Top 10 Waterfalls in Austria
Austria is Alpine to its core, and its waterfalls reflect that. Glacier-fed torrents drop off high cirques, snowmelt rivers carve gorges through limestone, and meltwater swells dramatically through the warm months. The country holds one of the tallest waterfalls in Europe and a string of spectacular Alpine gorges threaded with walkways. Most falls peak with the summer melt from June to August and quieten in autumn. The selection below spans Salzburg, Tyrol, Carinthia, and Styria. All ten are on the map.
1. Krimml Falls, Salzburg
The Krimml Falls (Krimmler Wasserfälle) in the Hohe Tauern National Park are the tallest in Austria and among the highest in Europe, dropping a total of 380 metres in three main tiers on the Krimmler Ache. The three steps measure roughly 140 metres, 100 metres, and 140 metres respectively, cascading through dense spruce forest on the south flank of the Salzach valley. A well-graded path — the Wasserfallweg — climbs alongside the full height with numerous viewing platforms, gaining about 400 metres of elevation over a 4.5-kilometre ascent taking roughly two to two-and-a-half hours up. Glacier-fed from the Krimmler Kees at the head of the valley, the falls peak in June and July with enormous spray that soaks visitors at close platforms even on dry days. The nearest village is Krimml itself, a 45-minute drive from Mittersill and around two hours from Salzburg city. Entry to the national park waterfall path carries a modest fee. The falls can be combined with a further walk up to the Krimmler Tauern pass or the Krimmler Achental for a full-day outing.
2. Golling Falls, Salzburg
The Golling Falls (Gollinger Wasserfall) near the market town of Golling an der Salzach, about 30 kilometres south of Salzburg, drop about 76 metres in two main stages. The upper fall is the more dramatic: it emerges from a cave-like cleft in the overhanging limestone of the Hagengebirge and leaps into a shadowy basin. A short trail of 20–30 minutes through beech and spruce forest, with wooden footbridges crossing the gorge stream, reaches both levels. Fed by the Schwarzbach, the falls run year round and are most powerful in spring and early summer when snowmelt supplements the source spring; the lower fall fans wide over mossy ledges and is a popular long-exposure subject for photographers. A small entry fee is charged at the car park. The gorge near the falls has also been used as a film location. In winter, the upper section can partially freeze into spectacular ice formations, though access can then be limited.
3. Stuibenfall, Tyrol
The Stuibenfall near Umhausen in the Ötztal is Tyrol's largest waterfall, dropping about 159 metres on the Horlachbach, a tributary of the Ötz. It falls in a single powerful plunge type that widens as it descends, coating surrounding rock in permanent wet moss. A trail with around 700 steps, two suspension bridges, and a short via ferrata section climbs beside the fall, crossing through the spray zone to platforms that are genuinely wet even in calm weather. The trail gains roughly 200 metres and takes about 45 minutes to an hour each way. Umhausen is accessible via the B186 road up the Ötztal from Haiming, a junction with the Inn valley near Innsbruck. Glacier and snowmelt fed from the Weißkamm, it is strongest in early summer, typically May through July. The via ferrata is rated easy (A/B) and is suitable for those with a head for heights. The village of Umhausen has accommodation and the lower valley has regular bus connections to Innsbruck.
4. Liechtensteinklamm, Salzburg
The Liechtensteinklamm near St. Johann im Pongau is one of the deepest and narrowest accessible gorges in the Alps, where the Großarler Ache rushes through a cleft up to 300 metres deep and at points only a few metres wide. Walkways bolted to the sheer rock face, along with bridges and tunnels through the walls, follow the torrent for about 1 kilometre to a waterfall at the head of the cleft. The atmosphere inside is dramatically dim and cool even in summer, with moss covering every surface and the roar of the water constant throughout. The gorge is open from May to October and closes in winter due to ice and flood risk. St. Johann im Pongau is about 60 kilometres south of Salzburg along the A10 motorway. The entry fee covers gorge maintenance. A full visit takes around 1.5 to 2 hours return. It is most dramatic during high summer melt in June and July when the Großarler Ache is at full volume.
