Walk with me - Schloss Laufen and Rheinfall
Are you ready for another walk with me? Put on your trainers and let's go! Today we will walk to Schloss Laufen and from there down the hill to Rheinfall - the Rhine Falls - the largest waterfall in Europe.
I would also like to join #wednesdaywalk challenge held by @tatoodjay.
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This area is one of the most touristy places in Switzerland. I'm lucky to live around 10 minutes from here so I can visit it anytime I wish. However, I don't come here very often as it usually becomes very crowded. Today I left home at 9 am in the hope that there will be just a few people.
Schloss Laufen is a medieval castle on a rocky spur above the Rhine Falls. The castle was first mentioned in an official document in 858. To get to the Rhine Falls we will have to walk through the inner courtyard of the castle and then down the hill to the viewing platform Känzeli.
But first we will cross the Swiss railway bridge on the left side to get to the castle.
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Don't forget to stop at one of the viewing points on the way to the railway bridge. You can sit down on one of many benches and enjoy the views of the Rhine Falls.
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We are now in Canton Schaffhausen and the other side of the bridge belongs to Canton Zurich already.
I always feel a hit of adrenaline when I'm on this railway bridge. I know that nothing can happen, but the trains here pass by so fast and it gives me a strange feeling in my stomach. Usually I run over to the other side as fast as I can.
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But today I took a moment and captured the part of the river that you won't be able to see from the castle.
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On the other side of the bridge there is a short climb up to the castle. In front of Schloss Laufen there is a playground. It was completely empty when I arrived but completely full when I was going back home just before lunchtime.
Let's get the ticket first. It costs CHF 5 and it's valid for the whole day. You can get it at the visitors' center outside of the castle.
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Once we have the ticket we can walk towards the main gate. If you have a lot of time you can take a seat on one of the benches looking like cows - one of the main Swiss symbols 😊
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From the bridge to the main gate we can see a restaurant that is right behind the corner. We used to go there before we went vegan. The views from the restaurant are amazing! Well, they have no vegan options, so we will just pass by and continue towards the courtyard.
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Now we can enter the castle through the main gate.
After the Old Zurich War in 15th century the castle was acquired by the Fulach family. It was bought by Zurich city in the 16th century. From 18th century up to 1941 it was a private property again. From 1941 it is owned by Zurich city.
Right now the castle is used solely as a tourist attraction and part of it is used as a hostel.
We finally reached the courtyard. The entrance to the Rhine Falls is behind that tree.
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From now on we will enjoy stunning views of the Rhine Falls and the surroundings. Schloss Laufen is overlooking a smaller castle called Schlossli Wörth - Wörth Castle. It is used now as a Michelin star restaurant. If you would like to enjoy a dinner there you might need to book a table a few weeks in advance.
I will tell you more about the history of the Wörth Castle next time when I will be visiting the Rhine Falls from that side of the river.
Can you see the railway bridge on the other side with a train passing by? This is the German railway bridge. We live very close to the borders and we have two kind of railways here: German and Swiss.
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Now we can enjoy the view of the top part of the waterfall behind the trees..
The Rhine Falls were formed 15,000.00 years ago due to tectonic shifts during the last ice age.
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Let's walk further down to get a better view..
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It doesn't take us long to get closer to the water. Can you see the flag on the top of the rocks? You can take a boat and climb up the stairs to get there!
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Today we can't see the full power of the waterfall as it hasn't rained for such a long time! The best time to visit is June when the snow in the Swiss Alps starts melting.
There is an average of 700,000 liters of water per second that plunge across a width of 150 meters into the basin below.
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Last time that I was here there were no love padlocks locked on the railings.. it must have been a long time 😊
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I will go further down to show you more of the waterfall.
I'm walking down the stairs to show you around but the platform is accessible for wheelchairs too!
In 2009 a project was undertaken to create a visitors’ center, an exhibition in the northern part of the castle and a wheelchair-accessible circular walkway with glass lift between castle and river levels. You can also reach the walkway by train, so everyone is welcome to visit 😊
It's a very steep path that can get slippery after rain, so I would recommend to take the lift to older visitors or visitors with kids.
From the lift it's not that far away to get to the viewing platform or you can also walk a little bit to take a boat if you wish to climb up the rock in the middle of the waterfall. For me it's enough to see those boats swinging frantically from one side to another to know that I don't need to get there..
Here are a couple of these boats.. You can see them coming every 5 minutes. It is a very popular tourist activity.
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No, no, this is not the last platform. We still need to walk further down.
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I can almost touch the water!
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Can you see the platform under this one? This is where we go!
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But first let's stop and take a photo of the rainbow..
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Here we are! I would say that we are now about 1 meter above the river. Standing on this platform gives you butterflies in your belly 😊
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Let's go back now. It's almost lunchtime and the platform is crowded now.
How many boats do you see here?
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On the way back you get a nice view of the railway bridge. I have to hurry up now as I'm getting hungry 😊
I will be back in a couple of days to show you around the other side of the Rhine Falls!
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I hope you have enjoyed another walk with me.
All pictures are taken by my Nikon D3200 AF-S NIKKOR 18-55 mm 1:3.5-5.6 G II/
Thank you for reading!
