Grossglockner Waterfalls

Heiligenblut am Grossglockner / Hohe Tauern National Park, Carinthia (Karnten), Austria

About Grossglockner Waterfalls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Grossglockner Waterfalls (or Großglockner Wasserfälle) page is kind of my homage to the many roadside waterfalls that we spotted and stopped for along the famous Grossglockner High Alpine Road (or Großglockner Hochalpenstraße).

While there were probably too many waterfalls to count, the main waterfalls I’m highlighting here were the ones that we’ve noticed and identified.

Grossglockner_148_07122018 - Looking towards a cirque by the Grossglockner High Alpine Road containing a couple of waterfalls where one of them might be the Nassfeld Waterfall
Looking towards a cirque by the Grossglockner High Alpine Road containing a couple of waterfalls where one of them might be the Nassfeld Waterfall

These included…

  • the Fensterbach Waterfall
  • the Nassfeld Waterfall
  • and a handful of cascades where I’m not sure of their names on the north face of the mountains that the road ascended

The other waterfalls that I didn’t mention that were accessible from the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse each had their own writeups.

Grossglockner_105_07122018 - The Fensterbach Waterfall
The Fensterbach Waterfall

These included…

Experiencing the Grossglockner Waterfalls – the Fensterbach Waterfall

Grossglockner_086_07122018 - Context of the Fensterbach Waterfall and not the Energy Shower Waterfall as someone had suggested on Google Maps
Context of the Fensterbach Waterfall and not the Energy Shower Waterfall as someone had suggested on Google Maps

We stumbled upon the Fensterbach Waterfall, which was a pair of converging waterfalls on the Fensterbach Creek.

We happened to find this waterfall as we were taking the spur out-and-back road leaving the B107 Road onto the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse, which ultimately led us to the dead-end at the view of the Pasterze Glacier.

Looking downslope from the road, I noticed another tall waterfall deep in the ravine below, which I suspect might be the Leiterbach Wasserfall.

The pullout fronting the Fensterbach Waterfall was about 3km from the turnoff leaving the B107 Road.

Grossglockner_084_07122018 - Looking downstream from the Fensterbach Waterfall towards a distant waterfall that I think might be the Leiterbach Wasserfall
Looking downstream from the Fensterbach Waterfall towards a distant waterfall that I think might be the Leiterbach Wasserfall

On a side note, I’ve seen the Fensterbach Waterfall erroneously referred to as the “Energiedusche Wasserfall” because there was an interpretive sign here discussing how negative ions help the body’s lungs and nervous system.

Thus the sign’s title was translated as the “Energy Shower Waterfall” and it was not the actual name of this waterfall!

Experiencing the Grossglockner Waterfalls – the Nassfeld Waterfall

The next waterfall that we stopped for was the Nassfeld Waterfall.

We spotted it at a pullout at a hairpin turn (roughly 3.3km west of the Fensterbach Waterfalls) near a small dam holding up a reservoir that gave the water a gorgeous blue-green color when the sun was out.

Grossglockner_137_07122018 - Context of some waterfalls tumbling at the cirque harboring the Nassfeld Waterfall, including one beneath a dam
Context of some waterfalls tumbling at the cirque harboring the Nassfeld Waterfall, including one beneath a dam

From this pullout, we walked a short distance on a gravel track that led us alongside the reservoir right in between a pair of waterfalls spilling from opposite sides of the cirque we were in.

To be honest, I’m not sure which of the two waterfalls was the Nassfeld Waterfall.

Was it the one to the left nearest to us?

Or was it the one across the reservoir that seemed to be bigger and more significant (let alone more picturesque).

Grossglockner_192_07122018 - Looking upwards at a side cascade that was opposite the one behind a reservoir. I couldn't tell if this was the Nassfeld Waterfall or whether the one across it was it
Looking upwards at a side cascade that was opposite the one behind a reservoir. I couldn’t tell if this was the Nassfeld Waterfall or whether the one across it was it

Whatever the case, we were able to experience this short stop in about 15 minutes before heading back to the car.

Experiencing the Grossglockner Waterfalls – the rest of the roadside waterfalls

As for the remaining waterfalls, the ones on the North Face of the mountains upon which the Grossglockner Road climbed past the first four or five numbered stops each may have names.

However, I’m unable to correlate what we saw with what the maps suggested.

In any case, these north face waterfalls could have fallen on the…

  • Traunerbach (beneath the Edelweissspitze)
  • Pfandlbach (as the Oberer Pfandelschartenbachfall and Unterer Pfandelschartenbachfall)
  • Fuscherfall on the slopes of Käfertal and Karwand
  • Judenbach
  • Wiesbach.
Walcher_Waterfall_015_07132018 - Some of the mountain cascades tumbling down the north face of the mountains upon which the Grossglockner Road would climb
Some of the mountain cascades tumbling down the north face of the mountains upon which the Grossglockner Road would climb

There were also a few more cascades we spotted and didn’t stop for except for one at the Guttalbach.

This was where a pair of mountain cascades fed this creek that went beneath the B107 and further down into the Möll River way downstream.

Indeed, the waterfalls mentioned on this page merely indicated the kind of mindblowing scenery to be had on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.

Of course, you can’t miss the Grossglockner Peak and the Pasterze Glacier, which was said to be Eastern Europe’s longest glacier left standing.

Grossglockner_299_07122018 - Context of the Grossglockner Peak and what's left of the Pasterze Glacier from the end of the spur of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. The Grossglockner Waterfalls were merely side attractions to the scenery along this road
Context of the Grossglockner Peak and what’s left of the Pasterze Glacier from the end of the spur of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. The Grossglockner Waterfalls were merely side attractions to the scenery along this road

There was also the Heiligenblut town as well as numerous other overlooks including the Edelweissspitze and some surprise tarns and lakes en route.

The Grossglockner Waterfalls were but just one aspect of the sights here.

Authorities

The Grossglockner Waterfalls reside along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road between the towns of Fusch an der Grossglockner and Heiligenblut in the state of Carinthia (Kärnten), Austria. It may be administered by the Fusch government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: grossglockner, pasterze, glacier, waterfalls, austria, hohe tauern, high alpine



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Nassfeld Waterfall (Austria) June 12, 2016 12:36 pm by Ruth Williams - The Nassfeld Waterfall is high in the mountains of the Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria. Although at an alltitude of 2528m above sea level it is easily accessible as it sits beside the Grssglockner High Alpine Road. This spectacular toll road which is one of the highest in Europe is 48km long and has… ...Read More

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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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