Rhine Falls

At Neuhausen, near Schaffhausen, the Rhine drops 23 metres over a ledge of rock 150 metres wide. It is not the tallest waterfall, but the volume of water, at its strongest in early summer when the Alpine snow melts, makes a roar you feel as much as hear.

Viewing platforms below Laufen Castle bring you close to the spray, and small boats cross the basin and drop you at the central rock, where steps lead up to a lookout above the torrent. Bring a light rain jacket for the lower platforms.

The falls are under an hour from Zurich, so they fit easily into the day you arrive or leave. Many itineraries pair them with Titisee in the Black Forest, about an hour away across the German border.