Lauterbrunnen Sightseeing: Falls and Peaks

November 7, 2026

Lauterbrunnen lies in a steep-walled glacial valley inside the UNESCO World Heritage area Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch. The valley is often called the valley of 72 waterfalls, and you see many of them from the station platform. The main sights are the falls on the valley floor and the views from the terraces and summits above. Prices are in Swiss francs (CHF).

Staubbach Falls

The village landmark drops 297 m from the cliff edge and is the highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland. In wind the water turns to drifting spray before it reaches the ground, which gives the fall its name. A free path leads from the foot of the falls up to the Staubbach Gallery behind the spray, open from May to October; it is steep, wet and slippery. In the high season the falls are lit at night. Goethe saw them in 1779 and wrote “Gesang der Geister über den Wassern” (Song of the Spirits over the Waters).

Trümmelbach Falls

About 3 km up the valley, the Trümmelbach drains the glaciers of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau through ten waterfalls hidden inside the mountain. A tunnel lift and lit galleries take you close to the water, which can reach 20,000 litres a second in the melt season. The name refers to the drumming sound. Admission is CHF 18 for adults and CHF 8 for children aged 6 to 15; children under 4 and dogs are not allowed. Open daily from early April to early November. PostBus 141 stops at the entrance. See the Trümmelbach Falls site .

Mürrenbach Falls

At the head of the valley near Stechelberg, the Mürrenbach falls about 417 m in several steps down the cliff below Mürren and is often listed as the highest waterfall in Switzerland. You see it from the road and from the Schilthornbahn valley station. It is at its fullest after rain and in early summer.

Schilthorn and Piz Gloria

From Stechelberg the cableway climbs to Mürren, Birg and the 2,970 m summit, where Piz Gloria turns once in 45 minutes. On a clear day you see more than 200 peaks, from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau to Mont Blanc. At Birg (2,677 m), the free Thrill Walk follows the rock face on a steel walkway with a glass floor. A return from Stechelberg is CHF 115 (CHF 45.70 with a Swiss Travel Pass). Check the Schilthornbahn site for afternoon last departures and maintenance breaks.

Wengen, Mürren and Gimmelwald

The three terrace villages have no road from the valley. Wengen faces the Jungfrau from the sunny east side and is reached by the WAB cog railway in about 15 minutes. Mürren and Gimmelwald sit on the cliff edge on the west side, reached by the cable car to Grütschalp and the cliff railway, or by the Schilthornbahn from Stechelberg. Walking through them costs nothing; please keep to paths across the hay meadows.

Lauterbrunnen church

The white reformed church in the village dates back to the church the valley people built in 1487 and 1488; the present building is from the 1830s. With Staubbach Falls behind it, it is the classic valley photograph. It is a working parish church, so visit quietly.

Tips

Trümmelbach and the Staubbach Gallery are summer-only, and the summit lifts have short maintenance breaks in spring and late autumn.
Guided sightseeing tours are listed under Lauterbrunnen sightseeing on GetYourGuide .