5. Gastein Waterfall, Salzburg
The Gastein Falls (Gasteiner Wasserfall) drop right through the spa town of Bad Gastein in three stages totalling about 340 metres, an unusual sight of a major Alpine waterfall framed by Belle Époque hotels. Fed by the Gasteiner Ache, which drains the high Gastein valley from the slopes of the Hohe Tauern, it runs year round and is floodlit at night, giving the town a theatrical feel after dark. The middle stage passes directly beneath the town's road bridge, and the lowest stage plunges into a rocky channel visible from the hotel promenades. Bad Gastein is about 90 kilometres south of Salzburg, reachable by the Tauern Railway as well as by road through the Gasteinertal. The fall is free to view from numerous vantage points in town. In summer the surrounding Hohe Tauern ridges above the town offer day hikes to glacial lakes and mountain huts, making Bad Gastein a practical base for several days.
6. Schleierfall, Tyrol
The Schleierfall in the Kaisertal near Kufstein is a delicate veil fall dropping over an overhanging limestone wall, popular with rock climbers who scale the dry rock beside it. The Wilder Kaiser range around Kufstein is one of Austria's premier limestone climbing destinations, and the Schleierfall wall itself is threaded with routes. The water disperses into a fine spray — the name means veil fall — that drifts horizontally in wind, keeping the surrounding walls damp even when the fall itself is low. It is best in spring after snowmelt and after heavy rain; by late summer, in dry years, flow can reduce significantly. Kufstein is about 20 kilometres east of Innsbruck, directly on the Inn valley rail line and the A12 motorway, making this one of the most easily accessed falls in Tyrol. The Kaisertal above the town is reached by a short drive or a longer walk. The surrounding Wilder Kaiser scenery, with its great limestone faces, is among Tyrol's finest.
7. Dr.-Vogelgesang-Klamm, Upper Austria
The Dr.-Vogelgesang-Klamm near Spital am Pyhrn in the Pyhrn-Priel region of Upper Austria is the longest accessible gorge in the province, where the Teichlbach descends through a narrow rock cleft via a series of cascades and pools. Walkways, ladders, and bridges climb roughly 300 metres of elevation through the gorge over a distance of about 2 kilometres. The cleft is particularly narrow in its upper section, where the stream cuts through the Dachstein limestone, forming polished walls streaked with mineral colouring. Spital am Pyhrn lies on the Pyhrn Pass road (B138) connecting Linz and Graz, about 40 kilometres south of Kirchdorf an der Krems. Best visited in late spring and summer when flow is good; the gorge closes in winter due to ice. The surrounding Kalkalpen National Park offers walking trails and is one of Upper Austria's quieter mountain areas, well away from the heavily toured Salzkammergut.
8. Fallbach, Carinthia
The Fallbach in the Maltatal — the Valley of Falls in Carinthia — is one of Austria's tallest single drops, plunging about 200 metres off a cliff in a clean free-falling plunge. The Maltatal, southeast of Gmünd in Kärnten, holds dozens of waterfalls along its length, fed by the glaciers of the Ankogel group within the Hohe Tauern. The Fallbach is the most striking of the valley's many falls, visible from the valley road (Maltataler Straße) without any hiking required, though a short walk to a viewpoint platform rewards with a much closer perspective. The Maltatal Stausee reservoir at the head of the valley is a scenic destination in itself and can be reached by a narrow toll road or a cable car. The valley is strongest in summer melt, typically June through August, when the glacial sources above 2,500 metres are actively contributing. Gmünd is accessible via the B99 from Spittal an der Drau, itself on the main Tauern motorway route.
9. Riesachfälle, Styria
The Riesachfälle in the Untertal near Schladming drop in stages totalling about 140 metres below the Riesachsee lake. The Untertal is a narrow side valley off the Enns valley at Schladming, running south into the Schladminger Tauern range. A trail — about 2 hours each way from the valley floor — climbs with a suspension bridge crossing the gorge midway, and the falls are the main spectacle on the way up to the Riesachsee, a high-alpine lake at around 1,338 metres. Fed by snow from the surrounding ridges and by the lake outflow itself, the Riesachfälle peak in early summer when winter snowpacks are still releasing. Schladming is a well-known skiing and hiking resort in the Enns valley, about 90 kilometres east of Salzburg on the A10/S36. In summer the area is oriented to hiking and mountain biking; the Dachstein Glacier is within easy reach to the north. Accommodation is plentiful in Schladming.
