Reichenbach Falls

Waterfalls in Bern

Reichenbach-falls Wetterhorn
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Juck He

The Reichenbach Falls are a stunning cascade of seven steps on the Rychenbach stream in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. These waterfalls drop a total of about 250 meters (820 feet), with the upper falls, known as the Grand Reichenbach Fall (German: Grosser Reichenbachfall), being the tallest segment at 110 meters (360 feet). This makes it one of the highest waterfalls in the Alps and among the forty highest in Switzerland. From the top of the falls to the valley floor of Haslital, the Reichenbach loses 290 meters (950 feet) in height. Today, the flow of the falls is harnessed by a hydroelectric power company during certain times of the year, which reduces its flow.

In popular literature, the Grand Reichenbach Fall is famously known as the site of the climactic confrontation between Sherlock Holmes and his arch-nemesis, Professor Moriarty, in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story “The Final Problem.”

The Reichenbach Falls are located in the lower part of the Reichenbachtal, on the Rychenbach, a tributary of the Aare. They are approximately 1.5 km (0.93 mi) south of the town of Meiringen and Interlaken, within the municipality of Schattenhalb in the canton of Bern.

The falls are accessible via the Reichenbach Funicular, with the lower station located about a 20-minute walk or a 6-minute bus ride from the Meiringen railway station on the Brünig railway line, which connects Interlaken and Lucerne.

The Reichenbach Falls appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Bern!

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Visiting Reichenbach Falls

Address: Reichenbachfall Reichenbach 3860 Meiringen Switzerland
Duration: 20 minutes

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