Editing Rhine Falls

{{Short description|Swiss waterfall}}
{{For|the place in Australia|Rhine Falls, New South Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox waterfall
| name          = Rhine Falls
| alt_name      = {{langx|de|Rheinfall}}
| photo = File:SBB RABe 514 DTZ Rheinfall.jpg
| photo_width = 280
| photo_caption = Rhine Falls with Rheinfall Bridge and [[Laufen Castle (Switzerland)|Laufen Castle]]
| location      = On the border between the cantons of [[canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]] and [[canton of Zurich|Zurich]], near the town of [[Schaffhausen]], in northern [[Switzerland]]
| coordinates   = {{coord|47.67778|N|8.61503|E|type:waterbody_region:CH-SH_scale:50000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| watercourse   = [[Rhine]]
| type          = Segmented Block
| elevation     = {{convert|364|m|abbr=on}}
| height        = {{convert|23|m}}<ref name=figs/>
| width         = {{convert|150|m}}<ref name=figs/>
| number_drops  = 1
| average_flow  = {{convert|250|m3/s|abbr=on}} during winter,<br />{{convert|600|m3/s|abbr=on}} during summer
<ref name=figs/>| world_rank    = 
}}

The '''Rhine Falls''' ({{langx|de|Rheinfall}} {{IPA|de|ˈʁaɪnfal||De-Rheinfall.ogg}} / [[Swiss German]]: {{lang|gsw|Rhyfall}} {{IPA|gsw|ˈʁiːfalː|}}, a singular noun) is a [[waterfall]] on the [[High Rhine]] in [[Switzerland]]. It is the [[List of waterfalls by flow rate|most powerful waterfall]] in [[Europe]]<ref name=figs/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eda.admin.ch/aboutswitzerland/en/home/umwelt/geografie/seen-und-fluesse.html  |title=Lakes and Rivers |publisher=Presence Switzerland |location=Berne, Switzerland |type=official site |access-date=2017-11-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Berlitz:Switzerland Pocket Guide |date=April 1999 |publisher=[[Berlitz Corporation|Berlitz Publishing Company]] |location=Princeton, NJ |isbn=2-8315-7159-6 |page=39 |chapter=Northeast Switzerland}}</ref> and a popular [[Tourism in Switzerland|tourist attraction]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/experiences/the-rhine-falls/ |title=The Rhine Falls |publisher=Switzerland Tourism |access-date=2025-04-28}}</ref>

The falls are located on the border between the [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantons]] of [[Canton of Schaffhausen|Schaffhausen]] (SH) and [[Canton of Zurich|Zurich]] (ZH), between the [[Municipalities of Switzerland|municipalities]] of [[Neuhausen am Rheinfall]] (SH) and [[Laufen-Uhwiesen]]/[[Dachsen]] (ZH), ca. {{cvt|3|km}} south of the town of [[Schaffhausen]] and close to the [[Germany–Switzerland border|border with Germany]].

The falls are {{cvt|150|m}} wide and {{cvt|23|m}} high. In the winter months, the average water flow is {{convert|250|m3/s|abbr=on}}, while in the summer, the average water flow is {{convert|600|m3/s|abbr=on}}. The highest flow ever measured was {{convert|1250|m³/s}} in 1965,  and the lowest, {{convert|95|m³/s}} in 1921.<ref name=figs>{{cite web|url=https://rheinfall.ch/en/information/about-the-rhine-falls/facts-figures.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326032909/https://rheinfall.ch/en/information/about-the-rhine-falls/facts-figures.html |title=Facts & figures |publisher=Interessensgemeinschaft Rheinfall |location=Schaffhausen, Switzerland |archive-date=2023-03-26|access-date=2024-07-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hydrodaten.admin.ch/en/seen-und-fluesse/stations/2288#waterlevel-40days |title=Rhein - Neuhausen, Flurlingerbrücke |trans-title=Rhine data at Neuhausen-Flurlingen bridge |publisher=[[Federal Office for the Environment]] (FOEN) |access-date=2025-04-28}}</ref>