10. Umbalfälle, East Tyrol
The Umbalfälle in the Virgental of East Tyrol, within the Hohe Tauern, are a series of cascades on the Isel — one of Austria's last free-flowing glacial rivers, undammed along its full length from the Venediger massif to the Drau. The falls occur where the Isel accelerates over a series of rocky steps before widening into the Virgental floor. A nature trail (the Wasserschaupfad) follows the falls with interpretive viewpoints explaining the glacial geology and the ecology of the free-flowing river. The Venediger group above feeds the Isel with meltwater from the Mullwitzkees and other glaciers, making late June through August the loudest and most powerful period. Prägraten am Großvenediger, the main village in the upper Virgental, is about 60 kilometres northwest of Lienz, which has a regional airport and rail connections. The Virgental is less visited than the Ötztal or the main Hohe Tauern valleys to the north, offering a quieter alternative for those combining the Umbalfälle with a high-mountain hut tour or a glacier crossing on the Großvenediger.
Planning an Austria waterfall trip
Salzburg province is the richest base, with Krimml, Golling, Gastein, and the Liechtensteinklamm all within a couple of hours' drive. The city of Salzburg itself is a natural hub with international flights, a direct rail connection to Bad Gastein on the Tauern Railway, and good road access south through the Gasteinertal and west toward Krimml. Tyrol (Stuibenfall, Schleierfall, Umbalfälle) rewards a separate trip — Innsbruck has a major airport and the Ötztal falls are only an hour's drive south. Carinthia's Maltatal is best combined with the Hohe Tauern road or a base in Spittal an der Drau. The Hohe Tauern National Park, which spans Salzburg, Carinthia, and East Tyrol, concentrates the grandest glacial falls and is itself Austria's largest protected area. Peak flow is the summer melt, June to August; gorges can be hazardous or closed in winter and early spring when ice and high water make walkways unsafe. Entry fees at most sites are modest, typically in the range of a few euros per adult.
Glacial timing and the daily flow cycle
A detail worth knowing for Austria's glacier-fed falls — Krimml, Umbalfälle, Fallbach — is that their flow follows a daily rhythm as well as a seasonal one. On warm summer days, glacial melt peaks in the afternoon and evening, so a fall can be noticeably fuller at 4 pm than at 9 am. Photographers chasing maximum volume should visit late in the day in high summer, while those wanting softer light and fewer crowds may prefer the calmer morning flow. This daily cycle is most pronounced in July and August, when melt rates are highest and the difference between morning and evening discharge is greatest. Snow-fed falls like the Golling and Riesachfälle do not follow this pattern as strongly, since their source is groundwater and snowpack rather than active glacial melt. Timing visits to mid-morning at snowfed falls and to mid-afternoon at glacial falls generally gives the best combination of light and volume.
Photography and access notes
Most of Austria's waterfall paths are well maintained with wooden railings and non-slip surfaces, though several — Stuibenfall, Liechtensteinklamm, and the Vogelgesang gorge — involve ladders or steep steps. Waterproof jackets and grip footwear are recommended at any site where a viewing platform enters the spray zone, particularly at Krimml where the mist from the main falls is heavy enough to soak clothing within minutes at close platforms in June and July. Photography at close range benefits from a UV filter or lens hood to protect against water droplets. The early morning hours offer the best light at most falls, before shadows from the surrounding valley walls deepen; the Gastein falls, however, face east and catch morning light well from the hotel terraces above the gorge.
Explore on the map
Every waterfall above is plotted on the interactive map — filter to plan a Salzburg circuit around Krimml and the Liechtensteinklamm or a Tyrol and Carinthia trip through the glacial valleys.