Zammer Lochputz Waterfall

The Zammer Lochputz Waterfall was one of the easier gorge experiences of our Summer trip in 2018, which included other gorges like Höllentalklamm, Raggaschlucht, and Leutaschklamm among others. Indeed, it was such an easy and straightforward experience that even Julie and Tahia did it without difficulty as part of their first klamm or schlucht experience on the trip. I’ve also seen this particular gorge being referred to as the Lötzklamm.

Experiencing the 30m waterfall (which was sometimes referred to as the Lötzer Waterfall as it flowed on the Lötzbach River or Lochbach) pretty much involved going on a one-way circular walk. After paying to get in, we were given mandatory helmets as well as bar-coded tickets, which got us through the turnstile within the gorge itself.

Once we were past the turnstile, we briefly checked out some ruins and some man-made cascades where it seemed like there was some hydroelectricity generation going on here, but then we backtracked and promptly walked along the base of the gorge which skirted around a tall fountain (possibly powered by the water power being harnessed in the area in one of Tyrol’s oldest such facilities) before it went past a trail junction and dead-ended around a bend right in front of the Zammer Lochputz Waterfall.

Because the viewing area was so close to the falls, it was difficult to get a clean look at it in its entirety. So it didn’t take long to experience what this main waterfall had to offer. So we then backtracked and went up a series of steps and switchbacks, which got us up through a tunnel and towards an upper part of the gorge. Along the ascent, we were treated to some nice panoramas looking in the direction of Landeck.

Up here, we now walked on steel catwalks providing glimpses of twisting waterfalls and cascades snaking their way below us before making their final dramatic plunge over the Zammer Lochputz Waterfall. The trail continued in the upstream direction for a few more paces as we went by a part of the gorge where a couple of formations was supposed to be of a bull and nymph joined above the Lochbach Stream. It looked like part of the formation fell off though undoubtedly as a result of inevitable erosion. The trail then went up a combination of steps and around a bend before reaching some kind of structure flanked by attractive cascades on the Lochbach.

Right after this cascade and structure, the trail then continued into a long tunnel. Since the Zammer Lochputz Waterfall Walk was made to be very family friendly, they had triggered yodeling music to try not to spook the little ones when going through this long tunnel.

Once we were outside the tunnel, the trail then switchbacked as it descended back down towards the entrance. Along the way, there were some more views as well as a tower (Lötzturm) where some kind of multimedia show was playing, and there was a playground at the very end of the trail, where a one-way turnstile ensured that once we left, there was no going back in. As we returned the helmets, we checked out the little museum by the entrance where lots of interpretive signs and displays discussed the virtues of hydro power.

Overall, we took our time and spent less than 90 leisurely minutes doing the whole walk and making plenty of photo stops along the way. On a more focused visit, I’m sure this roughly 600m (just a guess since my GPS reception wasn’t very good within the tunnels and the gorge) could take as little as an hour with fewer stops and a slightly faster pace.