Visiting The Trummelbach Falls: A Masterpiece Of Nature

The Trummelbach Falls are impressive. Sure, you have seen waterfalls before. But have you seen one that is underground and so powerful it makes you want to hold onto the railing?

The Trummelbach Falls are definitely unique, so it is not surprising that they are also a World Heritage site. They are also in fact Europe’s largest underground waterfalls and feature a series of ten waterfalls that are fed directly from the impressive Bernese Alps above.

The glacial meltwater from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau provide a jaw-dropping 20,000 litres (5200 gallons) of water per second to these ear-pounding falls. They certainly won’t disappoint!

It does pay to be prepared before you head out to the falls, so here is all the important information you need.

General Information

Address
Opening Hours	April-November: 9 am to 5 pm July & August: 8:30 am to 6 pm
Ticket Prices	Adults: 14 CHF Children (6-16): 5 CHF
Discounts	10% with Camping Jungfrau card No group rates No other discounts including the Swiss Travel Pass
Not Permitted	Children 4 and under, Dogs
Accessibility	None (stairs, tunnels, slippery surfaces prevent this)
Toilets	At the restaurant near the road
Website	truemmelbachfaelle.ch

Visiting The Trümmelbach Falls

The Trummelbach Falls are actually 10 waterfalls at varying heights inside the mountain which can be accessed by a lift or stairs. When you first pass through the entrance gate you arrive at a funicular lift inside a tunnel that takes you around midway up the falls.

However, during my recent visit, I noticed there are a few things you should be aware of. The setup of the falls is a little confusing so read my section below on how to make sure you see all the falls. And you should be aware of what to wear on your visit.

What To Wear Inside The Falls

Although I should have expected it, I was surprised at how cold it was in the tunnels. It was reasonably warm outside, but the falls are both wet and cold making it a lot colder in the tunnels than in the valley. Ideally, wear a rain jacket as there are a couple of falls where both my glasses and me got wet when you get close to them.

The tunnels and steps are very slippery and sometimes inclined so be sure to wear good shoes and hold on to the rails and walls when you can.

How To See All The Waterfalls

When you first arrive at the falls, after passing through the entrance, you will come to the map above and face a few choices. Take the stairs or lift.

The Tümmelbach Falls are split up into two main sections:

• Falls 1-5
• Falls 6-10

The upper falls, numbered 6-10 on the map are easily accessed via the lift (a funicular inside a cave). If it gets busy or you want some more exercise, you can also take the stairs up to them.

The lower falls can be accessed via stairs from the bottom, but it is easier to also take the lift and walk down to them after seeing Falls 6-10.

Here is what I recommend you do

• Take the lift up to Falls 6-10
• Walk through the tunnels and up the stairs to the last falls
• Return to the same point and walk down the stairs to Falls 1-5
• Don’t miss Falls 1 & 2 which are separate

Note: Once you reach the lift entrance again don’t forget that Falls 1 & 2 via a separate set of stairs on the right-hand side of the lift. (see image above)

How Difficult Are The Stairs And Tunnels?

The stairs are only moderately steep, but you should be in reasonable shape if you want to see all these glacial waterfalls. The stairs also have handrails which are super handy and help with safety as you can imagine, it gets very wet inside the mountain. If you are traveling with children, keep an eye on them around the falls.

Given how slippery it can get I would recommend you wear shoes with good grip, something like a hiking or outdoor shoe is the best idea. Slippers or sandals are not the best in this situation.

Also, keep in mind you will encounter a lot of spray, so bring a waterproof jacket that you can put on if you find there is too much spray.

How To Reach The Trummelbach Falls

The Trummelbach Falls are in Lauterbrunnen Valley approximately 3 km north of Lauterbrunnen and can be reached on foot, by car, or by public transport.

By Public Transport

First, take the train to Lauterbrunnen train station. Then, take Bus 141 from anywhere in Lauterbrunnen to the bus stop Trümmelbachfälle. Use the SBB online trip planner to find the exact time and connections. In general, the buses run all day, every 30 minutes.

By Car

If you are coming by car, you can park at the entrance to the falls. It is on the main road in the Lauterbrunnen Valley floor around

• 2.5 km from Lauterbrunnen
• 19.4km from Grindelwald
• 16km from Interlaken

Parking is available right by the main road at the entrance to the falls. You can find the car park on Google Maps.

On Foot

Although any walk in the Lauterbrunnen Valley is a beautiful one, there is no specific path to the Trümmelbach Falls. So, you have to walk along the main road. This is the shortest way to get to the falls on foot, however, alternatively, you could walk on the town side of the river along a quieter road.

Google shows both ways on Google Maps.

Restaurant & Toilets

If you want to take a break and warm up after you have visited the falls, I recommend stopping at the lovely restaurant back near the road. Not only is it set in a beautiful green parklike area, it also has a great outside seating area you can relax in.

It is also the only place where you will find toilets at the Trümmelbach Falls, so keep that in mind while you visit. They are outside the restaurant on the right-hand side where the terrace is.

How do you go to Trummelbach Falls from Mürren?

To get to the Trummelbach Falls from Mürren you have a couple of options:

• Take the gondola down to Stechelberg and take Bus 141 to the falls (Approximately 47 minutes)
• Take the BLM train to Grütschalp, the gondola down to Lauterbrunnen and then the Bus 141 to the falls (Approximately 41km)

Mürren is only around 2km up the Lauterbrunnen Valley from the Trummelbach Falls. You could take a lovely walk along the valley to reach it, heading downhill, and return by bus. The bus ride is only 3 minutes each way.

Best Time to Visit

Trummelbach Falls can be visited any time between April and November. They are closed during the winter months due to ice and snow, which make the falls dangerous to visit.

The best time to visit the Trummelbach Falls is in summer when they are at full flow and things are at the driest inside the tunnels. The only challenge with this is that this is peak season. So, I would suggest May or June, or September and October are ideal.

Try to get to the falls early to avoid the crowds and the organized tours which tend to arrive a little later in the morning, but still early enough. I visited when they first opened at 8.30 am and there were only 3 other people there. An hour later when I was finished, there were two other couples I saw, but otherwise, it was quiet.

Trümmelbach Falls Photos

The following photos are a range of shots I took during my recent visit there. The ones in the darker tunnels are the upper part of the falls (6-10) while the lighter ones tend to be the lower falls (1-5).

Frequently Asked Questions

Header image source: clare_and_ben on Flickr)