| Duration: | 1 Day(s) - 0 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Full Day Tours |
The magnificent glacier-fed Trümmelbach Falls (Trümmelbachfälle), a series of 10 waterfalls in a cave-like environment, is hidden inside a mountain in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. It's a natural UNESCO World Heritage site. The Trümmelbach Falls are the world’s only glacier waterfalls that are accessible underground by lifts, tunnels, paths, and platforms.
Trümmelbach» comes from «Trommelbach» meaning a stream that sounds like a drum. The amount of water in the falls varies greatly depending on the season. From December to March there is just a little stream trickling down under thick sheets of ice. After frosty nights in April and October, the flow of water measures a few dozen liters a second. But in the summer the little stream becomes a mighty river.
The Trümmelbach alone drains the mighty glacier defiles of Mönch (4099 meters), the Jungfrau (4158 meters), and the Eiger (3970 meters) and carries 20,200 tons of boulder detritus per year.
Its drainage area is 24 square kilometers, half of it is covered by snow and glaciers. The falls carry up to 20,000 liters of water per second. The torrent carved its way through solid rock and debris over thousands of years and sculpted elegant and impressive shapes of rock formations. The result is spectacular and the thunder from crashing waters is deafening.
A tunnel elevator takes the edge off an otherwise steep climb. The lift leads up to a platform from where the uppermost waterfalls are accessed. The path leads over a small bridge, up a few flights of stairs and walkways, and partly through dimly lit tunnels to the highest waterfall. Freezing spray makes the path and stairs slippery and the caves damp. Spray and droplets from above won't let you get away dry.
The Trümmelbach Falls facilities include a self-serve restaurant with a scenic terrace and a small souvenir shop. The restaurant has drinks, both hot and cold, homemade specialties as well as cakes and pastries.
