Otschergraben Gorge

The Otscherbach cuts a long gorge below the Otscher, and walking through it is one of the better full days out in Lower Austria. From Wienerbruck the path drops to the river and follows it upstream on ledges, bridges and short galleries, past green pools, gravel bars and waterfalls that land straight in the streambed. The walls close in and open out repeatedly, so the character of the walk keeps changing rather than settling into one view. Huts along the route serve food in season. Most people walk one way and return on the narrow gauge railway that runs high above the valley, which makes the timetable part of the planning.

What you actually see

• The Mirafall - a waterfall dropping into the gorge floor, the best known stop on the route.
• The Schleierfall - a thinner veil of water on the rock wall further along the streambed.
• The river galleries - path sections cut into the rock or hung on it, close above green pools and gravel bars.
• The huts - simple mountain inns spaced along the gorge, open in season and the only food on the route.

When to go

May to October, with early summer giving the fullest waterfalls. Start early: the through route takes most of a day and the return train has few services. Autumn is quieter and the beech woods colour well. After heavy rain sections can be closed or genuinely dangerous, so check conditions before setting out.

Honest expectations

This is a long walk, fifteen kilometres or more depending on the variant, with rocky, wet and uneven ground and no shortcuts once you are committed. Missing the last train back means a long road walk. Fine summer weekends bring queues at the narrow sections. Parts of the route close after high water without much notice.

Nearby

Annaberg and Lackenhof lie either side of the Otscher, with Mariazell an hour to the south.