Rhine Falls, Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Rhine Falls, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Photo: Satmap~commonswiki/Wikimedia Commons

The falls are located on the High Rhine on the border between the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich, between the municipalities of Neuhausen am Rheinfall and Laufen-Uhwiesen/Dachsen, next to the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland. They are 150 metres (490 ft) wide and 23 metres (75 ft) high.

The Rhine Falls were formed in the last ice age, approximately 14,000 to 17,000 years ago, by erosion-resistant rocks narrowing the riverbed.

Rhine Falls. Photo: Nikater/Wikimedia Commons

The Rheinfall is the largest waterfall in Europe, served by two train stations: Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall (closed in winter) and Neuhausen Rheinfall (you can also use the Neuhausen Bad Bhf station, but it will require a short walk along the Rhine).

The former station is more convenient for the main tourist route and all the observation platforms - it starts at the Laufen castle (Fr. 5 or €5, adults). The latter is better if you plan to take a tourist boat, and for a nice view over the castle and the waterfall together.

There exist several boat routes - just to cross the Rhine near the waterfall (the cheapest option), to get very close to the waterfall and back, or to go to an outcropping in the middle of the falls (the most expensive option). A speciality is the firework on the night of the 1st August (national holiday).

Rheinfall - Schaffhausen. Photo: Oliver Pitzke/Wikimedia Commons

Get in

From Zürich: take S-Bahn S16 towards Thayngen, get off not at Schaffhausen, but at Winterthur. Change for line S33 towards Schaffhausen, and get off at SLaR (during winter, get off at Dachsen and take bus 634 from there).

From Schaffhausen: take S-Bahn S33 two stops to 'Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall", or S-Bahn S22 two stops to 'Neuhausen Rheinfall' (or an Erzingen bound local train one stop to Neuhausen Bad Bhf - and by foot from there).

If you're fond of long walking, you can also make the full way from Schaffhausen to the Rheinfall by foot - there exists a nice walking road along the Rhine.

Fees

• Northern banks with Schlössli Wörth, Neuhausen am Rheinfall/Schaffhausen: No entrance fee.

Car park charges: 1 hour CHF 5.00, every further hour CHF 2.00 per car. Between 6 p.m. - 9 a.m. No parking charges (exept P4).

Bus parking at the Rheinfall: per coach CHF 40.00 for 1 hour, from 2 hours CHF 10.00 per hour. Between 6 p.m. - 9 a.m. no parking charges.

• Southern banks with Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall, Dachsen/Zurich. No car park charges.

Entrance per person CHF 5.00 per person. Included in the ticket price: access to the Historama and the viewing platforms. Children 6 - 15 years CHF 3.00.

Payment in Euro is possible in the whole area.

Sources

• www.rheinfall.ch
• www.wikivoyage.org
• www.wikipedia.org

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