From Munich, it’s just a stone’s throw to the mountains, making them an attractive destination for weekend and holiday getaways. But you don’t always have to head high up; you can just as easily go in the opposite direction. Numerous gorges and ravines cut through the Alps, luring visitors with their adventurous trails and wild, romantic landscapes. The Leutascher Geisterklamm near Mittenwald is particularly diverse and well-suited for families with children.
The newly developed gorge
The Leutascher Geisterklamm is located in the border region between Bavaria and Tyrol and, at 1,650 meters in length, is considered the longest developed gorge in the Eastern Limestone Alps. Initial development took place in 1880 with the construction of the Wasserfallsteig trail. However, it wasn’t until 2006 that the gorge was fully developed with the creation of a completely new route independent of the path to the waterfall. At just 20 years old, the Leutasch Gorge is still a relatively new destination, created through German-Austrian cooperation.
Adventure at Geisterklamm
If you want to visit the Leutascher Geisterklamm, start in Mittenwald, from where you enter the gorge and hike over to Austria. On several steel walkways and across bridges, you can explore the gorge at heights of up to 75 meters, while the Leutasch River rushes by below you.
Unlike the Höllentalklamm, the trails here are easy to navigate and therefore well-suited for children. A total of four different routes are available, taking you along various paths past 40 different waypoints. Along the way, you’ll learn more about the landscape’s flora and fauna and discover many a myth.
One of these paths leads you to the 23-meter-high waterfall at the end of the Leutasch Gorge. The wooden planks take you close over the Leutasch River and are modeled after the original waterfall trail from 1880. To view the waterfall itself, you pay an admission fee, whereas the gorge is free of charge. Unlike most other gorges, which don’t open until spring, the Leutascher Geisterklamm is generally accessible year-round. However, it may have to close in the event of heavy snowfall.
