{"id":122804,"date":"2017-03-10T13:37:23","date_gmt":"2017-03-10T12:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salzburgerland.com\/en\/?p=122804"},"modified":"2021-01-11T18:33:08","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T17:33:08","slug":"the-waterfall-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salzburgerland.com\/en\/the-waterfall-trail\/","title":{"rendered":"The waterfall trail"},"content":{"rendered":"

A good day begins with a proper and healthy breakfast. A piece of wisdom already espoused by my grandmother, and I continue to trust in it to this day. Is there anything cosier than getting up early in the morning and sitting under the sun, watching the world wake up and already going over the forthcoming day in your head? And so, I\u2019m sitting at the breakfast terrace of my hotel in Bad Gastein<\/a> on this wonderful summer day, admiring the beauty of the surrounding mountains, watching the people with the colourful backpacks embarking on their journeys and rejoicing in finally being able to be here again. There are really many wonderful places in our beautiful Alpine region, but this place has a very special kind of magic. Is it the incredible location at a steep cliff, the dramatic mountains all around us, the wonderful hotels and guest houses, which continue to tell stories from the days of a long-forgotten empire, or is it the constantly audible waterfall that crashes and roars right through the centre of the town? Perhaps it\u2019s a blend of all of these factors, but the water definitely seems to play a crucial role in all of them. And it\u2019s precisely this is the role that I want to explore further today.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlying Waters\u201d high up
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The first steps of any hiking expedition are always the best for me. And they\u2019re also the ones you will remember for the longest time. They are the ones you will draw precious energy from as soon as everyday life kicks back in and you keep looking back at the wonderful holidays spent in SalzburgerLand. Today\u2019s first steps lead me away from my hotel to the town centre of Bad Gastein. But I don\u2019t get very far, as a rope, strung up high above the canyon and waterfall, grabs my attention. \u201cFlying Waters\u201d is written on a sign at the end of the steel rope, promising a way to experience Gastein\u2019s spectacular nature and the architecture from a bird\u2019s-eye view. Well, let\u2019s go then! A lack of courage was never an issue for me, so why not fly from one side of the valley to the other instead of walking! Admittedly, I do get a little tense as I\u2019m strapped in the seat and the friendly instructor explains the key points of riding across the canyon with the wire rope. A quick push and off I go. Wow! What a view; what an experience! I slowly hover above the canyon. First I look at the steeply descending forest, the river, until the waterfall is, with all its glory, finally right in front of me. Well, underneath me. I am completely overwhelmed by the experience and can\u2019t even decide what to look at first. The fun ends as quickly as it started and I\u2019m already relieved of my seatbelt, still filled to the brim with adrenaline, as I finally stand on firm ground again. What an amazing experience!<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 SalzburgerLand Tourismus, Peter Zeithofer \u2013 Flying Fox across the Gastein Waterfall<\/p><\/div>\n

The new Thermalquellpark<\/h2>\n

It looks rather cosy here. All around I see nice benches, a water fountain that exudes its precious content, and a display sign here and there. Where have I ended up? I see the church of Bad Gastein. Below me the waterfall is still raging and crashing and the town centre also doesn\u2019t seem too far away. I must seem quite lost, because a friendly employee from the viewing platform is approaching me already. It hasn\u2019t been around for too long, the newly designed Thermalquellpark, which offers a very diverse programme throughout the entire year. The central theme is, of course, the world-famous thermal water, which emerges rather impressively from the rock here in the park. Besides a weekly activity programme, exhibition springs, an unlimited amount of background information on the topic of thermal water, as well as an inside-look into the uniquely rich history of Gastein, you can, of course, also sample the spring water. It\u2019s very lovely here, but the audibly raging water not too far away reminds me to get on my way again. After all, there is a waterfall waiting for me.<\/p>\n

Bad Gastein and its waterfall<\/span><\/h2>\n

Across relatively steep steps, I make my way upward from the Thermalquellpark, quickly cross a street and then follow a narrow path that leads me further up. One more turn to the right, a few steps down and suddenly I\u2019m in the middle of a true spectacle of nature. Incredible, the force, the energy, but also the beauty and the grace with which the water crashes into the depths. Glittering water droplets are everywhere, diffuse the sunrays and bathe the already surreal spectacle in an even more unreal seeming light. I can barely get enough of the sight, take countless of pictures and marvel at the waterfall from pretty much every angle possible. The trail continues further down along the waterfall and passes by the centre of the town before leading once more through the Thermalquellpark all the way down to the old power plant. Not too long ago, a caf\u00e9, now quite known far beyond the borders of the valley, had found its home here.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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