Switzerland · Lauterbrunnen Valley, Bernese Oberland
Ten glacier waterfalls that thunder down inside a mountain, reached by a lift bored through the rock. The meltwater comes off the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Around them lies the Lauterbrunnen Valley: Staubbach's 297-metre plume, car-free cliff villages and the Schilthorn.
Full guide Checked September 2026 by David Bussell · 45 sources
Most waterfalls are for looking at. The Trümmelbach is mostly for hearing. Meltwater from the glacier walls of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau drains a 24 km² catchment, about half of it snow and ice, and at the height of summer up to 20,000 litres a second is forced through a corkscrew gorge the stream has cut inside the mountain. The name means something like 'drum stream', a description of the noise rather than the view. Until paths were first built in 1877, all ten falls except the lowest were hidden from sight. Wikipedia puts the stream's descent through the rock at roughly 140 metres.
A lift bored through the rock carries you up into the mountain. From there, lit tunnels, stairways and platforms lead past cascades that twist through slots barely wider than a corridor. Allow about an hour. The falls are 3 km up the valley from Lauterbrunnen, where the Staubbach drops 297 metres off the cliff above the village. It is so fine that it often turns to spray before it lands, and a short path climbs to a rock gallery where you can stand in it.
Trümmelbach is only one part of the valley. Switzerland Tourism calls it the Valley of the 72 Waterfalls, and an easy 8 km path along the Weisse Lütschine links Lauterbrunnen, Staubbach, Trümmelbach and Stechelberg. From Stechelberg, the world's steepest cable car climbs to car-free Mürren in about four minutes and continues to the 2,970-metre Schilthorn. There is also a via ferrata that descends a sheer cliff face to Gimmelwald. Meiringen is about an hour away by train, and its funicular runs up to Reichenbach Falls, where Conan Doyle sent Sherlock Holmes over the edge.
Lauterbrunnen station (BOB from Interlaken Ost)
The railhead and the valley's main village sit under the Staubbach, which falls 297 metres from a hanging valley straight past the houses. Goethe came in 1779 and wrote 'Song of the Spirits over the Waters' about it. A path leads from the foot of the fall to the Staubbach Gallery, where the spray blows over you. Lauterbrunnen has most of the valley's beds and the BLM cableway up to Grütschalp and Mürren. PostBus 141 runs up the valley every half hour.
Trümmelbachfälle bus stop · Stechelberg, Schilthornbahn
The Trümmelbach sits about 3 km beyond Lauterbrunnen, on the valley's east wall, with a free car park, a self-service restaurant with a terrace and a small shop. The ticket covers the tunnel lift and the galleries, and the falls' website sells no tickets online. A little further on is Stechelberg, the last village at the end of the road. It is the valley station for both Schilthorn cable cars: the direct line to Mürren and the older line via Gimmelwald. It is quiet, with cliffs on three sides.
Car-free terrace villages, 1,638 m and 1,364 m
Mürren stands on a ledge about 800 metres above the valley floor, facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau across the gorge. No road reaches it: you arrive by cable car from Stechelberg or by the BLM cableway and railway from Lauterbrunnen. Gimmelwald, a farming village recorded in 1346, is smaller and quieter still. The via ferrata connects the two across the cliff face. Mürren is also the starting point for the Schilthorn, the Allmendhubel funicular and tandem paragliding flights over the valley.
Haslital, about 65 minutes by train via Interlaken Ost
This one is in a different valley. At Reichenbach, the Rychenbach drops out of a gorge above Meiringen, and the operator gives the upper fall as 110 metres. A wooden funicular has run up beside it since 1899. From the top station, three terraces look across the upper fall, and a plaque marks where Holmes and Moriarty fought. Meiringen has a Sherlock Holmes Museum, and the Aare Gorge can be added on a combined ticket. The funicular runs only in summer: 2 May to 4 October in 2026.
