The world's most beautiful waterfalls

Victoria Falls are a World Heritage Site and extend over two African countries: Zambia and Zimbabwe. At 1708 meters (5604 ft), they are considered the widest waterfall in the world. Up to 10,000 cubic meters of water plunge 100 meters into a gorge every second. But the Zambezi doesn't always carry that much water. In the dry season and during droughts, the amount of water decreases significantly.

Niagara Falls on the border between the USA and Canada live up to their Indian name of "thundering water": depending on the season, 2,800 to 5,700 cubic meters of water per second (98,881 to 201,293 cubic feet per second) crash into the depths here. A fascinating natural spectacle. Niagara Falls consists of three waterfalls: American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls.

And another cross-border cascade: The Iguazú Falls are located between Brazil and Argentina. Here, 275 waterfalls plunge into a 700-meter long and 150-meter wide (2,296 by 492 feet) gorge. This natural spectacle has also been declared a World Heritage Site. Footbridges lead very close to the water masses, while the more daring can go by speedboat directly into the large basin.

The Ban Gioc Detian Waterfalls are located on the border between China and Vietnam. The Quy Xuân flows over several steps across the 300 meter wide and over 50 meter high rock walls (984 by 164 feet). The river carries the largest amount of water between May and September. The special thing about it is certainly the dreamlike surroundings — like a landscape from a fantasy film.

The world's highest waterfall drops 979 meters (3,211 ft) from the Auyan-Tepui table mountain in Venezuela. It originates from the Río Churún River. On its way down, the water is atomized into small droplets that turn into a torrential river at the foot of the rock face. Salto Ángel, as Angel Falls is called in Spanish, is not easy to get to — only accessible by plane or a one-day boat trip.

Iceland is known as the island of fire and ice. And where there is ice, there is a lot of water. So too with the gigantic Gullfoss (Golden Falls). 229 meters wide (751 ft), it plunges over two terraces into the depths. It is located on the Golden Circle Sightseeing Route and is easily accessible. A path leads to a platform from which tourists can admire the waterfall from close up.

Iceland has thousands of waterfalls. Popular is the Seljalandsfoss in the south of the island. Here visitors can step behind the water masses and look through them at the landscape. Especially in the evening, the colours appear especially intense. Perfect for a photo. The waterfall is 66 meters high (216 ft) and is fed by the Seljalandsá River.

The Ouzoud Falls on the edge of the Atlas Mountains are the highest and most water-rich waterfalls in Morocco. Over several cascades they plunge 110 meters (360 ft) over red rocks and finally flow into a small lake. Visitors can get down from the upper edge via a footpath. Here one inevitably gets acquainted with free living Barbary apes, which have shed all shyness towards humans.

The Plitvice Lakes are also part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage and are a tourist highlight of Croatia. Waterfalls connect 16 lakes arranged in steps. The national park with its many lakes and waterfalls can be explored on hiking trails, by boat or by tourist train.

The Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen, only a few kilometers from Lake Constance, are 23 meters high and 150 meters wide (75 ft high and 492 ft wide). Visitors can observe the natural spectacle from several platforms. Another vantage point is the small castle of Wörth, which is situated on an island. The gigantic masses of water can be experienced even more directly from a boat.