The biggest waterfall in Europe
The Krimmler Waterfalls, or Krimmler Wasserfälle, are the highest in Europe at a height of no less than 380 metres. With more than 400,000 visitors a year, the waterfall is one of Austria's top 10 attractions.
Krimmler Achental
This Austrian waterfall is located in the village of Krimml, in the Hohe Tauern National Park. The village is on the border of Salzburgerland (Zell am See region) and Tyrol. Krimml is located in the middle of the valley between Mittersill and the Zillertal. The waterfall is part of the Krimmler Ache, a small river that starts at the end of the Krimmler Achen valley on the Dreiherrenspitze (3,499 m). After meandering for about 20 kilometres through a flat alpine landscape, the river empties into the Krimmler Wasserfälle. The water then thunders down in three steps. Truly an amazing natural phenomenon.
Hiking at the Krimmler waterfalls
In my opinion, the Krimmlerfälle are highly recommended for everyone. The bottom of the waterfall alone is worth visiting. It really is a mighty spectacle. Want to get to the top of the waterfall? There is a hiking trail from the bottom all the way to the top. Hiking to the top of the waterfall is worth a recommendation. The path is easily accessible, even for families with smaller children. For those for whom the climb up to the top is too much anyway, there is a restaurant, Gasthof Schönangerl, halfway to the waterfall. Once at the top, you can enjoy the upper reaches of Austria's largest waterfall and have a very nice view of Krimml. The path that leads into the Krimmler Achental here continues, all the way to the Tauernhaus, at the back of the valley. This is a good hike where you especially need to keep an eye on the weather because, like anywhere in the mountains, the weather can change at a moment's notice.
Watch the weather
When I had done the hike years ago, the weather in the valley changed within minutes. After we had gone for a drink at one of the mountain pastures in the Achental, the sky at the back of the valley suddenly turned black and a thunderstorm started. We then took off running to get back down as quickly as possible before the storm could reach us. The funny thing was that when we reached the top of the waterfall again, it started raining lightly but halfway down the waterfall, the sun was shining and it was as if nothing had happened. So you see that there can be a world of difference in the weather at the top and the weather down in the valley. Also read about weather in the mountains.
Krimml
The village of Krimml itself is nice and cosy, in winter Krimml is a beautiful ski resort. There is not much to do in the village itself, but it is a great base for trips in the area. We stayed in Krimml at the time and had a view of the waterfall from our hotel room. It doesn't get more beautiful than that.
