Stuller Wasserfall

Stuller Wasserfall in Stuls/Stulles, municipality of St. Leonhard in Passeier / San Leonardo in Passiria, South Tyrol, is one of the highest waterfalls in Italy. The stream from Stuls drops toward the Passer river in two cascades: the first measuring 112 metres and the second 230 metres, for a combined drop of over 340 metres. The falls are visible from the Breiteben/Pianlargo clearing, from the road toward the Timmelsjoch mountain pass, and from the trail through the Passer Gorge.

How to get there

The base village is Moos im Passeiertal at 1,007 metres. By car from the south, follow the Passeier Valley road from Merano; from the north, arrive via the Timmelsjoch in summer or via the Brenner and Jaufenpass. By public transport, take bus line 240 from Merano to Moos, then line 241 to Stuls. The waterfall is already visible from the road, with several viewpoints requiring no hiking at all.

The via ferrata alongside the waterfall

Running directly beside the falls is the Stuller Wasserfall Klettersteig (via ferrata), rated difficulty D on the standard route (with one short D-grade passage), and expert-only variants V1–V3 reaching D/E to E/F. The route climbs a south-facing rock wall, making it one of the sunnier via ferratas in South Tyrol. The standard line covers 300 metres of climbing height and 520 metres of total elevation gain; the climbing section takes around three hours and the full outing four to four and a quarter hours. Steel cables and steps are well-placed throughout the season. In spring, high water flow can make the middle section wet.

Approach (around 30 minutes): from Moos, descend to the church and follow the path toward St. Leonhard as far as the hamlet of Aue; walk along the outside of the road gallery, climb a metal staircase to the gallery roof, pass through an iron tube, and follow the path to the via ferrata entrance. Descent: from the end of the secured section, follow the stream up to Stuls, then return on trail 10A toward Moos.

What to see nearby

St. Leonhard in Passeier is the birthplace of Andreas Hofer, who led the Tyrolean uprising against Napoleonic forces in 1809. His birthplace — the Sandwirt inn — and the Museum Passeier are both on the main SS44 road through the valley and document the history of the Tyrolean freedom movement in detail.

Frequently asked questions

Can the waterfall be seen without climbing? Yes — the Stuller Wasserfall is visible from the Timmelsjoch road, the Breiteben/Pianlargo clearing, and the Passer Gorge trail. The via ferrata is entirely optional.

When is the via ferrata accessible? The main season runs from April to October. Spring visits may involve wet conditions on the middle sections due to high water flow.

How difficult is the via ferrata? The standard route is rated D with one short D-grade section; variants V1–V3, graded up to E/F, are suitable only for highly experienced climbers.