Stay on the valley floor for Trümmelbach and Staubbach, but go up to Mürren for the view, and sleep there if you can. One day covers the walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg, Trümmelbach and a cable car to Mürren. Add a second for the Schilthorn or the via ferrata. Reichenbach is worth a separate half-day only for Holmes fans, and only before 4 October in 2026.
June to August for Trümmelbach at full roar, May and June for the Staubbach and the cliff falls at their fullest; September is the calm, clearer-water compromise before the lifts start closing.
Trümmelbach runs entirely on melt. It is little more than a frozen trickle from December to March, rises with the snowmelt from April to June, and peaks with the glacier melt from June to September, when it can reach 20,000 litres a second. After frosty nights in October, the operator says the flow falls to a few dozen litres a second.
Trümmelbach opens in early April, and the snowmelt drives it hard through May and June. This is also when the Staubbach and the other cliff falls have the most water, before summer thins them to wisps. The Staubbach Gallery opens in May and the via ferrata on 1 June. There are fewer people than in July. Late snow can linger on the higher trails, and some mountain lifts close for maintenance in spring.
This is when the Trümmelbach is at its loudest. Glacier melt and summer thunderstorms push it towards its 20,000-litre maximum, and the falls open longest, from 08:30 to 18:00. Everything in the valley is running: the via ferrata, the Allmendhubel, the Reichenbach funicular and paragliding from Mürren. It is also the busiest time. Queues build at the tunnel lift from late morning, and the cable cars fill with day-trippers from Interlaken.
The flow drops as the glaciers freeze. Wikipedia notes that the water, milky with glacial silt in spring, often turns clear in autumn. Crowds thin and the larches turn gold. The trade-off is closures: in 2026 the Reichenbach funicular stops on 4 October, the via ferrata on 31 October and Trümmelbach in early November. The Gimmelwald cable car and the Allmendhubel both close for maintenance from 19 October.
Trümmelbach is closed, and the operator says only a trickle runs beneath the ice. The Staubbach keeps falling and often freezes into an ice column on the cliff, although the gallery is shut. Mürren becomes a car-free ski village, and the Schilthorn cable car stays open for skiers and sightseers. Come for snow and quiet, not for waterfalls.
The Trümmelbach carries large quantities of glacial debris every year. In spring and early summer, meltwater grinds rock flour through the gorge and the torrent runs grey and opaque. In autumn, as the flow falls, it often runs much clearer, and you can see more of the polished rock the stream has cut. Photographers who want to see the rock rather than the roar should aim for September or early October.
Entry, cable-car, funicular and rental prices are the operators' published 2026 rates in Swiss francs, converted at about 1 CHF = $1.21 (late September 2026); tour, paragliding and hotel figures are 2026 listings. All of them move with exchange rates and season, so treat them as a planning guide, not a quote.
The main reason to come. A lift bored through the rock takes you up inside the mountain, where lit tunnels, steps and platforms lead past ten falls. At full melt, up to 20,000 litres a second corkscrews through slots in the rock. It is loud, cold and wet. Bring a waterproof layer and shoes with grip. The falls' website sells no tickets online, so pay at the entrance, and in July and August arrive at opening to beat the queue for the lift.
Early April – early November; 09:00–17:00, 08:30–18:00 in July and August
Pay on the day — nothing to book in advance.
Lauterbrunnen's landmark drops 297 metres from a hanging valley. In all but high flow it breaks into drifting spray before it reaches the ground, which is where the name 'dust stream' comes from. A path climbs from the foot of the fall, beside the village, to the Staubbach Gallery in the rock, where the spray blows over you. Goethe wrote a poem about it in 1779. It is best in May and June, when snowmelt thickens the plume, and it is often frozen into an ice column in winter.
Falls visible year-round; gallery May–October
No booking needed.
