Sankt Johann im Pongau Things to Do

In the end of the path there's a "reward", this beautiful waterfall :)

"When at noon the sunlight shines in-between the rock walls, the fine drizzle from the fall lightens up and offers the visitors a beautiful picture in rainbow colours."

Look at the pic, this was the point where my mom said "oh no, I'm not going THERE" ;) But she did, and it was worth it.

It seems that after our visit to Liechtensteinklamm the path has been made to go through a tunnel as well...

There are only wooden footpaths and bridges in the Canyon. Only the supporting beams are made of steel because of security reasons. To stay in harmony with nature everything else is made of wood.

All the structures in the Canyon underlie very high security checks. Every day a responsible person walks into the Canyon and looks for visible damages. And every spring and throughout the whole season geologists check out the structure.

Every year a huge amount of lumber has to be renewed. For railings, beams and boards only domestic lumber is used- mostly pine and larch.

It took thousands of years until the roaring waterfalls and the current of the river cut themselves into the ground. In some parts of the canyon the rock walls stand up 300m (900 feet ) tall and sometimes so narrow, that the visitor can only catch a small glimpse of the sky. An overwhelming sight for nature lovers.

Until today about seven million people from all over the world have visited the Liechtensteinklamm.

"The roaring waters of the falls, the moss covered stones in the deep green and rainbows, which come to life in the drizzle through the sun rays create the legendary atmosphere of the Liechtensteinklamm."
How does that sound like?

The Liechtensteinklamm is not only the most beautiful, but also one of the longest and deepest gorges in the Alps.

Up to 3000 m (9000 feet) high were the glaciers of the last ice age and they covered mountains and valleys. As the climate changed, the ancient force of the glaciers moulded huge cliffs and ridges into the main and side valleys. The tremendous current from the waters of the Großarl river were fighting against the rocks for thousands of years and cut a 300 m (900feet) high Canyon into the ground - The Liechtensteinklamm.

After numerous efforts to develop the Liechtensteinklamm, a handful of Pongauer (county of the Salzburg state) mountain rangers finally opened parts of the Canyon in 1875. As time went on they ran out of money. In their hopeless situation they asked Fürst Johann II von Liechtenstein for help. The Prince had a hunting ground nearby in the valley of Großarl With his donation of 600 Guilders this project could finally be finished in 1876. And a name was found for the most outstanding Canyon in the Austrian Alps. The Liechtensteinklamm.

Liechtensteinklamm

Klamm is german for gorge. A little river has formed this gorge since ages and ages. You walk over bridges made of wood above the little river.
Don't underestimate the power of this water.

Opening Hours
10. May to 14. September daily from 8 am to 6 pm,
15. September to the End of October daily from 9 am to 4 pm.

Clothing
Hiking boots and warm clothing are recommended It can and will get very cold in the canyon.