Things to Do at the Rhine Falls

The Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen are Europe's largest plain waterfalls by volume, not its highest, but the volume is the point: 23 metres high and up to 600 cubic metres of water a second during early summer snowmelt. Laufen Castle, perched directly above the falls, has viewing platforms built into the rock and costs a few francs to access. Small boats run right up to the rock in the middle of the falls, a wetter and more direct way to see them, for around CHF 12-25 depending on the route. Schaffhausen's old town, a short bus or train ride away, has some of the best-preserved oriel-window facades in Switzerland and is worth an hour beyond the falls themselves. The falls are about 50 minutes from Zurich HB by direct train, an easy half-day trip.