An easy, nearly flat riverside path up the valley floor beside the icy-blue Weisse Lütschine. It passes the Staubbach, Trümmelbach at about the halfway point, and the Mürrenbachfall, which Switzerland Tourism calls the country's highest waterfall, plus whichever of the valley's smaller falls happen to be running. It ends at Stechelberg, at the Schilthornbahn valley station. Walk it up-valley in the morning, visit Trümmelbach on the way, then take the cable car to Mürren or the half-hourly bus back.
April – November
No booking needed.
Three sections climb from 866 metres to the 2,970-metre summit. The first, Stechelberg to Mürren, has been open since December 2024. At a maximum gradient of 159.4 per cent it is the world's steepest aerial cableway, and it climbs 775 metres in about four minutes. At the top are the revolving 360° restaurant from the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, a Walk of Fame and an observation platform facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. On a cloudy day, check the webcam before paying.
Year-round, outside maintenance breaks
At Birg, the 2,677-metre middle station, a steel walkway is bolted to the vertical rock face and loops below the viewing platform and the cable car itself. On the way there is a crawl tunnel, a glass floor, a rope section and a cattle-grid step with open air beneath. The Skyline Walk viewing platform is on the other side of the station. Entry to both is free. Break the Schilthorn trip here on the way up or down.
With the Schilthorn cable car
No booking needed.
Unusually, this via ferrata goes down, not up. It starts through a tunnel near the Sportchalet in Mürren, crosses ledges about 600 metres above the valley floor and finishes over an 80-metre Nepalese-style suspension bridge before reaching Gimmelwald. It is graded K3 (fairly difficult) on the SAC scale and is exposed all the way, with ladders and iron rungs on the steep sections. Go only in dry weather with no storms forecast. The 60-metre zip line is locked unless you are with a guide.
1 June – 31 October, 09:00–18:00; closed 23–25 and 28–30 September 2026
No booking needed.
The same route with a mountain guide, who gives a technique briefing and is required for the 60-metre zip line over the Mürrenbach, locked to independent climbers. Groups are capped at eight and the price includes the harness, set and helmet. This is the sensible choice if you have not done a via ferrata before, since the route is K3 and exposed from start to finish. The tour ends in Gimmelwald, and the cable car takes you back to Mürren or down to Stechelberg.
June – October; departures 09:10 and 14:10 from Intersport Mürren
Doing this one? Check your travel insurance covers adventure activities before you go — SafetyWing is one option.
A tandem flight launched from Mürren, out over the 800-metre drop into the Lauterbrunnen Valley with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau across the way and the cliff falls below. Airtime's standard flight is named 'The Wall', after the cliff it flies along. There is also a longer premium option. Flights run only in suitable wind, so leave a spare morning. Landing site, weight limits and photo packages are not on the operator's page, so ask when booking.
Weather-dependent; season not published
Doing this one? Check your travel insurance covers adventure activities before you go — SafetyWing is one option.
The Reichenbachfall-Bahn has run since 1899 with original 24-seat wooden cars. It climbs over the gorge to terraces facing the upper fall, which the operator gives as 110 metres. This is where Conan Doyle's 'The Final Problem' sends Holmes and Moriarty into the water, and a plaque marks the ledge. The upper station is reached by stairs only, so it is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The hydropower operator diverts some of the flow at certain times of year.
2 May – 4 October 2026, 09:00–17:30 (last ride up 17:15); no winter service
Pay on the day — nothing to book in advance.
A small-group van transfer, capped at six, from the info point outside Interlaken Ost station to Trümmelbach and back, with the falls ticket included. It saves the change between train and bus, but not much else, since the train and PostBus 141 get you there in about half an hour. It is worth considering if you are short on time or travelling with someone who would struggle with the connections. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, and neither are the falls. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Trümmelbach season, early April – early November
A guided e-bike day from Flying Wheels on Höheweg in Interlaken. It rides up into the valley past Staubbach to Trümmelbach, then stops for a Swiss picnic, with glacier water to refill your bottle. The route is about 40 km, but the motor handles the climbs. You will still need moderate fitness, and the listing sets a rider weight limit of about 109 kg (240 lb). It runs in light rain with gear provided and is cancelled with a full refund in heavy rain. Pricey, but all-inclusive.
