Europe’s most impressive torrent are the Rhine Falls at Neuhausen just below Schaffhausen. They are not that tall at all, at the highest only 100 feet. But they are about 490 feet wide and regarded as the most attractive in the amount of water in Central Europe.
The average water flow is 24,450 cubic ft/sec. But in 1965 the maximum water flow swelled to a record of 44,000 cubic ft/sec. The minimum water flow however was in 1921 with only 3,350 cubic ft/sec. The best time to see them is in the early summer when the snow melts and water level rises.
The falls are divided by several hard rocks and are a set of three falls which are called, the Schaffhauser Falls, The Mühle Falls and the Zürcher Falls. Between the river and the waterfalls, the border of the two cantons of Zurich on the left side of the river and Schaffhausen on the right side of the river.
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The Rhine Falls in NeuhausenI recommend taking a boat trip to the famous rock in the middle of the falls with a short walk to the top.
The boats depart from easy to spot jetties on both banks. Or if you prefer, take a boat trip on the river to Rheinau. This gives you the possibility to visit the monastery and the marvelous baroque church.
Schloss Laufen
Just above the falls on a hilltop is the medieval castle of Laufen. At the castle you will have such facilities as dining, shopping and refreshments. Starting from the castle – Schloss Laufen – a path leads down alongside the splashing water to the lookout Känzeli enabling you to have breathtaking contact with the rushing water. The small town of Neuhausen located close by offers you lodging facilities as well as shopping and dining.
How to get to the Rhine Falls
Getting to the falls is actually quite simple. From the town of Schaffhausen, you could take the city bus #1 or #6 to the center of Neuhausen. From there it is only a five minute walk away to the falls which is well-signposted. Schloss Laufen does have a train station but it is only open from April to October and served by hourly trains between Winterthur and Schaffhausen.
It is even simpler to get there by car. You can take the highway or autobahn from Basel, Zurich or St Gall and head to Schaffhausen, a small town which was accidentally bombed by the United States airforce that mistook it as a town of Germany. From there you will see signs with directions to the falls. Parking is plenty available.
Opening hours:
- Every day all year around
- Boat rides in June, July and August from 10 am to 6 pm
- In May and September from 11 am to 5 pm and
- In March, April and October upon request
