Pančava Waterfall is the tallest waterfall in the Czech Republic, dropping a stunning 148 metres down the eastern slopes of the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains). It is one of those rare places where the landscape simply stops you in your tracks.

The waterfall cascades from an elevation of 1,298 m down to 1,150 m, flowing over four distinct ledges measuring 36, 39, 23 and 20 metres respectively. The stream feeding it — the Pančava brook, a right-bank tributary of the Elbe — keeps it running year-round, with an average flow of 25 litres per second. The real spectacle happens in late April and early May, when snowmelt swells the water into multiple arms and the total drop stretches to an impressive 162 metres. In summer the falls are quieter but no less dramatic, framed by granite boulders and the wild cirque walls of the Pančava hollow.

• Špindlerův Mlýn (Spindleruv Mlyn) — blue trail through Labský důl (Elbe Valley), moderate difficulty, the full waterfall is visible from the trail itself.

• The waterfall lies within Zone I of the Krkonoše National Park (KRNAP) — walking up to the base of the falls is not permitted.
• The best full view is from the blue-marked trail running through Labský důl.
• A nearby viewpoint shows only the upper section; Ambrož Viewpoint offers a further, more limited perspective.
• Best time to visit: late April to early May for maximum flow.

Back in 1859, the owner of the nearby Labská bouda mountain hut built a small reservoir with a sluice gate above the falls — paying tourists would wait until enough of them had gathered, then the gate was opened for an artificially boosted torrent. Today, nature puts on the show all by itself.