Rhine Falls
- Visit: 2–3 hours
Open today 02:00–10:00
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Why go
- A 150-metre-wide waterfall with a 23-metre drop
- Walking circuits of 3.4 kilometres and 7.2 kilometres
Plan your visit
Opening times
From the venue's website · checked 27 Sep 2026
Don't miss
- Central rockBoats from Schlösschen Wörth approach the falls and can set visitors down on the climbable limestone rock in the middle of the waterfall.In the middle of the waterfallDuring warmer seasons
- Adventure Park RheinfallThe rope park has views of the falls.Above Schlösschen Wörth
History
Mary Shelley visited in 1840 and published an account in 1844.
- 500,000 years agoGlaciers began shaping the surrounding landscape.
- 14,000–17,000 years agoThe falls took their present shape where limestone meets glacial deposits.
- Middle AgesVisitors have come since the Middle Ages, with visits increasing during the Age of Enlightenment.
- 17th centuryA blast furnace on the north-bank millsite smelted iron ore and operated until the first half of the 19th century.
- 1840Mary Shelley visited the falls.
Show all
- 1887An ironworks sought permission to divert part of the river for power generation.
- mid-19th century to World War IThe falls became a popular holiday destination; none of the hotels built nearby during that period survives.
- 1951A petition with 150,000 signatures halted a power-station plan proposed in 1948.
- 1954Voters rejected another power-station proposal, with 69% against.
- 2014Voters rejected a law change that would have allowed another power station upstream.
Tips for your visit
- The falls are regularly illuminated in the evening, though not throughout the year.
- For higher average water flow, favour summer over winter.
- Reach the opposite riverbank by boat or by the sidewalk on the upstream railway bridge.
Know before you go
- Boat trips to the central rock run during warmer seasons.
How to get there
- TrainWalk from Neuhausen Rheinfall station on the north side or Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall station on the south bank.
- BusBus line 1 connects Schaffhausen station directly with the falls.
- CarThe falls can be reached by car or coach, with parking on both sides.
- BikeThe falls are on Swiss National Bike Route 2, the Rhine Route.
Accessibility
- Close-up viewpoint Reached by narrow, steep stairs.
- Lift A glass lift serves the southern bank by Schloss Laufen.
Shorts
Interesting facts3
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150 million
The central rock is about 150 million years old.
Rhine Falls - Wikipedia -
Eels can pass upstream by wriggling over rocks on land beside the riverbed.
Rheinfall - Wikipedia -
1921
A 4–6-metre-deep karst cave on the Zurich side was last visible in April 1921.
Rhine Falls - Wikipedia
Sources: Rhine Falls - Wikipedia · Rheinfall - Wikipedia · Chutes du Rhin - Wikipedia · Cascate del Reno - Wikipedia · checked 24 Sep 2026
- Website
- rheinfall.ch/de/
- Phone
- +41526596900
Plan from here: Evening walk →
Questions and answers
Where can I learn how Rhine Falls formed?
The Museum zu Allerheiligen in Schaffhausen has a permanent exhibition about the falls’ formation.
Is there accommodation at Schloss Laufen near Rhine Falls?
A youth hostel is located in Schloss Laufen on the Zurich side.
Which artists depicted Rhine Falls?
Joachim Patinir depicted the falls in a painting dated 1515–1520. J. M. W. Turner made studies and paintings of them in the 19th century.
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