Raging water masses, breezing spray mists, and colourful rainbows - waterfalls provide a breathtaking natural spectacle. Especially during the snowmelt in early summer, they are a particularly impressive sight. Let us show you the most spectacular Alpine waterfalls.
You can find one of the widest waterfalls of the East Alps in the upper Stubaital valley. The meltwater cuts its way over Grawa Waterfall at a width of 85m/289ft in early summer. Sit back and watch the exciting nature spectacle on one of the wooden chairs at the viewing platform. One way to get there is on the WildeWasserWeg hiking trail.
Another impressive natural spectacle can be found at the Krimml Waterfalls. Falling down 380m/1,267ft into the abyss, they are among the highest waterfalls in the world. The water plummets down over three steps. A hiking path to the waterfalls offers numerous beautiful viewing points.
The biggest waterfall in Tyrol is located at the Ötztal valley. Coming from Niederthai, the mountain stream Horlachbach goes down 159m/522ft over two steep steps, swirling around large clouds of water dust, and creating the Stuibenfall Waterfalls. The way to the falls leads over 700 steps and a pendant bridge, past several viewing platforms. Climbers can find a family-friendly climbing path right next to the waterfall.
South of Meiringen, the meltwaters of Rosenlaui glacier flow into the Reichenbach Falls. Over seven cascades, the water plummets down 300m/984ft. The first of the waterfalls is also the highest, with a drop of 120m/394ft. You can get to the viewing platform on a nostalgic cablecar, or walking from Hotel Zwirgli.
The Reichenbach Falls became famous through Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. The British Detective has a big fight against his nemesis Moriarty here in the shortstory 'The Final Problem', at the end of which both fall down into the waterfall.
The Staubbach Falls are part of a whopping 72 waterfalls at the Swiss Lauterbrunnental valley. A drop of 300m/984ft is what makes them so spectacular. They are among the highest free-falling waterfallsin Europe. Summer winds make the falling water spray into all directions; a natural spectacle that even impressed Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, whom it inspired to his poem 'Gesang der Geister über den Wassern'.
At the Trümmelbach Falls at Lauterbrunnental valley in Switzerland, you can expect an extraordinary natural spectacle. The falls are among the biggest underground waterfalls in Europe, and the only glacier waterfalls in the world that are accessible from underground. In the summer, a narrow path and a rock gallery take you really close to the waterfalls. The entire mountain thunders, when up to 20,000 litres of water per second fall down the glaciers of Jungfrau mountain during the snowmelt, taking lots of debris with them.
Up to 10,000 litres of water per second come down Partschins Waterfall near Meran during the snowmelt. On sunny days, it is particularly beautiful between 10 and 12 am, when the fine spray mist sparkles in all colours of the rainbow. From the village centre, you can hike to the natural sight in around 1.5 hours. From the top or base station of Texelbahn, nice family trails lead to the rushing waterfalls as well.
Naturally, Germany's highest waterfall should also be on the list of the most spectacular Alpine waterfalls. Located at Berchtesgaden National Park, Röthbach Waterfall plummets down Röth wall for 470m/1,542ft, over two main steps into the basin of Lake Königssee. This drop makes it one of the highest waterfalls in the Alps. Its location inside the national park, and the complicated way of getting there, have saved Röthbach Waterfall from tourist masses, keeping its pristine natural beauty.
The second biggest waterfall in Germany, Landtalfall, is located right next to it, a bit further north.