Cheers,
Martina
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Wow Martina this is absolutely fabulous. What a wonderful walk to take us on. I could sit and enjoy the river for HOURS if I lived near there!! I love the photos. It is great the way you caught the rainbow effect through the water spray too. So much fresh air to enjoy! The surroundings look very interesting too. You must take us to the castle one day too. I love castles! I agree those rocking boat rides are better watched from where you are. I would surely get sea sick haha. The clarity of your photos is always so stunning, I can almost smell that fresh Swiss air! It would be amazing to see these falls when the melt water comes but today was very beautiful too. Thank you for bringing us another amazing post. They are always delightful, educational and just a bit jaw dropping! You take the best photos like a pro! See you for the next one. have a beautiful day my friend. RESTEEMED🦋🌈🌴💛🍀
I did this one for you as you specifically asked for it my dear! :)
We prefer to go there for a walk in the evening. There are no tourists and it's so peaceful. You just sit there and enjoy the waterfall (there are lights in the evening and it looks beautiful).
I will try to arrange a tour inside of the castle too :)
The quality of air here is outstanding. I can feel the difference even when I go to Zurich. I can't imagine the air in big Asian cities...
Oh, I would never do that ride. It would scare me to death and I would get sea sick too :D
Thank you for your sweet words, as always :) You're my dearest supporter!
Have an amazing day and I'm looking forward to your jungle post! :)
Thanks Martina you are THE BEST I Sent you a personal message on discord 🤗
Thank-you for the resteem! What a great experience to enjoy! 💜 WOW 💚
Hugs to both of you @yogajill and @sallybeth23!
Nine boats... I think. Lovely photos. Such good documentation of the site and your visit. Its really nice living near a touristy site. The opportunity to go during off hours and at different times of the year is cool. I lived in New Orleans for awhile and now near San Francisco.
I think there are eleven, but I'm not that sure. I believe there are two of them far in the back :)
Exactly, we usually go there late in the evening for a walk. At that time it's quiet and peaceful and we can enjoy a little bit more.
I have never been to the US - shame on me! :) There are so many places in the world that I would like still to see!
Thank you for stopping by!
11! Ooh, got that one way wrong 😂
Martina... These photos are beautiful. I can just imagine how it feels like to be there in person. The wind blowing away & the sounds of the water flowing down the river.
The castle view is unbelievable !!
Oh, I'm glad that you can imagine being there through my photos! It is a great compliment to me!
I will make one more post from the other side. It looks completely different :)
Thank you for stopping by!
Thank you for always taking us on such an adventure with you. That third photo is gorgeous! And there’s something about the skies in all of your posts photos that bring me peace. As if those skies are untouched by our pollutants and greed.
As always, great job bringing us along with you on your travels @delishtreats ✌️
Thank you for your kind words! It's always nice when people choose their favorite photo. The skies in Switzerland are really nice and the air is so clear!
It's my pleasure to take you with me :)
Maybe one of these days we’ll have to see it in “real D”. :)
that is beautiful... I love water and the color of that water is amazing! You live a charmed life Martina! :D
Oh, I do, Dave, I do :D
It's cool to live here but there are also some disadvantages to it, for example enormous amount of different bugs and spiders. I can imagine is nothing like in a jungle but when we moved here I was not used to it. I wouldn't even go out on the balcony because I was so afraid of those spiders :D Now I have developed a process to safely (especially for me) remove them from the balcony :D
And also too many tourists. It's a little bit annoying in summer to answer 10 times a day which way they should take to get to the Rhine Falls. Oh man, just follow the signs! :D
I can't decide which is my favourite photo they are all so beautiful, and I'm glad you caught to rainbow as well.
That is a great compliment that you can't decide which one is your favorite.
I think that the rainbow is always there. It just changes the position depending on the light.
Thank you for stopping by!
That just blows my mind, the water looks so powerful! I can't imagine it even crazier! The shot of you 1 meter above the water almost gave me butterflies just imagining the sounds, and vibrations standing there.
I also wouldn't like to be on that railway bridge...nope nope! I'd be running fast as well.
That's just half of what it is in spring to be honest.. But you are right, it's crazy! I don't go there very often as it makes me feel kind of dizzy..
I'm always 'lucky' on the railway bridge and the train pass by me when I don't expect it! Oh man, once I will get a heart attack there! :)
Thank you for stopping by and for your support Lyndsay! Much appreciated!
Martina. I am so excited to hear about wednesday walk. You are so great at taking us on your trips. This post was so fun and beautiful. It was great how you took all the way to the bottom, thanks. I would love to feel the power of the water. Beautiful pictures. It was such a pretty color. Great post!
Thank you Sara for your kind words! I really appreciate them!
It's kind of a strange feeling standing right above the waterfall and feeling the platform shake.. And the railing is not that high so you have to watch out not to slip over!
Wow Martina! What an amazing #walkwithme 💚💜❤ i am getting butterflies looking at the images. This is a stunning part of the world. I feel like i have heard of it before but i did not know it like i do now through your presentation! The color of the water, the sounds, the freshness of the air being among all the beautiful trees & rocks must be completely magical. Thank-you for sharing this with us from your perspective. Are you following the @asapers? I'd love to nominate your post for the next #readmeasap have you heard of it? I think there are 4 boats in that one area. How often do the boats go over the falls? Icarumba! Too sketchy for me 🙈
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad that you know it better through my presentation :)
I've just started to follow them! I haven't heard of it but I'll check it out! That's so sweet of you that you'd like to nominate me! Thank you!
I've seen your second guess and yes, there are 11 of them! :) Oh, they go like every 5 minutes. The tour takes 15 minutes. I would never ever do it :D
Hiya, just swinging by to let you know that this post made the Honorable Mentions list in our daily Travel Digest. Please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider upvoting the Travel Digest if you like what we're doing.
Yay! That is the best way to start the day! Thank you!