About Goessnitz Waterfall
The Goessnitz Waterfall (or Gossnitz Waterfall as well as Gößnitzfall) was the one waterfall that we did on our Grossglockner High Alpine Road Tour that actually required us to earn it with a hike.
Indeed, most of the waterfalls on the famous road were primarily roadside attractions so that made this particular waterfall all the more memorable and intimate.
The Goessnitz Falls gushed with high volume, which was kind of unusual for one possessing a 70m plunge.
Regarding the spelling of the Goessnitz Waterfall, I’ve seen it referred to as the Gossnitz Waterfall, Gößnitz Wasserfall, Gößnitzfall, and the Goessnitzfall.
According to some local myths, the notch in the 100m rock wall supporting the waterfall suggested that a giant might have struck the rock wall with a giant axe.
Speaking of myths, the trail leading from the Retschitzparkplatz (see directions below) to the Gößnitz Waterfall followed along the so-called Natura Mystica.
This was basically a series of interpretive signs explaining the area around the trail as well as some of the health benefits of partaking in such a path to “enlightenment” so-to-speak.
Even the trailhead had a sort of Natura Mystica Oracle with its Stonehenge-like organization of rocks and pillars.
Gößnitz Waterfall Trail Description – hiking to the bridge at the far end of the loop
From the aforementioned car park, I followed an ascending trail that led behind a fence then skirted along the foothills overlooking the village of Winkl.
The undulating trail then descended into a forested area where I kept right at a fork, which was the start and end of a loop trail.
This path went by a clearing with some wavy “lounge chairs” for laying down and resting by a meadow.
Then, the trail reached some other less-advertised unpaved parking area near where the Gößnitzbach joined up with the Möll River.
It took me around 20 minutes to get to this point.
Next, I went over a bridge traversing the Goessnitzbach.
Afterwards, I took the trail just on the other side following upstream along the creek while passing by some water channels and a mill en route.
Roughly another 20 minutes later, I reached another footbridge going across the Goessnitzbach, but before crossing it, I noticed a spur trail that continued straight ahead along the creek.
Gößnitz Waterfall Trail Description – unsanctioned spur to the bottom of the waterfall
The spur trail was pretty much a five-minute scramble alongside the Goessnitzbach Creek.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this off-trail scramble if the creek was flooding or if the terrain was slippery like during a rain.
Towards the end of this unsanctioned scramble, I finally saw a very attractive side view of the Goessnitz Waterfall.
From this angle, I managed to see it from the foot of some very vertical rock cliffs (some of which were overhanging).
Indeed, the rockfall danger was real here, and I didn’t linger for long.
Gößnitz Waterfall Trail Description – spur to the waterfall lookout and completing the loop
Back at the footbridge on the main trail, I then crossed it and followed the trail downstream along the Goessnitzbach before reaching another signed junction.
This time, I went right and took the spur trail that climbed steeply up a combination of switchbacks and steps.
The footing here was a little dicier because of the mist from the Gößnitz Waterfall wafting up and wetting the slopes.
After roughly an hour from the main car park, I finally made it up to the viewing platform looking right at the brink of the Goessnitz Waterfall, where the spray from it still made it up this high.
I was looking against the sun in the mid-afternoon when I made my visit so it was a bit challenging to photograph.
However, in looking the opposite direction from the ridge, I was able to see the Grossglockner Road and avalanche shelters high up the opposite mountainside.
Once I had my fill of this view of the Gößnitz Waterfall, I then descended back down to the main trail, then kept right to complete the loop.
Afterwards, I returned back to the Retschitzparkplatz roughly 20 minutes later.
Overall, had I started from the Retschitzparkplatz, I would have hiked about 3.4km round trip.
It would have taken me between 60-90 minutes depending on how long I would have lingered at each lookout or how often I would take breaks.
Gößnitz Waterfall Trail Description – accidentally extending the hike
However, I actually made a mistake in parking at the structure in Heiligenblut and did the hike from there.
So that wound up adding another 1.5km in each direction (3km round trip) to the overall hike.
Most of that walk was pretty much roadside walking, which further added insult to my calamity of not knowing where the proper trailhead parking was.
So what should have been about 3.4km wound up being 6.4km total, and thus I wound up spending over 2 hours away from the car.
I guess the consolation prize of my mistake was that Julie and Tahia had a chance to check out the town of Heiligenblut while I was busy doing the extended hike solo.
Authorities
The Gößnitz Waterfall resides near the town of Heiligenblut in the state of Carinthia (Kärnten), Austria. It may be administered by the Heiligenblut government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting their website.
The Gößnitz Waterfall was best accessed from the Retschitzparkplatz right at the village of Winkl, which was beneath the town of Heiligenblut.
Heiligenblut itself was located just downhill from the southern toll station of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road (or Großglockner Hochalpenstraße).
I’ll describe the driving directions from both Zell am See to the north as well as Lienz to the south.
Driving to the Gößnitz Waterfall from Zell am See
From the center of Zell am See, we drove south on the Brucker Bundestraße as it entered some tunnels leading me onto the B311 going south.
Once out of the tunnels, I remained on the B311 due south for another 4km before taking the ramp on the right to go south on the Glocknerstraße.
Note that if you’re coming from Sankt Johann im Pongau, then this road would be accessed from an off-ramp leaving the B311 at about 33km west of the city.
Once off the highway, turn left to go south on the Glocknerstraße.
While on the Glocknerstraße, the road then headed south for a little over 13km to the toll booths, where we had to pay 36 euros (as of 2018) to proceed onwards.
Then, we would continue another 32km south along the B107 Road all the way to the town of Heiligenblut just downhill from the southern toll station.
In Heiligenblut, we had to continue on the local street Hof (instead of making the hairpin turn), and follow this street downhill for about 900m to another intersection.
Turning right at this junction, we’d then follow the Winkl Road for just under 500m before reaching the Retzschitzparkplatz on the left.
This drive would take about 90 minutes, and it would require a toll since it involved driving through the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße.
Driving to the Gößnitz Waterfall from Lienz
Going in the opposite direction, from Lienz, we would drive on the B107 northeast towards Winklern.
Then, we’d continue driving north on the B107 for about 21km to Heiligenblut.
Right at the hairpin turn, we’d turn left to get onto Hof, then follow the street downhill towards the Retzschitzparkplatz as described above.
Overall, this drive would take a little about 45 minutes, but a toll wouldn’t be required because it wouldn’t cross any of the toll booths.
For geographical context, Zell am See was 14km (about 15 minutes drive) south of Saalfelden am Steinernen Meer, 28km (about 30 minutes drive) east of Mittersill, 40km (over 30 minutes drive) west of Sankt Johann im Pongau, and 92km (about 90 minutes drive) north of Lienz via the Felbertauern Road as opposed to the much slower Grossglockner Road, and 88km (under 1.5 hours drive) south of Salzburg.
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Sweep starting off with the Grossglockner Road in the distance before panning over to a top down view of the Gößnitz Waterfall from the official lookout
Sweep of the Gößnitz Waterfall from near its base at an unsanctioned trail
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