It may look like a setting from a fantasy or gateway to another world, but this phenomenal scene is actually the Valaste Waterfall — the highest waterfall in Estonia at 85 feet (26 meters) — artificially created by directing the water from a drainage trench to the Gulf of Finland at Valaste, near the Ontika Cliff.
Already a popular tourist stop, the waterfall is garnering even more attention after a powerful sea breeze and sudden low temperatures of 14 degrees F (-10C) saw thousands of icicles form and much of the water freeze to a standstill as it ran off land over a river.
While the water does still flow, everything surrounding is covered in ice crystals which has created a real-life world of the imagination. Some of the icicles are up to 13 feet (4 meters), which makes them a stunning but potentially risky sight
Here, characters from dreams come to life. Nothing is untouched — the ice cream booth, the garbage bins — everything is encased in ice.
The waterfall lies between the village of Ontika and Valaste, a region with merely 200 residents. Now that their secret is out, a rush of spectators could quickly be on the way.
Stunning Ice Wonderland of Valaste Waterfall
