Gullfoss, Iceland

Gullfoss ("Golden Falls") on the Hvita River in southern Iceland is one of Europe's most dramatic waterfalls, cascading in two tiers — the first drop of 11 metres, the second of 21 metres — into a 2.5-kilometre-long canyon that appears to swallow the river whole, making the falls seem to vanish into the earth. Average flow is approximately 140 cubic metres per second, rising to 2,000 during spring snowmelt. It sits at the end of the famous Golden Circle route (alongside Thingvellir and the Geysir geothermal area) and is accessible year-round; winter visits offer dramatic ice formations and the possibility of the falls partially freezing, while summer brings the midnight sun overhead.