Rhine Falls

You don’t have to travel all the way to the USA to experience spectacularly thundering masses of water: the Rhine Falls in Switzerland are much closer and also offer an impressive sight. Europe’s largest waterfall is 150 metres wide, with the water plunging over 23 metres from Lake Constance into the depths below. Whether you approach the waterfall from the right or left bank of the Rhine is up to you – on both sides of the river, you can expect not only an impressive natural spectacle but also architectural gems.

Thundering waters at the Rhine Falls

On the right bank of the Rhine, in the canton of Schaffhausen, stands the small castle of Wörth. Dating back to the 12th century, the building was used as a customs post for many years and now houses a restaurant. On the left bank of the river, in the canton of Zurich, stands Laufen Castle, which was first mentioned in documents as early as 858. From here, many steps lead down to the viewing platform, which stands directly above the river. The gigantic masses of water can be experienced even more directly from a boat: in addition to round trips and crossings, tours to ‘The Rock’ are also offered – a rock rising steeply out of the water that can be climbed. The Rhine Falls are particularly impressive in the evening, when the river and its surroundings are illuminated by impressive lighting.

Medieval towns in the immediate vicinity

Apart from the Rhine Falls, there is of course much to discover in the surrounding area – medieval towns such as Schaffhausen and Stein am Rhein are real gems and tell many stories from the past. If you like to embellish your holiday stories with curious facts, we recommend a detour to Büsingen. This small town in the district of Konstanz in Baden-Württemberg is completely surrounded by Swiss territory – making it the only German municipality located entirely within an exclave.