Walcher Waterfall

Ferleiten / Fusch an der Grossglocknerstrasse, Salzburg, Austria

About Walcher Waterfall

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

The Walcher Waterfall (Walcherfall) was an impressively tall series of cascades tumbling down a mountainside very close to the toll booths for the Grossglockner High Alpine Road at Ferleiten.

According to the maps, this was where the Walcher Bach tumbled a reported 520m down several disjoint cascades.

Walcher_Waterfall_228_07132018 - Walcher Waterfall or Schleierfall on the Walcher Bach
Walcher Waterfall or Schleierfall on the Walcher Bach

If they’re counted together, it’s possible that this could very well be Austria’s highest waterfall by cumulative height.

However, it’s a bit subjective to consider whether this stringy but seemingly consistent-flowing cascade ought to be considered as such.

In any case, this waterfall was kind of obscure from the standpoint that it didn’t appear to be mentioned by name on any of the maps we came across.

This included the Grossglockner fold-out that they handed out to us once we paid the hefty 36 euro toll (as of July 2018) to go onto the famous high alpine road.

Walcher_Waterfall_192_07132018 - Looking in the direction of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road from the trail running in front of the Walcher Waterfall
Looking in the direction of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road from the trail running in front of the Walcher Waterfall

Fortunately for this waterfall, I didn’t need to pay that hefty toll since it could be seen before reaching the toll stations.

I did notice that this waterfall could also be referred to as the Schleierfall (a seemingly popular name amongst German and Austrian waterfalls as I believe it means “Bridal Veil Falls”).

Experiencing the Walcher Waterfall

The Walcher Waterfall was essentially a roadside attraction as I found the views were best from the road.

After all, this was where the cross-valley view yielded the most contextual look at the entirety of all the cascades comprising the waterfall.

Walcher_Waterfall_063_07132018 - Contextual look across the valley towards the Walcher Waterfall
Contextual look across the valley towards the Walcher Waterfall

That said, there wasn’t an official or sanctioned pullout conveniently yielding the best roadside view.

Instead, I had to walk carefully along the road until I spotted openings between the obstructing trees to get the best views.

It was also possible to park in one of the parking spaces further down the road at Ferleiten.

However, all that yielded me was a closer look at the falls, which appeared smaller as the forced perspective of the slopes supporting the falls obstructed chunks of it.

Walcher_Waterfall_068_07132018 - Looking up stream at the trail leading up to the Walcheralm, but signs insisted that there was a high rockfall danger so the trail was closed during my June 2018 visit
Looking up stream at the trail leading up to the Walcheralm, but signs insisted that there was a high rockfall danger so the trail was closed during my June 2018 visit

To make matters worse, I believe the trail to climb up alongside the Walcher Waterfall was closed indefinitely because of the high exposure to dropoffs combined with the rockfall danger.

There must have been evidence of geological instability as well as fatalities for the authorities to be erecting stern warnings suggesting an unnecessary risk to life if one were to attempt it.

I was only able to get as far as a junction in the trail, where some construction work was being done, and even that access trail was closed during work hours, which was pretty much all the daylight hours.

Maybe one day, they may re-open the trail alongside the Walcher Waterfalls, but it certainly doesn’t seem like the risk versus reward was there to justify such an undertaking.

Authorities

The Walcher Waterfall resides in the town of Fusch an der Grossglockner 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: ferleiten, grossglockner, austria, waterfall, toll, grossglockner road



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Walcher Waterfall (Austria) April 10, 2016 3:00 pm by Ruth Williams - The beautiful Walcher waterfall for some reason does not receive a lot of publicity and yet it is one of the tallest in Austria. The Walcherbach stream cascades down the mountain in five main falls for about 520 meters. It is situated near the village of Ferleiten near the toll booths to the Grossglockner High… ...Read More

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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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