Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
The Frauenbach Wasserfall (or the Frauenbach Waterfalls) is an easy and lovely hike to a beautiful waterfall in Lavant in eastern Tyrol. The tall waterfall cascades down the cliff in two separate falls into the strikingly blue pool. This is a short walk that is perfect for families or walking with dogs.
We stopped at the Frauenbach Wasserfall on our drive from Slovenia to the Italian Dolomites and was the perfect place to break up the drive. It’s also a great place to cool off on a hot summer day.
You will also see the waterfall referred to as Frauenbachfall or Lavanterfall.
Quick Look at the Hike to Frauenbach Wasserfall
Distance: 3.7 miles (including the walk around the waterfall and Forest Path) The distance is much shorter just to the falls Elevation Gain:
There is a good sized parking lot that leads to the Frauenbach Wasserfall. The trail is easy and wide and more like a road for the first section. Follow this trail until you come to signage for the waterfall on the right. At this point the trail goes uphill shortly to the base of the waterfall. This is a great place for a first view.
The cliff that the waterfall plummets down is the Hochstadel north face and is the third highest cliff face in the entire Eastern Alps. The cliff and waterfall are impressive and difficult to capture in a photo.
Continue uphill from the base up a series of new and impressive paths. This takes you up to a viewing platform that is a bit thrilling to walk out onto. This is a popular rock climbing area, so you may see people rappelling down the waterfall.
It is possible to continue on this hike in several directions but we turned around at the waterfall, and finished the forest walk loop to get back to our car. The trail follows the river for almost the entire hike. There are several interpretive signs and information along this route. The entire walk takes just over 1 hour.
The forest and vegetation around the waterfall and along the hike is beautiful, lush, and almost jungle like in areas. We were there to see the waterfall, but really loved this entire walk.
Note: The area near and around the Frauenbach is used by the Austrian army for target practice, and the area may be closed during practice times. A red flag marks when the area is closed. This time changes daily - check out the Osttirol Tourist Office Tel: +43 50 212 212.
How to Get to Parking for Frauenbach Wasserfall
We got a little turned around finding the parking lot. The easiest way to get to the parking and trailhead for Frauenbach Wasserfall is to take Wacht Rd West off Route 100 towards Wacht. Turn right onto Jakobsweg Rd. The parking lot is on the left just down a small side road. If you get to Wacht you’ve gone too far.
There are signs to the waterfall
Map of the Frauenbach Wasserfall and Loop Hike
The map below shows the loop trail to Frauenbach Wasserfall. There are several ways to adjust the route, and you can also do the walk to the waterfall as an out and back. The entire hike takes just over an hour, but you can also take this out and back walk in about 30 minutes if you just want to see the waterfall.
Things to Know about Frauenbach Wasserfall
It is possible to cool off and take a dip in the water at the base of the waterfall. We all took our shoes off and soaked our feet for a bit. Here are a few things to note about visitithe Frauenbach Wasserfall.
The Best Time to Visit the Frauenbach Wasserfall is during the warm months. Mornings are especially lovely at the waterfalls when the sunlight fills the gorge. The water tends to be highest in late spring and early summer. Make sure to check that the walking trails are open on the day of your visit at the Osttirol Tourist Office Tel: +43 50 212 212.
The Frauenbach plunges over 80 meter with water originating in Lienzer Dolomiten mountain range.
After visiting the waterfall, we stopped for lunch and then drove the Pustertaler Hohenstrasse.
