Triberg Waterfalls

The Triberg Waterfalls in the heart of Germany's Black Forest are among the country's most famous waterfalls. In the small town of Triberg, the Gutach River tumbles a total of 163 meters in a chain of cascades through a steep fir forest, with paved paths and wooden bridges taking you close to the spray. Add the many squirrels along the paths, cuckoo-clock shops and the Black Forest Museum next door, and you have a classic Black Forest day trip.

Where it is and how to get there

Triberg lies in the central Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg, in southwest Germany. The town has its own station on the Black Forest Railway (Schwarzwaldbahn) between Offenburg and Konstanz, a famously scenic mountain line. Offenburg is on the main Karlsruhe–Basel rail corridor, so you can connect from Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Freiburg. Regional trains are covered by the Deutschlandticket. From Triberg station, take a local bus or walk uphill into town.

The main entrance is at Hauptstraße 85, right in the town center. Drivers can use the parking garage on Kreuzstraße next to the entrance or the Badinsel parking deck.

Why the falls are special

Local official Theodor Huber opened the falls to visitors with secured paths as early as 1805, and the arrival of the railroad in the 19th century made Triberg a fixture of Romantic-era travel. In 1884, hydropower from the falls gave Triberg the first electric street lighting of any town in Germany. Triberg markets them as "Germany's highest waterfalls"; that claim is disputed, since an Alpine fall in Berchtesgaden is taller, but few waterfalls in the country are better known. Annual visitors number around 500,000.

The main falls drop about 92 meters in seven tiers. Three marked trails (nature, culture and cascade routes) loop through the gorge, and a new spray platform lets you stand right next to the water. The falls are lit up in the evening until about 10 p.m.

Geologically, the falls follow a fault line in the granite, and the rock's natural jointing shaped the individual steps. The site is a registered geotope and sits inside the protected landscape area "Triberger Wasserfälle und Prisenbach."

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, the falls are open daily all year. Summer rates apply from April 2, 2026, until the first winter weather, usually around November:

• Adults €9; reduced (ages 6–17, students, visitors with disabilities) €8.50
• Family ticket €20; children under 6 free
• Winter 2026/27: adults €7, reduced €6.50, families €16

Your ticket doubles as the Triberg Inclusive Card, which also gets you into the Black Forest Museum, the Triberg-Fantasy photo museum and the Triberg-Land model railway displays. In winter, only parts of the trail are open and cleared. Overnight guests with a local guest card get a small discount, and you can buy tickets in advance in the town's online shop.

Tips and is it worth visiting?

Allow one to two hours for the falls, or half a day with the museum. The terrain is steep; wheelchair users can enter via the Asklepios clinic entrance on Ludwigstraße, which has a level path to the first viewing platform. Dogs are welcome on a leash.

It is absolutely worth visiting if you are touring the Black Forest. Come in spring or after heavy rain for maximum water, or in the evening for the illuminated falls and fewer crowds.