Berlin Falls

Berlin Falls drops around eighty metres, and its shape is what distinguishes it from the other falls on this stretch: the stream is squeezed through a narrow rock channel at the lip so it emerges as a single narrow column widening slightly as it falls, which is why it is described as candle-shaped. It lands in a deep green pool in a wooded gorge. The viewpoint is a platform a short walk from the parking area, looking across at the drop rather than down it. Like Lisbon nearby, the name comes from gold prospectors of the 1870s who named their claims after European cities. Stalls sell curios at the entrance. The whole Panorama Route can be done in a day from Graskop, and Berlin is usually paired with Lisbon since they are minutes apart on the same road.

History

The falls take their name from the Berlyn Creek and the farm Berlyn on which they lie, and gold rush miners from Europe named the waterfalls of the region after places at home. The water drops 80 metres into a circular basin flanked by red cliffs (Wikipedia, Berlin Falls).

What's there

• The candle shape - a stream funnelled through rock into a single narrow column.
• The green pool - a deep plunge pool in a wooded gorge below.
• The platform view - looking across at the fall from the opposite side.
• The prospector name - another 1870s gold claim named for a European city.

When to go

November to April for water. Half an hour, usually combined with Lisbon Falls.

Before you go

A short roadside stop with a fee and curio stalls. There is no safe access to the base. Winter reduces the flow to a thin ribbon. Mist can obscure the view entirely on wet days.

Nearby

Lisbon Falls is minutes away; the Blyde River Canyon viewpoints are north.

Key facts