Krimml Falls
This village in the far-western extremity of Land Salzburg is visited mainly for the iridescent Krimmler Wasserfälle (Krimml Falls) tel. 06564/7212. The highest in Europe, these spectacular falls drop 381m (1,250 ft.) in three stages. They lie to the south of the Gerlos Pass, which connects the Salzach Valley in Land Salzburg to the Siller Valley in the Tyrol.
If you drive here, you can either leave your car at the parking lot at the south of the village and walk 30 minutes to the lower falls, or take the Gerlos Pass toll road, open from June 1 to September 30. If you don't have a car, you can take one of the frequent buses marked KRIMML from the center of town. Get off at Maustelle Ort, where the path to the falls begins. The falls are open from the end of April to the end of October daily from 8am to 6pm; it costs 1.80€ ($2.35) for adults and .50€ (65¢) for children.
Visitors should allow about 3 1/2 hours to explore the entire falls area. On a sunny day, try to visit around noon when the falls are at their most dramatic. In summer, the waterfalls are likely to be floodlit on Wednesday nights, depending on weather conditions. Wear good, sturdy shoes and, if you don't want to get sprayed, a raincoat.
After you've checked out the lower falls, if you want to see the second stage, count on another 12-minute walk. From here it's only another 5 minutes to the third and final stage for viewing the cataracts. There are paths leading to two more viewing points. The middle part of the falls can be seen at the sixth and seventh lookouts. At the Bergerblick, you'll have your greatest view of the waterfalls, reached by continuing another 20 minutes from the seventh viewing point. If you want, you can go on to the Schettbrücke (1,464m/4,803 ft.) for a look at the upper cascades. The waterfalls lie under a deep ice layer during the winter.
