The Hindu Business Line : Falls trail

If you thought Switzerland was only about peaks and the Alps, think again. It is home to some of the most remarkable waterfalls set amid equally remarkable locales. The Rhine Falls (or Rheinfall) are no match for the mighty Niagara or the cascading Angel Falls in Venezuela, but they are perhaps the best Europe has to offer. The cataracts have fascinated and awed visitors for centuries. And best of all, they can be reached quite easily from Zurich.

My husband and I boarded a train for Winterthur and then changed to one that was heading for Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall. An even quicker trip would be from Schaffhausen, a quaint mediaeval town on the northern shore of the Rhine not far from the German border. Just jump onto Bus 1 at the railway station in the direction of Neuhasen and in about seven minutes the recorded announcement tells you it’s the Rheinfall stop.

We felt cool air wafting from the falls as we alighted at Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall. We followed the signs from the station (a mere platform really) to the top of the falls, about five minutes by foot. Two castles overlook the falls. On the hill above the falls is a medieval castle, Schloss Laufen, housing a restaurant, shops and a youth hostel. Rainbow-coloured mists rising from the nearby forest encircle the castle and create an enchanting atmosphere.

Thundering waters

Breathtaking views of the falls can be enjoyed from three platforms situated on paths leading from the castle. The smaller Schlossli Worth castle is on the north bank and surrounded by restaurants, shops, a landing stage for ferries and an information centre. Most views of the falls are free, but you have to pay for the best. To get up close to the rushing waters on the south side of the falls, tourists have to pay a franc each and then descend the staircase to the Kanzeli platform.

The Rhine Falls are impressive not so much for their height (23 metres) or width (150 metres) but for the huge amount of water thundering over every second. This magnificent natural wonder is especially remarkable in summer when the melting snow adds to its volume. In summer, tourists can board a boat that shuttles them to a tall rock in the middle of the falls from where they can clamber up a series of steps to the top.

We went for the ‘Felsenfahrt Panorama Sicht’ in two minds. We were apprehensive as the steps seemed precarious above the froth. Moreover, the boats were rocking dangerously as they dropped and picked up passengers at the makeshift wharf. However, the roaring water on all sides of the rock and the people waving from the top, where the Swiss flag fluttered gently in the breeze, seemed enticing enough. Our boatman steered us deftly towards the rock and we were at the wharf in no time. We climbed to the top, whipped out our cameras and clicked away merrily.

Our next stop was Lauterbrunnen, considered one of the most spectacular glacial valleys in Switzerland. Situated in the Jungfrau region, the valley has more than 70 waterfalls, including the Staubbach Falls and the Trummelbach Falls, a series of 10 falls inside a mountain gorge. The wispy Staubbach Falls — the highest in the country at nearly 300 metres — came into sight as we entered Lauterbrunnen. The falls gush out of a sheer cliff and appear like a lacy decoration on the rugged precipice.

Lush green meadows filled with wild flowers dot the valley and we just didn’t know which way to look as everything appeared so appealing. However, we didn’t have much time to go into raptures over our lovely surroundings. A bus stopped in front of the town’s post-office and those of us bound for Trummelbach began queuing up to get in.

Melting glacial walls

We reached Trummelbach in 10 minutes. With 10 glacial waterfalls inside a mountain made accessible by a tunnel lift, the Trummelbach Falls are truly unique. The Trummelbach alone drains the enormous glacial walls of the Eiger (3,970 metres), Monch (4,099 metres) and Jungfrau (4,158 metres). The water corkscrews through a series of ravines and potholes shaped by the swirling waters.

The amount of water in the falls varies greatly. From December to March, there is just a little stream trickling down under thick sheets of ice. But between April and September when the glacier ice thaws and after heavy rain and thunderstorms, as much as 20,000 litres of water come thundering through the rocks every second.

We took the elevator up through the mountain and then climbed several flights of steps and tunnels. The tunnels are well-lighted. The din produced by the torrents is deafening. The top part of the falls is the most spectacular, and you can take the elevator back down at this point. However, it is possible to walk down, viewing lower portions of the falls and the valley below. Tour ended, we walked outside to a grassy patch where a large group of schoolchildren chatted among themselves or sat engrossed at board games.

They appeared to be residents of Lauterbrunnen as they seemed unmindful of the beautiful backdrop. I looked at them with a tinge of envy. As we boarded our bus for the return trip, I wished I could return to Lauterbrunnen some day, rent a chalet and live in the peaceful and orderly surroundings for a month. No spa could have offered a better way to relax and unwind.