Guide: 4 Gorges You Have To Visit In The Austrian Alps
Welcome to my little corner of the internet! If you found this blogpost, I assume you’re curious about exploring some of the nature in the Austrian Alps, and I can assure you, you’re exactly where you need to be! The Austrian Alps are huge, and even if Austria is a relatively small country, there’s endless things to explore. Recently, I went out to explore some of the beautiful gorges we have here, and I now compiled a list of the 4 gorges, you should definitely put on your list when exploring.
I included useful information for your visit, like prices, how much time to spend, and more, my personal experiences there, as well as some impressions for you.
Enjoy!
Sigmund-Thun-Klamm
To Know Before You Go
Location: Kaprun, Salzburg, Austria
Price: 7,50
Length: 30-60 minutes
Opening Times: May until end of October
The Sigmund-Thun-Klamm gorge is definitely one of the most beautiful gorges in Austria. I’m sure you’ve seen photos or videos of the wooden walkways and bridges online, wondering if it looks this good in real life. And to sum it up: 100%!
The gorge was carved into the mountains by the Kapruner Ache river and the water rushes by with immense force. In the gorge, feels insanely dark and gloomy. In the best way! You’ll feel like you’ve been transported far away from civilisation. What I love about this gorge are especially the walkways. Nowadays, most gorges have metal bridges and more modern paths, which makes this one really stand out. Also, the walkways are quite low (compared to lots of other gorges), so yes, you might get a bit wet from the water gushing by, but you’ll be rewarded with the best views. Especially cute is the little arch that you walk through at one point (see the photos!). The sound of the rushing water and the cold air inside the gorge make the experience definitely one of a kind, a perfect mix of adventure and calm.
Nowadays, the gorge is very popular, due to its close proximity to Zell am See and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. It is a perfect stop if you’re in either location. Due to the narrow walls, it is quite fresh in the gorge, which makes it perfect for visits during hot summer days, but be prepared for crowds. Therefore, and because you won’t need a lot of time to explore the gorge, I would recommend, you visit outside of peak hours, so either early in the morning or later in the afternoon. For example, I visited around 4PM, which was perfect, as we only encountered a handful of other people.
Is it worth the hype? Definitely! But make sure to visit outside of peak hours, and it will feel like different, magical world!
Liechtensteinklamm
To Know Before You Go
Location: St. Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, Austria
Price: 15,-
Length: 1,5 h
Opening Times: May until beginning of November
Now this one is probably the most famous gorge in Austria. The Liechtensteinklamm gorge, with its famous circular staircase. I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen this gorge online and was debating if it is worth a visit or too overhyped. This might be the busiest gorge in Austria, I’ll be honest with you.
the Liechtensteinklamm has a quite cool mix of modern and old. Some parts, you’ll walk on wood and through tunnels that had been carved into the mountains back in the day, at other bits, you’ll walk down a helix staircase, that on its own is already worth a couple of photos. At the same time, you’re surrounded by towering rock walls, that are up to 300 meters high. The gorge is quite long, and you’ll also walk a bit of elevation. Nothing to be concerned about, but I’ve also seen elderly people, who were definitely having a rough time, so keep this in mind and choose good shoes! Towards the end of the gorge, you’ll even see an impressive waterfall, that flows into the Grossarler Ache river.
In general, I have to admit, that a visit to this gorge is one of the more touristy experiences you can have in Austria. For a gorge, the price of 15,- is quite steep, but the money goes into maintaining the gorge. I think the biggest disadvantage is really the popularity of the gorge. If you’re looking for a serene experience, this is not it, but if you want to explore one of the most impressive constructions in the Alps, this is for you. Despite the crowds, I definitely recommend visiting the gorge. It is a natural wonder that can’t be compared to other places, so there’s a good reason for its popularity.
Is it worth it? Yes, but i would suggest visiting outside of the peak summer travel months, as the crowds really impact the experience.
Leutaschklamm / Leutascher Geisterklamm
To Know Before You Go
Location: Leutasch, Tyrol, Austria
Price: for free, “Wasserfallsteig”: 4,-
Length: 1,5 h
Opening Times: beginning of May to end of October
Oh, the Leutascher Geisterklamm is just so close to my heart! And let me tell you right away - I just don’t get how this one is still for free!
The gorge is a very cool mix of modern and old pathways, with some parts (near the parking) still made out of wood, but the main bits (including the suspension bridge) being metal drilled into the mountains. I love how on various parts of the gorge, you are able to walk above the water. Even though I’m afraid of heights, this is such a cool experience with insane views. The gorges waters change colour depending on the season. During spring, you’ll see a very bright turquoise stream, while in the colder months, the water is darker and more greenish. In German, the name “Geisterklamm” means “ghost gorge”, and if you wander around, you’ll get why. It is a very mystic place and various signs and formations will leave you with a sense of magic, but I will not spoil anything!
If you continue the gorge until the very end, you’ll actually pass the border over to Germany, where there’s a small additional part of the gorge that leads to the waterfall. This additional bit costs 4,- and is a very cool addition, but if you want to save the money, trust me, the gorge on its own is already an amazing experience.
In the recent years, the gorge has become more and more popular. I still remember visiting it and not encountering a single person. Nowadays, more people come by to enjoy nature here, but still, this place is far from crowded. In my opinion, this is one of the best places to visit in Austria - not just when it comes to gorges. It is such a perfect display of the beauty of nature you can find in Austria.
Lammerklamm
To Know Before You Go
Location: Scheffau am Tennengebirge, Salzburg, Austria
Price: 9,-
Length: 30-60 minutes
Opening Times: beginning of April to end of October
Now this is one I’m quite sure you have not heard of! The Lammerklamm, luckily, is still not as famous as most other gorges on this list! It is situated in a valley of the Tennengebirge, and if you don’t know where it is, you’d most likely just pass it’s entrance without noticing.
What sets this gorge apart from others, in my opinion is its diversity. Some gorges are dark and narrow, others feel more open and bright. The Lammerklamm can do both. There’s two different parts of the gorge, the “Dark gorge”, and the “Light gorge”.
To get to the dark gorge, you need to immediately turn tight after the entrance (there’s a little sign). It is quite short, and you’ll only need a few minutes to explore it, but it is definitely the one part you should not mis out. narrow stairs will lead you down, close to the water, right where it feels as if the rocks would swallow you up. It is such a cool place! The light gorge is impossible to miss, as it is basically the rest of the gorge. The pathways are mostly made out of wood, besides one bridge, and you’ll get quite close to the water at various bits, which is very cool. Especially towards the end of the gorge, the walls open up a bit, and it feels much more open.
This is definitely a gorge I would check out as soon as possible, as I can already tell it’s slowly becoming more popular. So make sure to head there before everyone knows about it!
While these are arguably some of the best gorges that Austria has to offer, don’t be fooled. There’s many many more. nearly every valley in Austria has a gorge of some kind of size, some huge and impressive, others small and cosy. In this place, I tried to collect some gorges for you, that you should definitely consider visiting, when in the Austrian Alps.
I hope you enjoyed this, and that there was useful information for you. I always love hearing feedback from you.
Thanks for reading, and I’ll leave with some impressions from the gorges …
