Trummelbach Falls Guide
Trümmelbach Falls is a series of waterfalls that carve through the side of the rocky cliff face to make their way to the valley below. The naturally formed chasms in the rock with over 20,000 liters of water flowing through per second is an impressive sight to all who come.
Below you will find information on how to book, how to get there, and reasons to visit.
If you are in the Lauterbrunnen area, this sight is a must!
Brief Overview
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Trummelbach Falls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley of Switzerland may be one of the most awe-inspiring natural attractions you will ever visit! With its series of 10 waterfalls thundering down inside a mountain, nothing can quite prepare you for witnessing the sheer power of Mother Nature at work.
What To Expect
Trummelbach Falls are Europe’s largest subterranean waterfalls and the only underground falls that are easily accessible to the public. These waterfalls are part of Lauterbrunnen’s Valley of 72 Waterfalls, which is probably best-known for Staubbach Falls that you see in all the pictures of Lauterbrunnen. However, Trummelbach Falls are a thousand times more impressive than Staubbach Falls!
Trummelbach is fed by the meltwater from the glaciers of the Eiger (3,970m), Monck (4,099m) and Jungfrau (4,158m) and carries a jaw-dropping 20,000 litres of water per second down to the valley!
This water carries an additional 20,000+ tons of scree and boulders per year, all contributing to the falls breathtaking power. The highest fall is 290m (950 ft) and the total drop is 400 m (1300 ft), with a drainage area of 24 km
Opening Hours and Ticket Prices
Trummelbach Falls are open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily from the beginning of April to the
beginning of November, and from 8.30 AM to 6 PM daily in July and August.
The cost of visiting the Falls is 12 CHF / £9 for adults and 5 CHF / £4 for children
(CHF is about the same value as USD or Euro). You can only buy tickets upon arrival and pay cash or by credit card.
The Trummelbach site is privately owned. There are no discounts at Trummelbach with
either Swiss pass or Eurail pass. Trummelbach Falls are well worth the
entrance fee, so don’t let this stop you
How much time you need
Depending on how busy it is, you’ll need 1-2 hours to visit Trummelbach Falls. That’s if you
want to visit all the viewing points and also take some time to enjoy them, take pictures,
etc.
Our experience: We visited Trummelbach on a cloudy morning at the end of July and spent
about 25 minutes waiting for the elevator. After that, we spent a bit less than an hour
visiting the falls (we visited all 10 of them). Our total visit time was 1h20 – with plenty of
time to enjoy everything.
How to experience it
10 glacier-waterfalls are accessible via an ingenious network of walkways, tunnels, galleries, and overlooks leading into and through the mountain. These are the only waterfalls in the world that can be viewed this way. It is incredible to be able to see them from so many different perspectives.
There are many steps to negotiate at Trummelbach and you have to be in reasonable physical shape in order to visit. You can either take the stairs or use the funicular elevator included in the cost of entry which takes you up part of the way. Either way, you’ll have to do at least some stairs in order to visit the best viewpoints of the falls.
A trip with the elevator built in the mountain in 1913 is an experience in itself. This lift takes you up from the valley to the point between the 6th and the 7th waterfalls. From there, you can either walk up to see the upper falls (7-10) or walk down back to the valley, passing the lower falls (6-1) along the way.
We recommend taking the elevator up and visiting the upper section which gives the most spectacular views. After that, you can either take the elevator back down (perfect for those with limited mobility) or walk all the way down to the ground level (recommended).
If you are fit enough, we recommend walking down instead of taking an elevator. That way you can see all the 10 waterfalls and get a complete picture of what Trummelbach is like. As you walk down, you’ll also have some lovely views across the valley to Aegertenbach Falls, north to the Staubbach Falls and down to the Murrenbach Falls to the south.
If you don’t want to waste time waiting for the elevator, you can also use the steps to walk all the way to the top (level 10), then walk back down to the elevator (level 6-7) and take it down the rest of the way. Or you can walk up and down the choice is yours.
How to get there
The Trummelbach Falls are located about 3km south of Lauterbrunnen Village and
approximately 16 km from Interlaken. If you don’t have a car, you can take a train from
Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen. The train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen only takes
about 20 minutes.
Once in Lauterbrunnen, you’ll need to either take a bus, a bike or walk to Trummelbach
Falls. Below are all the options:
By Bus
To get to Trummelbach Falls from Lauterbrunnen, you can take bus #141 from outside the
train station. It runs hourly and takes around 10 minutes to reach the falls. Cost 2-3 CHF.
TIP: Returning to Lauterbrunnen after visiting the Falls, you might like to take the Staubbach Falls Trail. It’s a beautiful 50-60-minute walk along a relatively flat valley floorbeside the river. See below for more information.
By Car
You can also drive to Trummelbach from Lauterbrunnen, taking the main road up to the
valley, towards Stechelberg. It takes around 5 minutes and there is a free car park close to the falls.
Tips
Trummlebach Falls are not wheelchair accessible. The steps are not particularly steep and they do have a metal handrail. However, you still need to be reasonably fit in order to climb to the uppermost viewing areas
Sensible footwear is a must! The stone steps inside the mountain can be quite slick, somwear shoes with a good grip. Hiking shoes are the best. Sandals, flip-flops, and heels are not just unsuitable, they can be dangerous and you can be turned away for wearing them.
Prepare to get wet, even if you don’t walk right up to the edge of the viewing areas. The
significant sprayback leaves a constant fine mist in the air that stealthy soaks into
everything! If you want to protect your head, use a hood, not an umbrella. Some of the tight paths and overhangs make using an umbrella impossible. You might also want to consider buying a rain cover for your backpack if it isn’t waterproof.
It’s also a good idea to wear a rain jacket, also in summer. The temperature inside can be
very cool, even during the middle of summer. In a colder season, you may want to consider gloves. The metal handrail for the steps is always wet and it can start to feel very cold if you need to use it often.
There is a cafe with outdoor seating (and great views!) beside the car park. You’ll also find a small souvenir shop. There is also a bathroom, but it’s important to note that there are no bathroom facilities once you enter the falls.
We hope you enjoyed this guide to Trummlebach Falls. Feel free to leave comments below or to ask us any questions.
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