Sigmund-Thun-Klamm (Sigmund Thun Gorge), Zell am See (must see)

Sigmund-Thun-Klamm, or Sigmund Thun Gorge, is a narrow rock gorge shaped by the Kapruner Ache as it cut through the valley over thousands of years. The gorge is known for its short but intense walking route, where wooden boardwalks and stairs lead visitors close to rushing water, steep rock walls, spray, and deep pools. The path follows a tight natural passage where the sound of the river is part of the experience.

The area has older roots than the tourist path suggests. The Bürgkogel hill above the gorge was inhabited around 4,000 years ago, when Bronze Age communities used the high ground for safety and worked with the region’s copper resources. Before the gorge became a visitor attraction, timber workers used the Kapruner Ache to float logs from alpine forests into the valley. Carved marks and year figures in the rock still recall this working past.

The gorge takes its name from Sigmund Graf von Thun-Hohenstein, a 19th-century governor of Salzburg, and was first opened to visitors in 1893 with the support of tourism pioneer Nikolaus Gaßner. It closed in 1938 as hydroelectric development reshaped the area. The Klammsee reservoir still reflects this energy history, and the gorge reopened in 1992 after its walkways were restored.

The walk passes above waterfalls, smooth rock walls, swirling potholes, and pools shaped by the force of snowmelt and flowing water. Mist from falling water freshens the narrow route. In winter, parts of the walkways are protected or removed, while summer night events illuminate the rocks and water with color projections.