Next, our journey took us towards the village of Kaprun, the town of Zell am See, the High Tauern National Park, and along a high mountain serpentine road to Gerlos, where we stopped to spend the night.
The village of Kaprun, located just a few kilometers from Zell am See, is situated in the beautiful valley of the same name. It is known not only for its historic medieval castle dating back to the 12th century but also as a winter Austrian ski resort. From here, the Kitzsteinhorn mountain offers breathtaking views of the entire mountain landscape of the High Tauern National Park, which includes about 30 alpine peaks. However, we decided to leave these landscapes, as well as the High Tauern National Park and the high mountain serpentine road of Grossglockner, for another time, as they deserve special attention and require more time than we had available.
We took a short stroll through the village of Kaprun, visited the castle, and then continued our journey towards the small waterfall called Sigmund Thun Klamm – Kaprun. The Sigmund-Thun-Klamm gorge was formed about 14,000 years ago as a result of a powerful glacier movement that melted away, leaving a deep crevice through which the Ache River flows down into the valley, originating from Lake Klamm. The river’s speed is such that a small hydroelectric power station was even built at the foot of the cliffs. You can take a look inside the observation room of the power station, which is located next to the entrance to the waterfall in the gorge. Walking along the wooden pedestrian path suspended above the roaring river and passing through parts of the waterfall as you go, rather than just observing it from the side, provides a unique and interesting experience in this place.
Zell am See turned out to be not very appealing during the summer. You can take a stroll along the Zell Lake promenade, but there isn’t much else to do there in the summer.
We didn’t linger here for long and continued on to the Krimml Waterfalls cascade. Approaching the village of Krimml, you can already see from afar the incredibly beautiful cascade of waterfalls among the mountains. The entrance fee is 3€, and the ticket office is located at the bottom, near the waterfall. The waterfall consists of 11 levels, surrounded by a magical forest with lovely little bells, sheer cliffs, and observation platforms where you can catch rainbows formed by the waterfall’s spray – all of this awaited us to conclude this long and eventful day.
Krimml Waterfalls (Krimmer) is a natural attraction within the High Tauern National Park. Water is a powerful element, and you witness it firsthand when you gaze at this roaring wonder of nature, shaking everything around with the thunderous noise of falling water and filling the air with myriads of droplets. The height of Krimml Waterfalls is 380 meters, and it cascades down in three huge sections. To see all three cascades simultaneously, you need to view them from a distance.
The lowest tier of the waterfall is accessible to all travelers. It takes some effort to reach the observation platform of the second tier, but the third and highest tier is conquered only by determined tourists over several hours, passing through picturesque panoramic platforms along the way. Krimml looks magnificent in sunny weather, with thousands of rainbows creating a delightful and magical atmosphere. Interestingly, in winter, the waterfall freezes, presenting a truly fantastic and enchanting spectacle. The air near the waterfall is very humid, and the spray is so strong that getting close to the bubbling stream is impossible.
After all these impressions, our final stop was the Gerlos Alpine Road, a mountain serpentine with a length of only 12 km, including 8 steep turns, which rises to an altitude of 1,628 meters. There are no particular attractions on the road itself, except for the observation platforms, from which you can also see the cascade of waterfalls and stunning panoramas of the Austrian mountain ranges. The passage on the road is subject to a toll, and the toll booth is located at the end of the road, upon entering Gerlos, where we stayed overnight.
Lucerne was the final destination of our journey; from there, we started heading back, taking a slightly more northerly route.
Undoubtedly, Salzburg is one of the most charming cities in Austria, with its unique character, architecture, and history, attracting a large number of tourists.
The road from Salzburg to Gosau wound through mountain forests, with a winding serpentine that revealed breathtaking scenery around every turn.
