Lauterbrunnen — Valley of 72 Waterfalls★★★
The Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the most impressive glacial valleys in the Alps: A U-shaped valley with vertical, 300-meter-high rock walls, from which a total of 72 waterfalls cascade. Tolkien is said to have used it as a model for Rivendell — and you immediately understand why.
★★★ Staubbach Falls
Right in the village: The Staubbach falls freely 297 meters — one of the highest free-falling waterfalls in Europe. In the wind, it sprays like dust (hence the name). A path leads behind the waterfall — there you stand in a rock niche and look through the water veil into the valley. Goethe dedicated a poem to it.
Free access. Most impressive in June/July (snowmelt). Path behind the falls: 15 min. easy ascent.
★★★ Trümmelbach Falls
The world's only underground accessible glacier waterfalls: In a narrow rock gorge, ten cascades plunge up to 20,000 liters per second — the meltwater from Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. A tunnel lift takes you inside the mountain; the roar of the water and the raw power of nature are overwhelming. Raincoat recommended — you will get wet!
4 km south of Lauterbrunnen (bus or on foot). 11 CHF. April–November, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Visit duration: 45–60 min.
★★ Mürren
The car-free mountain village Mürren (1,650 m) perches on a terrace high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley — accessible only by cable car and mountain railway. Postcard Switzerland at its finest: wooden chalets, flower meadows, and the view of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau directly opposite. From Mürren, continue to the Schilthorn.
💡 Tipp
Lauterbrunnen is one of the few places you should visit even in the rain: The waterfalls are most impressive then, and the clouds drifting through the narrow valley give the landscape a mystical atmosphere. Take the post bus into the valley (free with the Swiss Travel Pass) and get off at the Trümmelbach Falls.
