserfall is an astonishing powerful waterfall in the Echerntal, near Hallstatt in the region Oberösterreich, Austria.

The Dürrenbach wasserfall can be reached by foot, from the centre of Hallstatt, in about 1-1,5 hour.  It is also possible to drive to the parking at the beginning of the Echerntal (gps (47.549613, 13.631023). In summertime somebody is standing at the main to road to prevent cars to drive in the town, but just say that you are going to the Dürrenbach wasserfall and he will let you through.

From the parking at the beginning of the Echerntal there are several trails you can take. During our stay at Hallstatt beginning of August 2020 we decided to follow the trail at the left side of the river paralel to the river and not the asphalt road. At the first bridge you see keep let and follow the river further upstream. If you cross the river and follow the path you will see the Schleierfall from the bottom. But at the way back you will see enough of the Schleierfall.

Continue following the trail until the next bridge, this is the lower part of the powerful Dürrenbach wasserfall. A little further go left where the path runs (a little steep) up into the woods. You also can decide to make a short detour to the end of the valley where three waterfalls meet each other, among which the Waldbachstrub wasserfall and Lauterbach wasserfall. From the parking you can reach this viewpoint in 30 minutes.

The upper viewpoint on the three waterfalls is amazing and they belong to the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen in Austria. It is also quite unique that three powerful waterfalls meet each other at one point: at the left the Waldbachstrub wasserfall, in the middle the Lauterbach wasserfall and at the right an unofficial named waterfall the Klausalm wasserfall (???).

If you took the detour, walk back to the bridge and take the path that goes up to the Glacier Garden. The path is easy, although it goes up, and pleasant. The Glacier garden is a natural monument and is a relic of the last glacial period, whose glaciers retracted from the Echerntal about 12.000 years ago.

After 10 minutes (from the bridge down) I reached the river Dürrenbach with the powerful Dürrenbach wasserfall. I also saw a sign with Felsentor which means rock gate. Water was thundering over the viewpoints along the river, so much water was thundering down. Very spectacular to see! A little up at the stone bridge you also have a good view on the upper part and if you look down you also can see the Schleierfall again with Hallstatt in the background.

Afterwards you can walk to the aprking but I followed the asphalt road further up and as a surprise I got some very nice views on the Schleierfall and the Hallstatter see. After another 15 minutes from the stone bridge over the river Dürrenbach I reached the bridge over the river Waldbach with in the deep the Waldbachstrub wasserfall. Looking upstream you will see another powerful waterfall in the river Waldbach with a height of approximately 10 meter. Actually the river is one big waterfall, but nevertheless…

Time to walk back to the parking, but not until I was treated with some gorgeous views on the Halstatter see, on the Schleierfall and a view which combined the Schleierfall and the Lauterbach wasserfall.

I was so glad I did this hike. It rained and we (me and my daughter) where searching for thing to do. On a map I saw that there where two or three waterfall in the Echerntal ( I counted 6 waterfalls!!!). The rain radar said it should be dry in the afternoon so we did go.

Best time to visit the Dürrenbach wasserfall is probably late spring or after a period of (heavy) rain. After a dry period the waterflow is reduced to almost zero. 

In Hallstatt itself there is another waterfall coming down, the Mühlbach wasserfall, but this one is nice but certainly can’t be compared with the beautiful Waldbachstrub wasserfall and Dürrenbach wasserfall.

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About Dürrenbach wasserfall (Hallstatt)

CountryAustria
RegionOberösterreich
LocationHallstatt, Echerntal
RiverDürrenbach
Height180m
Latitude47.545417
Longitude13.619802
Best visitEarly summer, after rainfall
Rating

Most nearby waterfalls

WaterfallDistance (linear)Rating
Lauterbach wasserfall (Hallstatt) 1 km
Schleierfall (Hallstatt) 1 km
Waldbachstrub wasserfall 1 km
Mühlbach wasserfall (Hallstatt) 3 km
Gradenbach wasserfall 22 km