You hear the Krimml falls before you see them. A low, constant roar rolls down the valley long before the road reaches the village, and on a warm day in early summer, when meltwater from the Hohe Tauern is at its peak, the spray hangs in the air like a fine drizzle. The Krimmler Ache drops about 380 metres in three steps, which makes this the highest waterfall in Austria and one of the highest in Europe.
The falls sit inside the Hohe Tauern National Park, at the very top end of the Pinzgau valley, and the village of Krimml is the doorway to both. A footpath climbs beside the water in a series of switchbacks and viewpoints, with the three drops arriving one after another. Allow a good hour if you only want to see the lower and middle stages, and more if you walk to the top, which is a proper uphill hike in motorcycle boots, so most riders do the first stretch and turn back. There is a modest entrance fee for the path, and the lower section is laid out to be easy for families.
The waterfall has been a tourist attraction for a very long time. In the nineteenth century, travellers from Vienna and beyond arrived to see it, and it was painted and photographed so often that the valley became part of the Romantic image of the Alps. Today, hospitals even use the air here for patients with asthma, because the fine water mist is said to ease the lungs, and the research on the subject has given the falls a second reputation.
On the road, Krimml is the start of the climb to the Gerlos Pass, and it is also the end of the long valley road from Mittersill, the Pinzgau's main town for this stretch. That road is fast and easy, with gentle bends and good views of the Salzach, which begins nearby. At the village, parking is usually found near the falls entrance, and motorcycles are welcome.
Krimml is small, and fuel is not guaranteed. Mittersill, further east along the valley, is the safer choice, and the Gerlos side has a few options in Gerlos itself. After the walk, a bowl of Gulaschsuppe or a plate of Kaiserschmarrn in one of the village inns is exactly right, since the spray cools you more than you expect.