==Geology==
[[File:Rheinfall - Neuhausen am Rheinfall 2010-06-24 19-17-28.JPG|thumb|left|The Rhine Falls and Rheinfallfelsen seen from the Rhine]]
[[File:RheinfallSchaffhausen.JPG|thumb|right|Aerial view of the Rhine Falls in 2008]]
The Rhine Falls were formed during the [[Last glacial period|last ice age]], approximately 14,000 to 17,000 years ago, by [[erosion]]-resistant rocks narrowing the riverbed. The first [[glacial]] advances created today's landforms approximately 500,000 years ago. Up to the end of the [[Wolstonian Stage]], approximately 132,000 years ago, the [[Rhine]] flowed westwards from [[Schaffhausen]] through the [[Klettgau]] valley. This earlier riverbed later filled up with [[gravel]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Heinzmann |first=Peter |chapter=The Rhine Falls |year=2020 |title=Landscapes and Landforms of Switzerland. World Geomorphological Landscapes |editor=Reynard, E. |publisher=Springer |location= Cham |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-43203-4_23}}</ref>

About 132,000 years ago the course of the river changed southwards at Schaffhausen and formed a new channel, which also filled up with gravel. Part of the Rhine today includes this ancient riverbed.

During the [[Last glacial period|Würm glaciation]], the Rhine was pushed far to the south to its present course, over a hard [[Late Jurassic]] limestone bed. As the river flowed over both the hard limestone and the easily eroded gravel from previous glaciations, formed the waterfall. The {{lang|de|Rheinfallfelsen}}, a large rock in the middle of the falls, is the remnant of the original limestone cliff flanking the former channel. The rock has eroded very little over the years because relatively little sediment comes down the Rhine from [[Lake Constance]].

The formation of the Rhine Falls is shown in a permanent exhibition at the [[Museum zu Allerheiligen]] in [[Schaffhausen]].
{{clear|left}}

==Economics==
[[File:Neuhausen - Wassermühle am Rheinfall.jpg|thumb|Watermill at the Rhine falls]]

The north side of the falls is a [[watermill|mill]]site. In the 17th century, a blast furnace for smelting [[iron ore]] found in the limestone was built. It was in operation until the first half of the 19th century.

In 1887, the ironworks applied for permission to divert between one fifth to one half of the river's flow for [[electricity generation]]. The [[Swiss Alpine Club]], the {{lang|de|Schweizerische Naturforschende Gesellschaft}} (a nature group) and several scientific societies opposed the plan.

In 1913, an international competition was held for the best plan for a shipping route between the city of [[Basel]] and [[Lake Constance]] ({{lang|de|Bodensee}}).
[[File:Rhine Falls High Resolution Panorama.jpg|thumb|603x603px|View of the Rhinefall [[Plunge pool|basin]] with [[Wörth Castle]] (right) and [[Laufen Castle (Switzerland)|Laufen Castle]] (center), seen from the west]]
In 1919, a company wanting to build power stations in northern Switzerland were told that any such station at the Rhine Falls "must serve the economic interest of the public".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Uehlinger |first=A. |year=1941 |title=Die Naturschutzbestrebungen am Rheinfall |journal=Schweizer Naturschutz |volume=7 |pages=95–102}}.</ref>

In 1944, the [[Swiss Council of States]] granted permission to build the proposed power station. The permission was to become effective on 1 February 1948, with construction to begin in 1952. But in 1951, the ''[[Neue Helvetische Gesellschaft]]'' ({{lit|New Swiss Society}}), under the leadership of [[Emil Egli]], got 150,000 Swiss citizens to sign a petition protesting the project; among the signatories were 49 famous citizens, including [[Hermann Hesse]] and [[Carl Jacob Burckhardt]]. The petition not only scuttled the power station project, but effectively prevented all future hydropower and navigation engineering projects on the upper Rhine to the present day.<ref>{{cite book |last=Barthelmeß |first=Alfred |year=1988 |title=Landschaft-Lebensraum des Menschen |pages=165 |publisher=Alber |language=de}}</ref>

Today, the falls are still under consideration for [[hydropower]] projects. If the full water flow were used, the power generated would average approximately 50 MW. The economic value of the falls as a [[tourist attraction]] may be greater.

