Rhine Falls

Cousin P's mom and my aunt stays in a beautiful German town called Bad Durrheim, which is close to the Swiss border. P drove us down to Switzerland to see the famous Rhine Falls, shortly after lunch. The total distance from Bad Durrheim to Schaffhausen is around 50 kms.

The Rhine Falls

Rhine Falls or Rheinfall is the largest plain waterfall in Europe. The river Rhine, which is the second longest river in Europe, originates in the Swiss Alps, flows northwards and empties into the North Sea in Netherlands. P explained that most of the river is navigable i.e. you can take a boat from mouth of the river upto the Rhine Falls.

As we passed the German - Swiss border, I kept our passports ready for inspection. However, the guards merely waved us away. P explained that Schengen countries have a porous border. So they will check your documentation only at the entry and exit points. The drive to the canton of Schaffhausen was very pleasant. After an hour's drive, we reached the falls.

Some facts about the Falls

The Rhine Falls is indeed very beautiful. Unlike other famous waterfalls such as Niagara, which is a sheer fall, Rhine Falls is a gradual waterfall. What makes the falls attractive is the picturesque locale. There are plenty of pay and park lots near the falls. We parked our car and walked down towards the falls. We could hear the roar of the falls from the parking lot itself. There are two castles next to the falls, however, we could not go to see them. The Worth Castle, on the Schaffhausen side, has been converted into a restaurant. The Laufen castle, on the Zurich side, is also a restaurant. There is a railway line that passes through the top of the falls, and then passes through a tunnel under the castle. Interesting, isn't it???

Worth Castle

Railway bridge over the Falls

A water powered wheel, next to the Fall

There are shops selling souvenirs, however I found them quite expensive. MC was more interested in a water basin than the falls.

MC enjoying the water basin!!!

A board outside a restaurant, near the Falls

We spend close to an hour at the Rhine Falls and then drove back to Bad Durrheim.