Photo of the Leutascher Geisterklamm, in Austria

Weekly Gem #18 A Nice Walk Up Leutascher Geisterklamm

Published 4/11/2015

Location: This Weekly Gem is in Austria, just a skip and a jump southwest of Mittenvald, Germany (see Clue Me! map).  This is the Geisterklamm, or the 'Gorge of the Ghosts.'

It's easy to imagine this being the home of ghosts. The canyon is dim even during the day. It's loud, misty, and the dull roar tells you this is quite unforgiving to any poor souls that may find themselves in the river. Even more so when you notice there are no sand bars, islands or river banks ... the water comes pretty much right up to the cliff edge for the entire length of the canyon.

Legends aside, if you visit you'll be entranced by the beauty. The Leutascher River is a sort of bluish whitish, caused by all the limestone it's carving through, and all the bubbling and roiling. And speaking of carving. Although your eyes will be drawn to the water, you really must look at the cliffs, all the way to the top, where the river used to flow. This canyon is no wider at the top than at bottom. Once the Leutascher got started, it carved straight down!

The border between Germany and Austria is almost exactly where the canyon ends. Austria got the canyon. Germany got very nice farmland, watered over the millennia by the Leutascher. 

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Here's the hidden gem entry from our Clue Me! map.

Clue

Carving rock with water

Description

Waterfall at the end of the Leutascher Geisterklamm

Why It's Interesting

A tiny stream created a very deep and very narrow canyon. You park in Germany, and cross into Austria while walking along the wooden trail along the edge of the canyon.

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