==Tourism==
The nearest communities are [[Neuhausen am Rheinfall]] just north of the Rhine Falls, where tourists can also view the [[Wörth Castle]] ([[Swiss German]]: {{lang|gsw|Schlössli Wörth}}),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.planetware.com/schaffhausen/rhine-falls-schloss-worth-ch-sh-sw.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 April 2009 |archive-date=18 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818184923/http://www.planetware.com/schaffhausen/rhine-falls-schloss-worth-ch-sh-sw.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Laufen-Uhwiesen]], with the [[Laufen Castle (Switzerland)|Laufen Castle]] ({{langx|de|Schloss Laufen}}) overlooking the waterfall. Access to the other side of the river is possible through boat services or via a sidewalk on the [[Rheinfall Railway|railway bridge]] ({{lang|de|Rheinfallbrücke}}) upstream of the waterfall.

Aside from boat tours to the Rhine Falls' rock ({{lang|de|Rheinfallfelsen}}), there are also [[viewing platform]]s with views on the waterfall built on both sides of the Rhine. These are reached via steep and narrow stairs (access by fee on the {{lang|de|Schloss Laufen}} side). [[Elevator]]s exist in some places. Guided tours of various lengths start from Laufen Castle on the [[Canton of Zurich|Zurich]] side of the falls – a [[youth hostel]] is also located in {{lang|de|Schloss Laufen}}. Various restaurants are located in {{lang|de|Schloss Laufen}}, {{lang|gsw|Schlössli Wörth}} and the Rheinfall park next to the basin.

==Transport==
{{See also|Transport in Switzerland}}
[[Public transport]] in Switzerland is famous for its density and its coordination between services ([[Rail transport in Switzerland|trains]], busses and boats) due to the [[clock-face schedule]].

There are several [[train station]]s near the Rhine Falls. The closest ones, within walking distance, are {{rws|Neuhausen Rheinfall}} on the northern side of the falls and {{rws|Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall}} on the southern banks of the river. Both stations are serviced by [[S-Bahn]] trains only. The town of [[Neuhausen am Rheinfall|Neuhausen]] has two additional S-Bahn railway stations, {{rws|Neuhausen}} and [[Neuhausen Badischer Bahnhof]] (Neuhausen Bad Bf), which are further away from the Rhine Falls.

{{rws|Schaffhausen}}, the largest railway station in the area, is even farther away (ca. {{convert|3.5|km|miles}}), but can be reached by frequent bus services operated by [[Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen]] (vbsh) and [[PostAuto]]. The closest bus stops in walking distance to the waterfall are ''Neuhausen Zentrum'' (Neuhausen Central) and ''Schloss Laufen, Rheinfall''. 

As of December 2022, the following services exist from/to railway stations near the Rhine Falls:

===Train===
[[File:Eisenbahnbrücke mit S-Bahn und Schloss Laufen.jpg|thumb|right|Train of [[Zurich S-Bahn]] arriving at [[Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall railway station]]]]
[[File:Bahnstation Neuhausen Rheinfall. Lift zum Rheinfall.jpg|thumb|right|[[Neuhausen Rheinfall railway station]] with elevators to the Rhine Falls]]
;[[InterCity]] (IC) (combined hourly service)
*From/to {{rws|Schaffhausen}}: {{ric|Swiss Federal Railways|IC 4}} / [[Intercity (Deutsche Bahn)#Line_87|<span style="color:#0094D9">'''IC&nbsp;87'''</span>]]: two-hourly service between Zürich HB and {{rws|Stuttgart Hbf}}

;[[RegioExpress]] / [[Regional-Express]] (RE)
*From/to {{rws|Schaffhausen}}: {{rcb|Swiss Federal Railways|RE48|inline=croute}}: hourly service between {{rws|Zürich HB}} and {{rws|Schaffhausen}} (calling also at {{rws|Zürich Oerlikon}} and {{rws|Bülach}})
*From/to Schaffhausen: {{rcb|DB Regio Baden-Württemberg|RE 3|inline=croute}}: hourly service between {{rws|Basel Bad Bf}} and [[Friedrichshafen Hafen station|Friedrichshafen-Hafen]]