Year-round listing; in practice tied to Trümmelbach's April–November season
If you are reading this in late September or October 2026, check each closure date before you plan the day. The Mürren–Gimmelwald via ferrata is closed 23–25 and 28–30 September for the removal of a construction cableway, and shuts for the season on 31 October. The Reichenbach funicular stops for winter after 4 October. The Stechelberg–Gimmelwald–Mürren cable car is closed for maintenance from 19 to 30 October, with a limited replacement bus via Mürren. The Allmendhubel funicular closes from 19 October to 11 December. Trümmelbach itself closes in early November, and the operator asks visitors to confirm hours at the start and end of the season. One more thing: the '72 waterfalls' is a tourism slogan, not a survey. In late autumn, many of those cliff falls are dry.
Sleep in Lauterbrunnen for trains and budget, Stechelberg for quiet and the cable car, or up in car-free Mürren and Gimmelwald for the view the day-trippers leave behind.
A chalet-style hotel with 'Holz 100' all-wood rooms. The Staubbach rooms, in the Chalet Sonnenheim next door, have balconies facing the waterfall. Guests praise the fireplace restaurant and the breakfast buffet. It is a short walk from the BLM cableway to Mürren.
Twenty-four rooms in a historic main building and six accessible, modern rooms in an annexe across the street. The restaurant is open seven days a week and the hotel describes it as award-winning. It is a practical base for anyone arriving by train.
Lauterbrunnen's independent hostel, which leans into the valley's Tolkien connections and advertises a special offer on the Schilthorn cable car. It suits hikers and rail travellers who want a cheap bed within walking distance of the Staubbach.
A year-round campsite between the waterfalls and the rock walls of the valley floor. It has pitches for tents and caravans plus rental accommodation for anyone without gear, and suits travellers who want to wake up with the cliffs overhead.
A family-run hotel with rooms and holiday flats in the last village of the valley, which it calls the 'end of the world'. Its restaurant serves from morning to evening. It is handy for an early Schilthorn cable car and very quiet once the day-trippers leave.
Run by the same family since 1892, now in its fourth generation. The rooms, restaurant and indoor pool face the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau across the valley, and there is a wellness area. The facade was reclad in Swiss larch in 2022.
A three-star, 26-room chalet-style hotel right next to the cable car, and one of the properties presented on the Schilthorn cableway's own site. Its à la carte restaurant seats about 100, and rooms facing the mountains look straight across at the big three peaks.
A small bed and breakfast with three holiday apartments in the farming village of Gimmelwald, where the via ferrata ends. There are no cars and very few other visitors after the last cable car. Book direct for the best rate, the guesthouse says.
Search all Lauterbrunnen accommodation
About 2 h 40 min by train to Lauterbrunnen with two changes (via Bern and Interlaken Ost). Switzerland's main long-haul hub, with direct flights from North America, the Gulf and across Europe.
About 3 h 30 min by train to Lauterbrunnen with two or three changes via Bern. A good choice if you are combining the Alps with Lake Geneva.
From Basel SBB station, about 2 h 26 min to Lauterbrunnen with one change at Interlaken Ost. Mainly European and low-cost routes.
Interlaken Ost is the gateway for the whole valley: direct IC trains from Zürich, Basel and Bern, then the half-hourly Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB) to Lauterbrunnen in 22 minutes.
The BOB train from Interlaken Ost reaches Lauterbrunnen in 22 minutes. From Lauterbrunnen station, PostBus 141 runs about every 30 minutes up the valley: 7 minutes to the Trümmelbachfälle stop and 12 to Stechelberg, Schilthornbahn. From Stechelberg, the direct cable car climbs to Mürren in about four minutes and continues via Birg to the Schilthorn, about 26 minutes in all. The older line serves Gimmelwald. Alternatively, the BLM cableway and railway go from Lauterbrunnen via Grütschalp to Mürren in about 21 minutes. Mürren and Gimmelwald are car-free. Drivers can reach Lauterbrunnen, Trümmelbach (free car park) and Stechelberg, but need a CHF 40 Swiss motorway vignette. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the trains, the bus, the BLM and the Stechelberg–Mürren cable car, and cuts the Schilthorn return to CHF 45.70.
