Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein

The Rhine Falls, the Rheinfall, near Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland, are the most powerful plain waterfall in Europe and an easy half-day trip from Zurich. Here the young Rhine, on its way from Lake Constance towards Basel, tumbles over a limestone ledge about 150 metres wide and 23 metres high, and in early summer, when snowmelt swells the river, the volume of water is overwhelming, the roar and the spray filling the gorge. The falls formed at the end of the last Ice Age, and a tall rock, worn by the water but still standing, divides the flow in the middle. On the south bank, perched above the falls, stands Laufen Castle, Schloss Laufen, with a visitor centre and a series of walkways and viewing platforms that lead down the cliff to the Belvedere, a platform just above the water where the spray soaks visitors on full-flow days; access to the platforms is through the castle for a small fee. On the north bank, at Neuhausen, the Schloessli Woerth, a small castle on the water, and a lakeside-like basin offer calmer views and restaurants. The great experience is the boat ride: from April to October, small boats cross the basin below the falls and some land on the central rock, where you can climb a staircase to a platform in the middle of the falls, an unforgettable, deafening spot. Boats also make round trips at the foot of the falls. Outside the boat season, the falls are still impressive and much quieter, and the castle platforms remain open. Many visitors combine the falls with Stein am Rhein, a small medieval town further up the river, whose main square is lined with half-timbered houses covered in painted facades, one of the best-preserved old towns in Switzerland. Tiqets sells a half-day guided coach trip from Zurich that covers the falls and Stein am Rhein, with free time at both and an optional boat ride paid locally in season. Independent travellers can reach the falls by train from Zurich to Schaffhausen or Neuhausen in under an hour; the Swiss Travel Pass covers the trains.

How to visit independently: take a train from Zurich main station to Schaffhausen, then a short regional train or bus to Neuhausen am Rheinfall or Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall, a small station right above the falls on the south bank. Walk down through the castle to the platforms, then cross the railway bridge over the river on the footpath to the north bank for the view from Neuhausen, and take a boat in season. Two to three hours is enough for the falls. From Schaffhausen, a town with a fine old centre and a round fortress, the Munot, continue by train to Stein am Rhein for the painted square and the riverside, then return to Zurich. The circuit makes a full and varied day.

The guided option: the Tiqets trip from Zurich departs in the early afternoon by coach, stops at the Rhine Falls with free time on the platforms and an optional boat ride from April to October, paid locally in cash or by card, then continues to Stein am Rhein for a guided walk through the old town and free time before returning to Zurich in the early evening. It suits travellers who want both places without planning connections, and it can be combined with the FIFA Museum or the Lindt Home of Chocolate on other days.

When to go: early summer, from late May to July, brings the highest water and the most spectacular falls; autumn is calmer but often beautiful, with colours in the forest. The boats run only from April to October, and on very high water some trips to the rock may be suspended for safety. On 1 August, Swiss National Day, fireworks over the falls draw huge crowds. In winter the falls are quiet and atmospheric, with ice on the rocks in cold spells, and the restaurants and castle remain open with shorter hours. Wear waterproofs on the lower platforms; the spray reaches farther than you expect.