Valley of 72 Waterfalls and a Magical Village
Travel
Berner Oberland regional pass
- Bus from Faulensee Am See to Interlaken OST
- Train from Interlaken OST(platform 2A), blue R towards Lauterbrunnen (get to the front of train, as only front goes to Lauterbrunnen) – 30mins
Lauterbrunnen Valley
Lauterbrunnen is situated in one of the most impressive trough valleys in the Alps, between gigantic rock faces and mountain peaks. With its thundering waterfalls, secluded valleys, colourful alpine meadows and lonely mountain inns, the Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in Switzerland.
The very name ‘Lauter Brunnen’ (‘many fountains’) suggests the magnificence of this landscape. There are 72 waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the most famous being the Staubbach Falls. Plunging almost 300 metres from an overhanging rock face, they are one of the highest free-falling waterfalls in Europe.
Another deafening natural phenomenon are the Trümmelbach Falls in the ‘Black Monk’ mountain, hidden behind mighty rock faces. Up to 20,000 litres of water per second cascade over the ten glacier falls from a total height of about 200 metres. This spectacle can only be reached in summer by tunnel lift.
We were in the village early in the morning, before the sun started to rise over the mountains. We were entertained with wonderful views from an easy flat hike from Lauterbrunnen towards Stechelberg before the risen sun hit Staubbach Falls. It was the best time of day for us to admire the fall and also the valley, it was so quiet and peaceful with just the chirping of the birds. We did the short walk down Lauterbrunnen main street up to the cemetery which offers a stunning vantage point of the valley and the city too. If you reach the Camping Jungfrau Holiday Park, you’ve gone too far.
Walk away from the train station in the direction of the town centre and the falls will come into view behind the houses. You can’t miss it since it’s the focal point of the village 😉. Continuing on the main path, you’ll eventually reach a barn-like structure that says “Staubbach Falls”. There will be signs here pointing you towards the trail. Don’t forget a water bottle – there’s apparently a little area where you can fill up with water straight from the waterfall!
We hiked up to the Staubbach Falls and enjoyed a very unique view of the village, the church and the valley from behind the thin curtain of water of the fall. The hike up is fairly easy with steps, however be careful when approaching the viewpoint as it is a bit slippery from the water flowing down the tunnel.
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