;[[Zurich S-Bahn]]
*From/to {{rws|Neuhausen Rheinfall}}: {{ric|Zürich S-Bahn|9}}: hourly service between {{rws|Zürich HB}} and {{rws|Schaffhausen}}
*From/to {{rws|Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall}}: {{ric|Zürich S-Bahn|12}} / {{ric|Zürich S-Bahn|33}}: combined half-hourly service between {{rws|Winterthur}} and {{rws|Schaffhausen}}. The {{ric|Zurich S-Bahn|12}} continues from Winterthur to {{rws|Zürich HB}}
*From/to {{rws|Neuhausen}}/{{rws|Schaffhausen}}: {{ric|Zurich S-Bahn|24}}: hourly service between {{rws|Winterthur}} and {{rws|Thayngen}}. This service continues from Winterthur to {{rws|Zurich Airport}} and {{rws|Zürich HB}}

;[[Schaffhausen S-Bahn]]
*From/to [[Neuhausen Badischer Bahnhof]]: {{ric|Schaffhausen S-Bahn|S64}}: half-hourly service between {{rws|Erzingen}} and {{rws|Schaffhausen}}
*From/to {{rws|Neuhausen Rheinfall}}: {{ric|Schaffhausen S-Bahn|S65}}: hourly service between {{rws|Jestetten}} and {{rws|Schaffhausen}} (half-hourly service combined with {{ric|Zürich S-Bahn|9}} of Zurich S-Bahn)

;[[St. Gallen S-Bahn]]
*From/to {{rws|Schaffhausen}}: {{rcb|St. Gallen S-Bahn|1|inline=croute}}: half-hourly service between {{rws|Wil SG}} and {{rws|Schaffhausen}} (via {{rws|St. Gallen}})

===Bus===
{{See also|Schaffhausen#Bus}}
[[File:VBSH 27 und 105 20210910i019.jpg|thumb|Busses of [[Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen|vbsh]] next to Schaffhausen railway station]]
;[[Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen]] (vbsh)

[[Trolleybuses in Schaffhausen|Trolley bus line 1]] of vbsh (direction: ''Herbstäcker'') is the most direct bus service between Schaffhausen railway station and the Rhine Falls.
*{{ric|VBSH|1}}: every 10 minutes between ''Waldfriedhof'' and ''Herbstäcker'' (via {{rws|Schaffhausen}}), calling at bus stops ''Neuhausen Zentrum'' and ''Neuhausen, Kreuzstrasse'' (near [[Neuhausen Badischer Bahnhof|Badischer Bahnhof]])
*{{ric|VBSH|7}}: every 10–20 minutes between {{rws|Schaffhausen}} and {{rws|Neuhausen}} SBB, calling at bus stops ''Neuhausen, Kreuzstrasse'' and ''Neuhausen Zentrum''
*{{ric|VBSH|21}}: half-hourly to hourly service between {{rws|Schaffhausen}} and [[Beggingen]], calling at ''Neuhausen, Kreuzstrasse'' bus stop

;[[PostAuto]]
*'''{{ric|PostBus|634}}''': hourly service between {{rws|Schaffhausen}} and ''[[Laufen Castle (Switzerland)|Schloss Laufen]], Rheinfall''

===Boat===
[[File:2010-07-25 16-26-11 Switzerland Schaffhausen Rheinfall.jpg|thumb|right|Boat trip to ''Rheinfallfelsen'', a rock in the middle of the Rhine Falls]]
During warmer seasons, frequent boat trips are offered from the Rhine Falls basin to one of the rocks in the middle of the waterfall ({{lang|de|Rheinfallfelsen}}).

There are no boat lines between the Rhine Falls and Schaffhausen (or any other town south of the Rhine Falls), but from April to October there are regular boat services along the scenic [[High Rhine]] (''Hochrhein'') between Schaffhausen (''Schifflände'') and [[Kreuzlingen]] ([[Lake Constance]]), operated by the [[Schweizerische Schifffahrtsgesellschaft Untersee und Rhein]] (URh). Frequent bus services (vbsh lines {{ric|VBSH|6}}, {{ric|VBSH|8}}, {{ric|VBSH|25}}) operate between ''Schifflände'' and [[Schaffhausen railway station]].

