Krimml

Snapshot

Krimml is at the western end of the Pinzgau, two hours by train from Salzburg, and it exists in large part because of what falls above it. The Krimmler Wasserfalle drop 380 m in three stages, fed by the glaciers of the Hohe Tauern National Park, and the sound reaches the village before the waterfalls come into view.

The Story

The Pinzgau valley runs west from Zell am See along the Salzach, flanked by the High Tauern to the south and the Kitzbuhel Alps to the north, narrowing as it goes until it ends at Krimml, where the valley floor meets a wall of limestone and the only way forward is up.

The Krimmler Wasserfalle are a geological consequence of that geography. The glaciers of the Hohe Tauern National Park melt into the Krimmler Ache, which drops 380 m over three stages before joining the Salzach valley below. The falls are the highest in Austria, among the highest in Europe accessible to visitors, and the numbers reflect that: around 400,000 people come annually, making this one of the most-visited natural attractions in the country.

The walk to the top follows a trail built into the valley walls. The lowest stage is close and loud, reachable in fifteen minutes. The upper stages require roughly an hour and a half of sustained climbing. The spray at the bottom falls is heavy. At the upper stages, in the right light conditions, you are inside the mist.

The older reason to know Krimml is the pass above it. The Krimmler Tauern, at 2,634 m, was a significant crossing point on the route between the Salzach valley, Tyrol, and the Italian side via the Ahrntal. The Tauernhaus inn, first recorded in 1389 and still functioning, was the last stop before the crossing. Mule trains carried salt and wine up; the same route was used by Jewish refugees escaping in 1947, commemorated since 2013 by the Alpine Peace Crossing.

The village at 1,067 m is small and functional. Accommodation exists for those using it as a base for the national park. The Hohe Tauern National Park is one of the largest protected areas in the Alps, and Krimml sits on its western edge.

Planning

Krimml is at the western end of the Pinzgau, approximately 100 km from Salzburg. The Pinzgauer Lokalbahn (narrow-gauge railway) connects Zell am See to Krimml in around 1 hour 20 minutes from Zell am See, or take the train to Zell am See from Salzburg (about 1 hour 15 minutes) and connect. The waterfalls are accessible from the village; the trail starts near the car park on the valley floor. Admission to the waterfall trail is charged. The upper stages require walking shoes and a layer. The trail is open from approximately May to October, when the Krimmler Ache is at full flow. Winter access is limited and the upper trails may be closed.