Engstligen Falls

The Engstligenfalle drop in two stages down the headwall at the end of the Engstligen valley, and the combined fall is about 370 metres - the two tiers are some 97 and 165 metres - and the water spreads across the rock rather than falling clear. They are fed by the Engstligenalp above, a wide high plain of about six square kilometres, and the falls have been protected since 1948 and carry one of the largest volumes of any Alpine waterfall. A cable car climbs beside the falls to the alp; the walking path up is steep and takes a couple of hours. In early summer the melt makes the falls thunder; by autumn they are much quieter.

Highlights

• A two-tier fall of about 370 metres - tiers of some 97 and 165 metres.
• The Engstligenalp above - a wide high plain feeding the water.
• A cable car beside the fall - the alternative to a steep two-hour climb.
• Meltwater timing - loud in June, thin by autumn.

When to go

May to October; June for the strongest flow. Half a day.

Things to know

The total-drop figure flatters the sight: the water is spread across rock rather than a single plunge. Late-season flow is modest. The path up is steep and slippery in spray. The cable car has limited hours.

Nearby

Adelboden is up the valley; Lenk and the Simmental are over the ridge.

Key facts