Hochfall, Waterfall in Bodenmais, Germany

Hochfall is a natural waterfall set in the wooded hills around Bodenmais, where a mountain stream drops over layered rocks in a narrow gorge. The water moves in several small steps, and a simple observation spot sits close enough for visitors to feel the spray and hear the rush.

Hochfall lies at 801 metres in the Bavarian Forest southeast of Bodenmais, near the town of Regen about 13 km away. The surrounding terrain is mountainous, with a 1,010-metre summit roughly a kilometre from the falls, and mixed forest covers the slopes. The area has a hemiboreal climate, with July averages around 16 °C and January around −6 °C.

Hochfall lies in the Bavarian Forest near Bodenmais, in the Regen district, on slopes covered with mixed woodland. The surrounding area is thinly populated, about 83 people per square kilometre, and the climate is hemiboreal, with an average of 6 °C and July the warmest month. The falls sit at 801 metres, with a 1,010-metre summit about a kilometre away.

The walk to the falls starts near Landhaus Meine Auszeit and follows smooth, well-marked woodland paths. Because the ground is mostly gentle and the loop is short, the route suits families and people looking for an easy walk without steep climbs.

What many visitors miss is how the sound of the water changes with the season, becoming much stronger after rain or spring snowmelt. Standing at the same spot in late summer and again in late winter can feel like visiting two different falls.