Time truly does fly by when you’re having fun. Our last day in the pure land of Austria, where the air was a constant breeze of mint and grass, had arrived already. Our bags were packed for one last adventure, and we decided to not waste our precious last day. Due to corona we weren’t allowed into Tirol, but nobody said we couldn’t lurk around its borders where one of Austria’s many treasures was hiding. Ah well, it wasn’t really hiding, it was literally the gateway into Tirol’s kingdom: the biggest waterfall of Europe – depending on which website you visit. Each says something different, but I don’t need a website to tell me a waterfall is impressive. To me, waterfalls are basically collective items that I want to keep adding to my list. They’re powerful creations of nature that are always moving, always being the undefeatable force of nature. we first had to drive 2 hours, deeper into Austria, which was a real treat: the grass turned greener, the fields started to roll, and the mountains behind them turned sharper and higher. The pointy tips of the mountains were covered in a shiny silver layer of snow, melting downwards into icy, crystal clear waterfalls. From this distance they looked like innocent silver streams, yet from close by they all turned out to be powerful violent beings. Yet, they fed the peaceful nature around them, the grass remained green, the lakes remained clear, and the rivers combined those elements by showing an emerald green colour. The rolling hills were covered in wooden barns, so tiny that they could only be housing some firewood for the few houses at the foot of the mountains. The one road we had been following, that sometimes led us over more crowded, steep highways, now was totally empty, and it was easy to count the amount of houses around us. The houses were always accompanied by flower balconies and surrounded by tractors, cart wheels and cows. If only I could hear the massive bells around their neck, to let the clinging sound take me back to my happy childhood memories on top of the mountains. But below the grey thick clouds, between the greenest grass and besides the silver streams, we kept driving: today’s mission was to climb maybe not Europe’s, but at least Austria’s largest waterfall: the Krimml Falls.
As we parked our car at the start of the trail, it became clear very quickly that this was a beloved trail. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to walk here in summer, when tourists would be flooding this place. I completely understood but, I couldn’t help but being extremely grateful that today, the place was just for us and a few Austrian families. The hill was not messing around, when only the clear rumbling river appeared, the hill already started to make a steep turn upwards. I liked the feeling of the muscles in my legs tensing, determined to go up. For an October month, the forest was deliciously green, although I guess that is the one big advantage of a pine forest. That, and their endless piny smells, made for that delicious autumn feeling. From now on, nature had no mercy on us. The walk was one never ending curly climb in between the pines and some other nature-lovers. Our face were constantly covered by a fresh breath of waterfall drops, dissolving into this thin fog of waterclouds that surrounded the rivers every move. We had to raise our voices to overcome the roar of the water, so our obvious squeaks of excitement could be heard. We continued the gravel pathway and whenever a curve appeared, we took our chance to lean against the wooden fence and get a closer look on the waterfall. It was majestic. As far as our necks could bend backwards we could see its beginning, several kilometres away. The view was covered by the watercloud and our eyes were deafened by the sound of hundreds of litres of water stuck in an endless rhythm of force. Although it may look like it on the first view, focussing better you will realize the endless rhythm is never the same. The turning, spinning and falling of the water, has a different pattern each time. It’s hypnotizing really, it sometimes even slightly frightens me knowing this source is endless, unstoppable and immensely powerful. Or maybe frightening is not the right word, but it certainly is slightly intimidating knowing that if you take a wrong slippery step here, you fall straight into your death.
I was quite amazed and proud as the 4 of us kept going, our leg muscles burning but our faces still smiling. I think it took us a decent hour before we reached the top, so we thought, only to find out this was only halfway. But it was a perfect picknick spot, as here the waterfall was a rather quiet stream of silver, a fairy-tale alike look against the dark green forest. Behind the forest, pointy silver mountain tops uncovered behind the thick grey sky, making it all the more mysterious. I like to enjoy the little things but I have to give credits to my friends for topping that. I think they took half an hour to lay on their bellies, and dip their hands into the freezing water just to find rocks. Not just rocks of course, Austria was full of treasures and a gem stone could easily be found on the shallow bottom of the river. And a true treasure hunt it became, while they kept fishing shimmering stones from the river, their hands turning purple, I found myself a seat on the rocks and threw tiny rocks at their ignoring behinds. Finally their pockets were so full of shimmer and shine they were satisfied and as true scouts, we continued the journey. The change of height became more clear as soggy swampy snow appeared like glue on the rocks and trees. The air got more chilly and the watercloud more dense. The last part of the climb was insane, you had to lean forward just to prevent falling backwards. But all efforts find their reward, and so we found the top. A small wooden bridge crossed the part where not the waters, but the falls started. Where the water started, nobody would know. And from there on the secrets finally unravelled. Beneath this cracky old bridge, the clear speedy water turned into a cloud of drops that covered world’s most peaceful violence. As your stomach starts to tingle watching the incredible heights you find yourself at, the heights unravel the green valley at the foot of the falls. It looked so vulnerable and breakable, as if the falls could crush it any second. But the rich sources of water had made for a deep green environment so as always, nature didn’t do any harm here.
Walking back was a funny thing, it is as if the hands of nature constantly push you in the back as if they think it’s time for you to leave again. It definitely does more harm to the muscles as well, as my legs were shaking we captured as many views as we could on our last day in the mountains. The tiny little pine trees, thick grey sky, the deep green valleys, the rocky tiptops. Back at the bottom I felt kind of sad, knowing now all that remained was the drive back trough the dawn, announcing both the night and the end of another journey. But I praised myself a lucky bastard indeed, for having had a beautiful trip to the country of my childhood holidays, the country that never disappointed. Friendly people, amazing food, overwhelming roadtrips, purity and authenticity. On the way back we dropped by this old town called Sankt Wolfgang. It is one of the endless examples of Austria being basically from the stone age. All towns were dropped somewhere in the middle of the mountains, surrendered to the rolling heights and the unpredictability of the green lakes. The buildings always existed out of old pastel colours, hidden behind thick wooden beams and decorated by flowery balconies. There were hardly things like modern stores, usually like the outside, the inside of the buildings hid olden antique stores, glass art, or, as I like, old food stores. I fell for this tiny store where an old woman crushed her self-picked fruits into self-made marmalade, put into self decorated glasses. Now all I had to do was found a matching cheese, and I would have myself a good night snack. I ended up with some interesting goat mountain cheese, that tasted surprisingly much better with the marmalade. After 2 hours we made it back to the hostel and just dropped dead into the beds, only to feel like the luckiest people ever for having experienced a journey, forward, in the middle of the world being on hold.
- It's an amazing life
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