Hartelsgraben Waterfall

The Hartelsgraben is a wild forest gorge in the Gesäuse National Park, just outside the village of Hieflau. The path you will follow today has quite an interesting history – it used to be an important route for transporting wood from the mountains down into the valley. Be prepared for the hike to be uphill all the way, but the path is wide and well-passable, so it’s quite good to pedal despite the climb.

The whole time you will walk along the predatory stream, from where there are very nice views of the water and the surrounding valley. The big advantage of Hartelsgraben is that you don’t have to go all the way up to enjoy the hike. In fact, there are plenty of other smaller waterfalls and cascades scattered along the way to the main waterfall, so you’ll see some pretty cool stuff even if you turn around halfway through. Plus, the whole trail is tucked away in the woods, which makes it a great hiking tip especially in the hot summer. You can leave your car in the parking lot right at the trailhead off the main road.

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