The European Diploma of Protected Areas

In 1967, the Krimml Waterfalls were awarded the "European Diploma of Protected Areas" by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Since 1983, the waterfalls have also been part of the Hohe Tauern National Park and are therefore subject to the National Park Act, which aims to protect the beauty and unspoilt nature of the landscape.

As early as the last century, it became apparent that the Krimml Waterfalls not only attracted nature lovers, but also those interested in harnessing the considerable water energy. Ideas ranged from building a reservoir to transferring the water to neighboring valleys. In order to prevent the waterfalls from being destroyed by such projects, the Austrian Nature Conservation Association intervened early on.
In order to secure the European Diploma of Protected Areas in the long term, the Austrian Alpine Association acquired a 7-hectare plot of land at the bottom of the Waterfall at the beginning of the 1990s. Among other things, this made it possible to create an informative entrance area with a series of display boards. Due to the many efforts, the European Diploma was extended again in 2001.