Mesmerizing Waterfall - Rhine Falls (Schloss Laufen and Schlossli Worth Rheinfall), Switzerland | Vacation days in Europe - Part 1

Vacation days are over, trip days passed so quickly. "I wish I could have lived in those moments forever"; Almost every day I repeat these words to myself. I have written before about my emotions and feelings before going on this trip and I still wonder how I managed this entire trip. Anyway, this is my first Euro trip. I have never been to any other countries in Europe before as a traveler. Well, after fleeing from Ukraine, I was in Poland and now in the Netherlands. Obviously purpose was different but this Switzerland-Italy trip was purely for recreation and relaxation purposes. I have seen a few locations in Poland and the Netherlands. The truth is I often dreamed about exploring European countries but unfortunately, I never got the chance to travel in Europe before.

So, on 12th August I started my preparation for the trip as we were going to Switzerland by road. Packing was stressful because I didn't know what to take with me but I tried to keep it simple. But simple means, 2 handbags and 1 medium size luggage. Anyway, on 13th August around 13.30 am, a van arrived at our place to pick us up. I went on this tour with a large Ukrainian Group of 18 people and it was like a private short trip. Midnight so I didn't waste my energy by staying awake so I was fell asleep within an hour.

In the morning around 6.00 a.m., I woke up and found myself in Germany. We were asked to take a break and have coffee if we wanted to. I was sleepy so I didn't pay attention to anything, I walked around a little bit and went back to the van. Then around 9:00 am in the morning, I started watching the street view and surroundings from the van. When we entered Switzerland, it was around 10:30 a.m. and I noticed beautiful mountains, cottages, cows, and greenery. Easily anyone can say that it is Switzerland just by seeing the natural beauty. The beauty of this country is just breathtaking.

Initially, when we arrived in Switzerland, I thought we were heading to the hotel. Well, this is basically a normal idea because, after the whole night's travel, it's important to freshen up and have a nice rest before starting the next destination. My entire idea was proved wrong when I saw we suddenly arrived in a different location where thousands of cars had parked and Sign boards were saying "Rhine Falls".

I was wearing warm clothes (a coat and a hoodie) because it was cold in the Netherlands when we left. When I stepped out of the minibus, I felt like I was in boiling water so without any further thoughts, I decided to change my dress and wore something comfortable. This is the advantage of a private trip and having a minibus, you can change in the car.

Then I started following the group. We started going down following a steep hilly pathway and there were a lot of tourists as well. Some people were with the dogs and after seeing that I was missing my dog Gigi. After 5 minutes I started hearing the mesmerising sound of a powerful waterfall. I was trying to recall that moment when was the last time I have seen a waterfall. I guess 10 years ago maybe or maybe more.

^{A long queue in front of the Ticket counter}

^{Souvenier Shops}

^{Bike lane and tourists waiting spot in front of the ticket counter}

^{Some snack shops}

Before going to see the Fall, we needed to find the toilet and needed to buy tickets for the boat. Unfortunately, our guide didn't buy online tickets so we had to buy them on the spot. Seeing the large queue, we decided to look around.

This is the map of Schloss Laufen (Laufen Castle) and one part of Rhine Falls. We were at zone no 1 and our plan was to go down all the way to the waterfall and the river to experience the waterfall closely. So from zone no 1, we wanted to see the castle and wanted to go all the way down to point/zone no 11. Zone no 11 is the best point to see the Rhine Falls.

Schloss Laufen (Laufen Castle)

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Schloss Laufen (Laufen Castle) was full of tourists, I mean I felt like the entire world's people were there. And the queue for going down to see the waterfall was huge. Infront of us at least 200 tourists were waiting.

Laufen Castle is a castle from the medieval period and is located in a very unique place. This home of the Barons of Laufen is located on a rocky mountain and roaring masses of water. The castle is now considered a tourist attraction spot and there is also a nice restaurant and youth hostel for the tourists. source.

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We didn't have much time to see the entire castle and also our group wanted to see the waterfall, not the castle. The hostel seemed nice. The massive wall of the castle was made of stone and pavement was also made of stone. Such a great masonry work. I find this water basin so creative and all the people were drinking water from there.

Waterfall can be seen from the castle and though the wall was large, the waterfall can be seen. I obviously took some photos.

^{Panoramic view of Rhine Falls from Laufen Castle}

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Unfortunately, we had to go back to another side of the waterfall because this zone was too crowded. The other side where we went later was called Castle Worth Rhine Falls. Before going there, our guide bought the ticket from the entrance of Castle Worth. So, another location...

Different types of activity packages were available there. 15-minute waterfall boat ride, 45-minute waterfall boat ride, and many more. If you are in a group of 20 people, tickets will be cheaper. We had to pay 19 CHF around 20 Euros per person for 45 minutes boat ride on the Rhine River and to see the waterfall closely.

Of course, we had to go down to see the waterfall. To be honest, from far away The Rhine Falls looks mysterious and mesmerizing. I have never seen such a powerful waterfall during summer. And the color of the water was turquoise so it looked magical. The sound of the waterfall was so soothing. This side of the Fall was less crowded compared to the Laufen Castle zone.

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Before boat riding, we had some time to walk around. I was tired so I didn't have the energy to explore Castle Worth. I just saw it from far away and decided to sit. I found a spot from where I was able to enjoy the Rhine Falls far away and I decided to do it.

^{I was tired but managed to live in the moment. Actually, my body was tired, not my mind.}

^{Castle Worth (Schloessli Woerth) and Rhine River}

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The spot I chose to sit was really a good spot. From there I saw Rhine Falls, Laufen Castle, and Castle Worth all together. It was a beautiful panoramic view.

It's very difficult to write about such a powerful waterfall because I am trying to find appropriate words to explain the location. This waterfall was found during the Ice Age, 14000, and 17000 years ago. The information I found while exploring the fall was this waterfall is located in Switzerland but it also shares the German border. This waterfall is situated between Schaffhausen (SH) and Zürich. source

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We didn't have enough time to do other activities at Rhine Falls. After a long journey, it was really hectic to climb the mountains or to walk around.

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When I saw that small car, I was like I want it. My legs were hurting so much. We also see a small city tour train. We didn't have time for that otherwise we would have loved to take a city tour. I saw a lot of Bangladeshi and Indian tourists there at Rhine Falls. It was nice to see people from my own culture...

Finally, the time arrived for the boat ride and we all hopped into the boat so quickly like we would miss the boat.

The water from the fall was crystal clear and turquoise in color. It was so clear that fish could be seen where the river was not deep. If you ever go there, don't miss to see the fishes...

^{Crystal clear water...}

I have to end this post here... In the next chapter, I will only focus on the waterfall, boat ride, and the history of the Rhine River...

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Love

Priyan...

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^{I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...}

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All images used are captured by the author...