Flora (and Fauna) in the Almbachklamm

I simply couldn't leave my short series of blog posts featuring the magnificent Almbachklamm without posting at least a few images of the flora to be found in the gorge. Let's start with these:

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley

Yeah I know, but I thought it was kind of apt to begin the gorge's flora with Lily of the Valley.

If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll already know I'm not much good at identifying plants, I just like to look at them. I'll caption those plants I know, but would be very appreciative of any help to identify the ones I don't.

Cornflower

These are a type of Cornflower I think...

Cornflower 

Cornflower

Ferns have always interested me and I'm pretty sure this next one is a Brittle Bladder Fern.

Brittle Bladder Fern

Wild Strawberry

Love wild strawberries, they are so good to eat. Ahem... don't pick them all!

These are known to me as Granny's Bonnet - their real name is Aquilega. I don't remember seeing them in such a deep purple before.

Aquilega

And I'll finish off with these...

No idea what this caterpillar will turn into, but he's kind of cute.

Talking of cute, how about this little chap?

More from the Almbachklamm

As you progress up the Almbachklamm the valley sides become steeper and the bottom narrower.

The footpath frequently leaves the path of the watercourse and is cut into the rock offering wonderful views both up and down the Almbachklamm.

Bridges cross back and forth over the water and the walker finds himself continually moving from light to shade with frequent dowsings from water dripping off the overhanging valley sides.

The morning I visited the Almbachklamm I was impressed by the feeling of solitude that surrounded the valley, the only noise coming from the gurgling and rushing of the water and the chatter of the local birdlife.

It was interesting for me to note the number of trout visible in the quieter pools as well as the dippers fishing for water nymphs and small fry, indicating just how clean the water is.

I could continue to wax lyrical about the beauty of this wonderful place, but I think I'll just sit back and let my photographs speak for themselves.

As I've already said, if you happen to visit Upper Bavaria and Berchtesgadener Land you really must make time to walk the length of the Almbachklamm. Even at a slow pace and taking time to photograph the valley three hours is sufficient time for the trip.

The Almbachklamm

The Almbachklamm is a narrow valley or gorge between Ettenberg and Maria Gern on the edge of the Berchtesgadener Alps. If you happen to visit Upper Bavaria, the Almbachklamm is an attraction you should not miss.

How's your German?

The information board tells us the history of the Almbachklamm, explaining that glacial meltwater cut through the limestone and dolomite rocks at the end of the last Ice Age around 15,000 years ago.

Entering the gorge from the lower end beside the Berchtesgadener Ache

There is a maintained footpath that runs the length of the Almbachklamm allowing the tourist to walk the length of the gorge. The photographs that follow were taken when I visited the area in June 2016.

Even at the lower end of the gorge the rock sides are both steep and high.

The water here is crystal clear, cold and beautifully clean - it actually tastes quite wonderful. I do not suggest you go around drinking water from streams and rivers unless you are absolutely sure of its purity and accept no responsibility for the consequences if you do.

Mountain streams cascade into the valley below

There are numerous mountain streams that cascade into the Almbachklamm from the valley sides creating continual points of interest as you progress up the gorge.

One of the many Almbachklamm waterfalls

Meanwhile the main stream in the valley below provides a number of waterfalls of its own.

Deeply cut water course

See how deeply the water is cutting into the rock and just look at the beautiful colouration of the rock itself.

Footpath, footbridge and debris

Without the footpath and frequent bridges back and forth over the water, passage up the Almbachklamm would be all but impossible. Can you imagine trying to walk up this?

Narrow valley floor

I will be posting more of my images from the Almbachklamm in the next day or two, but will close this post with these.

Flora clings to the valley sides

There is a surprising amount of flora growing on the rock surfaces as can be seen above. The variety of colour and texture really needs to be seen to be appreciated.

Wild Rose