World Art Utopia

Rhine Falls

The Rhine Falls churning white below the houses of Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland, seen from the south side.
Artwork FileNeuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland

Rhine Falls

SeenAug 2024

Natural waterfall · Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland

Photo: Jörg Braukmann / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0), as also published on Street Art Utopia.

The Rhine Falls lie between Neuhausen am Rheinfall in the canton of Schaffhausen and Laufen-Uhwiesen in the canton of Zurich; the rock in the middle of the falls marks the border. Source Checked With a height of 23 metres and an average flow of 600 mÂł per second in summer, the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland calls it the largest waterfall in Europe. Source Checked

Seen Aug 2024: the newest dated photograph we found on Wikimedia Commons shows the falls from the Rhine bridge at Laufen on 15 August 2024 (in More photos below). The photo above was taken on 28 February 2022. Source Checked

More photos

The Rhine Falls at high water in July 2013, the river churning white around the rocks below Neuhausen.
2013 The falls at high waterPhoto: Roland.h.bueb / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
The Rhine Falls at winter sunrise on 1 January 2023, seen through bare trees with the railway bridge beyond.
2023 Winter sunrise on New Year’s DayPhoto: -wuppertaler / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
The Rhine Falls seen from upstream on the Rhine bridge at Laufen, with Neuhausen beyond, August 2024.
2024 From the Rhine bridge at Laufen (retouched: bridge parapet removed)Photo: Stephan van Helden / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

đź’ˇ 4 things to know

  1. 150 metres wideThe official Rhine Falls site says huge volumes of water fall over the rocks across a width of 150 metres. Source Checked
  2. Born in the ice ageThe Historical Dictionary of Switzerland says the falls formed during the last ice age, 17,000 years ago. Source Reported
  3. Mills, ironworks, powerWater power has been used on the right bank since the 12th century: grain mills, ironworks from 1404, the first industrial works in 1810 and the Neuhausen Rhine power station of 1948–1951. Source Checked
  4. A sight since 1416The oldest travel account of the falls was written in 1416 by the Florentine Poggio Bracciolini. Source Checked

đź“Ť Where it is

On the Rhine between Neuhausen am Rheinfall (canton of Schaffhausen) and Laufen-Uhwiesen (canton of Zurich), Switzerland. Source Checked

Open in Maps

Opens a Google Maps search for the Rhine Falls at Neuhausen.

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 1416

    Oldest travel account written · HLS

  2. 1520

    About 12 houses stood at the falls · neuhausen.sh

  3. 1544

    Earliest picture, a woodcut in Münster’s Cosmographia

  4. 1857

    Winterthur–Schaffhausen railway opened

  5. 1977

    Added to the federal inventory of landscapes

  6. 201311 Jul

    High water photographed · Wikimedia Commons

  7. 202228 Feb

    Photographed from the south side · Wikimedia Commons

  8. 20231 Jan

    Winter sunrise photographed · Wikimedia Commons

  9. 202415 Aug

    Photographed from the Rhine bridge at Laufen (retouched photo) · Wikimedia Commons

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark dated records and reports.

âś… The facts

River
Rhine Source Checked
Height
23 metres Source Checked
Width
150 metres Source Checked
Formed
In the last ice age, about 17,000 years ago (HLS) Source Reported
Border
The middle rock divides Schaffhausen and Zurich Source Checked

đź”— Related

All sources & image credits

Last checked: 3 November 2026. How we verify art