Brankovský vodopád is the tallest waterfall in the Low Tatras — a stunning 55-metre drop down a vertical dolomite cliff called Kurucká skala. Whether you visit after heavy rain, during the spring snowmelt, or on a crisp winter day when it freezes into an icy curtain, this waterfall never fails to impress.

The waterfall tumbles from an elevation of around 830 down to 775 metres above sea level, tucked into a side valley of the Revúca river on the western slopes of Veľký Brankov peak. The surrounding forest and sheer rock walls give the place a raw, secluded atmosphere that feels far removed from the everyday. Do keep in mind that the volume of water here is naturally modest — the falls are at their most dramatic after rainfall or during the spring thaw, and truly magical in winter when they transform into towering ice formations. The whole area has been protected as a nature reserve since 1980.

• Podsuchá (car park off road No. 59, part of Ružomberok) — marked educational trail, approx. 55 min uphill, approx. 40 min back down, 240 m ascent, 10 m descent — easy trail

• Distance from car park: 2 km one way
• The waterfall is most spectacular after rain or spring snowmelt — in dry conditions the flow can be quite modest
• In winter it freezes into an impressive ice cascade
• Protected nature reserve since 1980

Legend has it that in 1709, a Kuruc nobleman fleeing Emperor's soldiers leapt his horse across the gorge above the falls, surviving by grabbing a tree — while his horse and pursuers plunged to their deaths. The cliff has been called Kurucká skala, the 'Kuruc Rock', ever since.