The EU's ETIAS pre-travel authorisation has been repeatedly delayed and was not in operation at the time of writing (September 2026), so check before you travel.
This waterfall
Trümmelbach Falls
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Height140 mWidth—
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Measured across the whole multi-channel system
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4:55
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Walking guide
Lesley Williams & Jonathan Williams · 2023
50 day walks around Grindelwald, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen and Mürren, the valley of Staubbach and Trümmelbach falls.
Walking guide
Kev Reynolds · 2015
Kev Reynolds' wider Oberland guide, taking in Lauterbrunnen and the Meiringen–Rosenlaui side where the Reichenbach Falls drop.
Guidebook
Lonely Planet · 2024
Current Lonely Planet covering Schaffhausen, the Lauterbrunnen valley, Meiringen and Glarus, with transport and pass details.
Guidebook
DK Eyewitness · 2024
Illustrated country guide useful for combining the Rhine Falls with the Bernese Oberland on one trip.
CHF 18 (about $22) for adults and CHF 8 (about $10) for children aged 6 to 15, with the tunnel lift included. There are no group discounts, and you pay at the entrance. Children under 4 and dogs are not admitted at all. Some older guides and listings still quote around CHF 14, but the operator's own 2026 price is CHF 18.
From early April to early November, daily from 09:00 to 17:00, and 08:30 to 18:00 in July and August, weather permitting. It is closed in winter, when the operator says only a trickle runs under the ice. The exact opening and closing dates move each year, so check with the falls near the start and end of the season before you travel.
Yes, if you come between late May and September, when snowmelt or glacier melt is running. Nowhere else in the valley puts you this close to that much water: up to 20,000 litres a second through slots inside the rock. Allow about an hour. In October the flow can drop to a few dozen litres a second, and the visit is far less dramatic.
PostBus 141 leaves Lauterbrunnen station about every 30 minutes and reaches the Trümmelbachfälle stop in 7 minutes. It is covered by the Swiss Travel Pass. On foot, the flat Valley of the 72 Waterfalls path gets you there in about an hour. By car it is about 3 km beyond Lauterbrunnen, with a large free car park.
'Valley of the 72 Waterfalls' is how the Jungfrau region and Switzerland Tourism market it, not a fixed count. The number of falls running depends on snowmelt and rain. In May and June the cliffs stream with water, while by late autumn many are dry. Staubbach, Trümmelbach and the Mürrenbachfall are the reliable ones.
Yes. The Staubbach falls 297 metres beside Lauterbrunnen village and can be seen from the street year-round. A path from the foot of the fall climbs to the Staubbach Gallery, which is open May to October. We found no admission charge. In winter the fall often freezes into an ice column on the cliff.
Only partly. The pass covers the Stechelberg–Mürren cable car in full, and the return from Stechelberg or Mürren to the summit drops to CHF 45.70 (about $55), compared with CHF 115 from Stechelberg without a pass. The Berner Oberland Pass covers the whole Schilthorn network, and the Jungfrau Travel Pass gives 20 per cent off.
At Reichenbach Falls above Meiringen, about an hour from Lauterbrunnen by train. In 'The Final Problem', Conan Doyle has Holmes and Moriarty grapple on a ledge above the upper fall. A funicular running since 1899 takes you to terraces facing it, and a plaque marks the spot. In 2026 the funicular runs only from 2 May to 4 October.
Trümmelbach Falls is in Switzerland (Bernese Oberland). The nearest base is Lauterbrunnen and the closest airport is ZRH. Its coordinates are 46.5700, 7.9132.
Prices, fees and entry rules change. We re-check full guides regularly; spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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