Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall

Schladming / Haus-Aich-Gossenberg, Styria (Steiermark), Austria

About Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall

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The Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall (or Steirischer Bodensee Wasserfall) had to have been one of the most scenically situated waterfalls that I encountered on our epic Germany and Austria trip in the Summer of 2018.

It was an impressively tall waterfall fronted by the reflective Bodensee Lake, which turned out to be only the lowest out of three lakes.

Steirischer_Bodensee_051_07032018 - Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall across the scenic lake Bodensee near Schladming, Austria
Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall across the scenic lake Bodensee near Schladming, Austria

As you can see from the photo above, this waterfall was really more about the lakeside scenery while the waterfall acted more like a scenic backdrop.

By the way, they had to put the Steirischer (Styrian) in front of the name Bodensee because there was a much larger Bodensee (Lake Constance) way over by the border with Germany and Switzerland.

I think it’s because the Styrian version of the lake was smaller and more intimate that the lake possessed a more mirror-like quality in addition to being a much quieter alpine experience.

Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall Trail Description – hiking to Steirischer Bodensee Lake

From the car park by the Seewigtal Stüberl, I then followed a well-used trail that led right past the cafe.

Steirischer_Bodensee_010_07032018 - The paved Bodenseeweg following along the Seewigtalbach
The paved Bodenseeweg following along the Seewigtalbach

By the way, this car park sat right at the intersection of the left (west) approach from Haus im Ennstal and the right (east) approach from Aich (see directions below).

Beyond the cafe, I then hiked roughly 25 minutes along paved path as it gently followed the Bodenseeweg alongside the Seewigtalbach.

This stretch went for about 700m as it slowly revealed parts of the Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall en route.

Eventually, the pavement ended right at the mouth of the beautiful Steirischer Bodensee Lake.

Steirischer_Bodensee_025_07032018 - Context of the Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall across the scenic lake Bodensee as seen from the mouth of the lake
Context of the Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall across the scenic lake Bodensee as seen from the mouth of the lake

At the mouth of the lake, there was a trout farm as well as another accommodation or cafe called the Gasthof Forellenhof.

While the views from here were very captivating and compelled me to linger for quite a while trying to figure out how best to compose several photos of the scene, I also took the time to get closer to the waterfall.

Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall Trail Description – hiking to waterfall

At this point, I had a choice of direction to take since there was a loop trail that went completely around the lake.

The continuation to the Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall was at the exact opposite end of the lake so there wasn’t any advantage of going one way or the other.

Steirischer_Bodensee_092_07032018 - Approaching the head of the Steirischer Bodensee Lake with the waterfall still further upstream
Approaching the head of the Steirischer Bodensee Lake with the waterfall still further upstream

I opted to keep right and walk the loop in a counterclockwise manner.

So after another 750m or so of walking around the western shore of the lake (taking me another 25 minutes or so), I reached the junction at the far end of the lake.

Along the way, I noticed that there was some degree of sedimentation on the lake as it transformed from a body of water to a swamp and then ultimately to a muddy area at its head.

That made me wonder if this lake’s eventual future would be a meadow in much the same way that Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park wound up becoming in the drier Summer months.

Steirischer_Bodensee_149_07032018 - Pressing forward from the head of the Steirischer Bodensee to the base of the waterfall
Pressing forward from the head of the Steirischer Bodensee to the base of the waterfall

In any case, I continued on from there as the path now started climbing in earnest.

After going up a series of inclines and switchbacks, the path degenerated more into a narrower series of switchbacks with some mild degree of hiking between large boulders.

After another 500m or so of the pretty tiring uphill climb, I finally reached the base of the Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall.

It took me a little over an hour to get here from the car park.

Steirischer_Bodensee_114_07032018 - Looking right up from the base of the Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall
Looking right up from the base of the Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall

While the falls looked shorter from this up close, I was able to feel some of the refreshing light spray while also glimpsing the lake and Seewigtal Valley from a different and more elevated perspective.

This was my turnaround point though it was apparently possible to continue on with this hike towards the other higher alpine lakes and huts (and likely more waterfalls).

On the return hike, I opted to take the trail going over the bridge spanning a pair of converging streams to complete the loop.

This section of the hike put me back towards the mouth of the Steirishcer Bodensee Lake in an 800m stretch from the junction at the head of the lake.

Steirischer_Bodensee_126_07032018 - Looking back towards the Steirischer Bodensee Lake from the foot of the waterfall
Looking back towards the Steirischer Bodensee Lake from the foot of the waterfall

By the time I made it back to the car park, I wound up hiking a total of around 4km, and I spent about 2 hours away from the car.

Authorities

The Steirischer Bodensee Waterfall resides near the town of Schladming in the state of Styria (Steiermark), Austria. It may be administered by the Schladming 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: schladming, haus, aich, steirischer bodensee, seewigtal stuberl



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Steirische Bodensee Waterfall (Austria) February 1, 2015 3:53 pm by Ruth Williams - The Steirische Bodensee Lake is an Alpine jewel set at 1,143 m (3750ft) in the Dachstein Mountains not far from the ski resort of Schladming. The waterfall is the backdrop to the valley and is beautifully reflected in the crystal clear water. An easy walk can be made around the lake or extended with a… ...Read More

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