=== Private transport ===
The Rhine Falls are easily accessible by car, coach, or bicycle. Large pay-parking lots are located on both sides of the falls. The nearest exits on the [[A4 motorway (Switzerland)|A4 motorway]] are ''[[Laufen-Uhwiesen|Uhwiesen]]'', ''[[Flurlingen]]'' or ''Schaffhausen Süd''. The Rhine Falls are located on [[Swiss National Bike Routes|Swiss National Bike Route 2]] (Rhine Route).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/experiences/route/rhine-route/ |title=Rhine Route |publisher=myswitzerland.com |access-date=2025-04-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/route-2 |title=Rhine Route |publisher=SwitzerlandMobility (schweizmobil.ch) |access-date=2025-04-26}}</ref>

{{clear}}

== History ==
Tourists have been awed by the Rhine Falls for centuries. In the 19th century, the painter [[J. M. W. Turner]] made several studies and larger paintings of the falls,<ref>[http://www.nationalgalleries.org/object/D%20NG%20869 Turner painting at nationalgalleries.org]</ref> and the lyrical poet [[Eduard Mörike]] wrote of the falls:
[[File:Joseph Mallord William Turner - Fall of the Rhine at Schaffhausen - 13.2723 - Museum of Fine Arts.jpg|thumb|[[J. M. W. Turner]]: ''Fall of the Rhine at Schaffhausen'' ([[Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]])]]

:''Halte dein Herz, o Wanderer, fest in gewaltigen Händen!''
:''   Mir entstürzte vor Lust zitternd das meinige fast.''
:''Rastlos donnernde Massen auf donnernde Massen geworfen,''
:''   Ohr und Auge, wohin retten sie sich im Tumult?''

:(Hold your heart, oh traveller, tightly in mighty hands!
:Mine nearly collapsed, shivering with pleasure.
:Restlessly thundering masses thrown upon thundering masses,
:Ear and eye, whither can they save themselves in such an uproar?)

In 1840, author [[Mary Shelley]] visited the Falls while on a tour of Europe with her son. She described her visit in a travel narrative that she published in 1844, ''[[Rambles in Germany and Italy]]''. She says: "A portion of the cataract arches over the lowest platform, and the spray fell thickly on us, as standing on it and looking up, we saw wave, and rock, and cloud, and the clear heavens through its glittering ever-moving veil. This was a new sight, exceeding anything I had ever before seen; however, not to be wet through, I was obliged quickly to tear myself away."<ref>{{cite book|last=Shelley|first=Mary|title=Travel Writing|year=1996|publisher=Pickering|location=London|isbn=1-85196-084-8|pages=102}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Philip James de Loutherbourg - The Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen.jpg|''[[The Falls of the Rhine at Schaffhausen]]'' by [[Philip James de Loutherbourg]], 1788
Image:Rheinfall_Panorama_revised.jpg|[[Panorama]] of the Rhine Falls, April 2010
File:Rheinfall IMG 3772.JPG|A tourist boat near the falls
Rhine Falls, close-up.jpg|Close-up of the falls.
File:Rheinfall - Schloss Wörth IMG 3787 ShiftN.jpg|[[Wörth Castle]]
File:Rheinfall (Steg).jpg|Observation deck on the Zürich side
File:Rheinfall_Panorama_Switzerland.jpg|Rheinfall Panorama
File:Rheinfall LCD.jpg|Long exposure photograph of the Rhine Falls with Laufen Castle in the background
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of waterfalls]]
*[[List of waterfalls by flow rate]]
*[[List of rivers of Switzerland]]
*[[List of waterfalls in Switzerland]]
*[[Tourism in Switzerland]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
{{commons category|Rhine Falls}}
{{wikivoyage}}
*{{official website|https://rheinfall.ch/en/}} {{in lang|de|en}}
*[http://www.photohistory.ch old pictures of the Rheinfall]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Waterfalls of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Block waterfalls]]
[[Category:Neuhausen am Rheinfall]]
[[Category:Rhine basin|WRhine Falls]]