Wasserfall zum Toten Weib

The Tote Weib is a waterfall in the Steiermark region of Austria, near Mürzsteg. It stands in the Mürzer Oberland nature park on the left bank of the river Mürz. The water comes from a karst spring in the Schneealpenstock mountains. The fall drops about forty metres before joining the river below. A small bridge once crossed the stream at the base, but it is no longer there. The name has two possible roots. One legend tells of a woman who fell from the cliff and died in the gorge. Another links it to the Celtic god Teutates, who was linked to springs and the otherworld. The source’s flow varies from thirty to three hundred litres per second. A wooden staircase once led up to the karst cave, but it has gone. Visitors reach the site by a path from the old road’s tunnel portal. A car park sits at the south end of the tunnel, making the short walk easy. The river cuts deep into the valley here, showing the rock layers. The waterfall’s roar fills the gorge on wet days. The surrounding moors stretch for kilometres across the high plateau.