Spring 2017: Schwarzwald & north Switzerland

April 2017 I had a week off and I decided to go to the Schwarzwald, in Germany, for a few days chasing waterfalls. Although I live in the Netherlands next to Germany, it was a five hour drive to get there. It was still cold and I even saw snow along the road in the high parts of the Schwarzwald. Maybe the end of May is a better period but the live of a teacher is going on holidays during school holidays.

My first stop was Triberg and I stayed here several days. A perfect base to explore the region. Even a drive to Switzerland is possible, so I did. But the first days I explored the Schwarzwald region with some surprising waterfalls. Off cause the famous Triberger wasserfälle, the highest waterfall in the region. The river Gutach drops down over 7 main stages and a trail, with several view points, is running along the river. At night the waterfalls are illuminated and can be visited for free. At least that was so in April, I don’t know if you have to pay admission in summertime.Don’t expect to much of the illumination. Only the lower part of the Triberger Wasserfälle is illuminated and just after sundown the effect is nice to see. When it gets really dark I did’t liked the orange light on the waterfall to much.

The Allerheiligen wasserfälle are close to Triberg and is great to see. A maintained path leads from the parking lot along all stages over wooden bridges and stairs through the gorge to the Monastery of Allerheiligen. From the parking it is only a 200 meter walk (2 minutes) until you see the first waterfall. A small one, but this was a nice beginning of the day. Don’t expect to much. Most drops are only 2-5 meter high with a biggest drop (sliding over big rocks) of appr 10 meter. Within 12 minutes you are at the top of the waterfall, but take your time to enjoy and take pictures.


Another great waterfall is the Burgbach wasserfall, a hidden gem in Germany. A nice walk through a dark forrest brings you in a short time to the base where you can take amazing pictures. A visit worthwhile!

A little further to the south there is another great waterfall I visited, the Todtnauer wasserfall. I think I likes this waterfall even more than the Triberger wasserfälle. Maybe because the weather was better....

At the end of my stay in teh Schwarzwald I drove to Schaffhausen In Switzerland to explore the most powerful waterfall on the European mainland. And they where impressive. A huge amount of water thunders down creating a loud thundering sound, which I like. The Rheinfall is one of the main tourist attractions in Switzerland and it can be crowded and commercial. You have to pay for the parking and for a boat ride, but I stayed ashore where you also have a good view on this amazing waterfall. a shame that the weather was a little bit grey and boring but I enjoyed my stay.