Myra Falls, Natural monument waterfall in Muggendorf, Austria
Myra Falls is a waterfall in a limestone gorge about 600 metres long with a 70-metre drop, running north to south near Muggendorf. The Myrabach falls in several cascades between two small ponds, and a wooden footbridge crosses above the upper section. A hiking trail with 19 bridges and 8 stairways runs through the gorge.
The stream once drove mills and sawmills in the Myra valley. In 1899 the Austrian Tourist Club led opposition to a plan to use the falls for industry; Oskar Edler von Rosthorn had bought land there in 1898 for a power station concession. A small storage power station, the Myrawerk, was built and ran until 1974/1975. Emperor Francis II visited on 19 September 1801.
The 1885 trail was built by the Pernitz section of the Austrian Tourist Club with 19 bridges and 8 flights of steps, opened on 9 August 1885. It was not a conservation measure: in 1899 the club led a campaign against plans to use the falls for industrial power, and a small storage power station, the Myrawerk, ran here until 1974/1975. Two plaques at the entrance recall the trail builders and the imperial visit of 19 September 1801.
Access is via marked paths with varying difficulty levels throughout the site. Visitors should wear appropriate footwear since paths become slippery in wet conditions.
The stream rises from the Myralucke, a spring at the foot of the Unterberg fed by groundwater, and is also called the Myra. Before the falls it drove numerous mills and sawmills in the Myra valley. On 7 December 1977 the Austrian Post issued a 20-schilling stamp showing the falls.
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