Fallbach Waterfall

The Fallbach Waterfall was a pretty easy waterfall to visit. In fact, it seemed like everything about my visit to this waterfall was with the family in mind. So not only was the walk to the base of this towering 200m nearly freefalling cataract easy to do requiring about 30 minutes total if you’re not lingering around, but there was a playground at the Erlebnispark (Adventure Park) adjacent to a good chunk of the walking path to get to the base of the waterfall.

Indeed, while some of the adults wishing to do the more ambitious excursions to the Fallbach, the kids could play in the playground, which was decked out with a rope-pulling raft, large slides, zip-line-like one-way hang pulleys, and a bunch of other things you’d find in most playgrounds.

Speaking of adult excursions, after paying 5 euros for adult admission (under age 3 are free; typically open from 9-5), I walked out the other side of the gift shop and took the right path to go around the kids playground on the left. The gradually ascending footpath was flanked by the playground on one side and a cow pasture on the other.

Eventually after reaching the end of the playground, I then crossed a fence and onto what appeared to be a continuation of the footpath to the lookout at the top of a small hill right at the base of the Fallbach Waterfall. The catch with this part of the trail was that there were cow patties everywhere as this was apparently part of the cow pasture.

Once I made my way up to the top of the short hill to get a closer more intimate look up at the Fallbach, I was also able to turn around and get nice views across the Maltatal Valley. In the morning, those views have perfect lighting, but I’d be looking against the sun at the waterfall. In the afternoon, the opposite would be true.

It only took me about 45 minutes away from the car (15 minutes more than the recommended time), but I lingered for quite some time. Had Tahia taken the time to check out the playground, I could’ve easily lingered here a bit longer to let her play in the playground.

As for lingering for longer to do more ambitious excursions, I noticed on a map that there was a steep path taking you up to a lookout half-way up the full height of the Fallbach Waterfall. There were closure signs during my visit so I’d imagine that path was no longer possible due to the rockfall danger, I’m sure, but there was a longer trail from a different car park that would have taken you to the same spot on a more gradual trail as well as going all the way to the top of the waterfall.

Neither of those additional things I took part in, but it did seem like an option if the base of the Fallbach Waterfall was not enough for a satisfying time spent here.

Finally, there have been claims that Fallbach was the Carinthia Province’s highest waterfall, but a sign here conceded that title to the Melnikfall further up the Maltatal Valley at 300m in cumulative height. Either way, the signage here still considers this to be Carinthia’s mightiest waterfall given its high volume flow.