Germany · Berchtesgaden
Röthbachfall
The Röthbachfall is the highest waterfall in Germany, with a vertical drop of 470 metres . The waterfall is located in the Berchtesgaden area on the Obersee lake.
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Röthbachfall drops 470 metres (1,542 ft) across a face roughly 40 metres wide, inside Berchtesgaden National Park. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Schönau am Königssee, Germany. Access to the main viewpoint is rated hard.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Röthbachfall is the second-tallest of the 19 we cover in Germany; number 1 on our list of waterfalls between 100 and 500 metres. As a plunge waterfall, water leaves the rock entirely and falls free through the air.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Röthbachfall itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Schönau am Königssee are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Spring snowmelt and rain make April to June the fullest months; October adds colour, and a hard winter can freeze the face.
Getting there
- Base town Schönau am Königssee, Germany
- Country Germany
- Region Berchtesgaden, Alps & Central Europe, Europe
- Access Hard — a serious approach: distance, altitude, a boat, or a guide
How it compares
This waterfall
Röthbachfall
Germany
Height470 mWidth40 m
Most similar
Skrikjofossen
Norway
Height455 mWidth—
Also a plunge waterfall, of similar height and in Norway
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
Angel Falls is 2.1× taller than Röthbachfall. It drops 4.4× further than Victoria Falls (108 m), but Victoria's curtain is 43× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 270× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
On the map
47.503, 13.012
Quick answers
Where is Röthbachfall?
Röthbachfall is in Germany (Berchtesgaden), inside Berchtesgaden National Park. The nearest base is Schönau am Königssee, Germany. Its coordinates are 47.5030, 13.0120.
How tall is Röthbachfall?
Röthbachfall drops 470 metres (1,542 feet), across a face about 40 metres wide. It is a plunge-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit Röthbachfall?
Peak flow is April to June and October. Spring snowmelt and rain make April to June the fullest months; October adds colour, and a hard winter can freeze the face.
What can you do at Röthbachfall?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated hard — a serious approach: distance, altitude, a boat, or a guide.
How do you get to Röthbachfall?
The usual base is Schönau am Königssee, Germany. A serious approach: distance, altitude, a boat, or a guide from there.
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