Pančava Waterfall or Pančavský Waterfall () is the highest waterfall in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

, boasting a total height of . It is situated in the municipal territory of

Špindlerův Mlýn Špindlerův Mlýn (; , formerly also ''Spindelmühle'') is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,100 inhabitants. It lies in the Giant Mountains and is one of the most frequented ski resort ...

in the

Hradec Králové Region Hradec Králové Region (, ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec Králové. The region neighbours the Pardubice Region in t ...

, in the

Giant Mountains The Giant Mountains, Krkonoše, or Karkonosze (Czech: , , ), are a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic and the south-west of Poland, part of the Sudetes mountain system (part of the Bohemian Massif). The Czech–Polish bor ...

within the

Krkonoše National Park Krkonoše National Park (, abbreviated as KRNAP) is a Protected Areas of the Czech Republic#National Park, national park in the Liberec Region, Liberec and Hradec Králové Region, Hradec Králové regions of the Czech Republic. It covers most of ...

. It cascades from the Pančavská louka Meadow into the Labský důl Valley.

Water flow

The Pančava Waterfall is formed by the Pančava stream, a right tributary of the

Elbe The Elbe ( ; ; or ''Elv''; Upper Sorbian, Upper and , ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Republic), then Ge ...

River. It has a constant flow with fluctuations, averaging 25 litres per second. The waterfall is most abundant during the spring snowmelt, typically occurring from late April to early May. During high water levels, the waterfall splits into multiple streams, creating a branched cascade. As it flows into the hillside scree, it does not form a boiling point at the base, which is common in many waterfalls.

Name

The name Pančava comes from the Pančavský stream, which is derived from the German word ''pantschen'', meaning 'to splash'. In literary terms, it is related to ''planschen'' or ''plantschen'', both meaning 'to splash' or 'to spray water'.

Natural conditions

Morphologically, Pančava Waterfall is classified as a false, multi-stage, and multi-branch waterfall. From a genetic standpoint, it is characterized as natural, consistent, and karstic. The geological bedrock consists of granite. The waterfall has a total height of , cascading from an altitude of down to . During spring snowmelt, the waterfall extends to due to the formation of a southern branch in the lower section. The total slope of the waterfall reaches 44°. It features four prominent stages, with heights (from the top) of 36, 39, 23, and 20 metres. The width varies between 1 and 20 metres, but typically ranges between 4 and 8 metres.

History of tourism

The Pančava Waterfall has been a popular tourist attraction since the early days of tourism. In 1859, Josef Schier, the owner of the nearby mountain hut Labská bouda, constructed a small water reservoir with a sluice gate above the upper edge of the waterfall. When a sufficient number of paying tourists arrived, the sluice gate was opened, causing a sudden increase in the waterfall's flow. To enhance the visitor experience, small refreshment booths and an upper viewing terrace were built above and below the waterfall. However, in the 1930s, the reservoir, booths, and terrace were closed.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pancava Waterfall Tourist attractions in the Hradec Králové Region Geography of the Hradec Králové Region Waterfalls of the Czech Republic Trutnov District Sudetes