Seerenbach Falls

The Seerenbach comes off the shelf above the north shore of the Walensee in three stages that together fall about 585 metres - 50, 305 and 190 metres from top to bottom - and the middle stage is counted among the highest waterfalls in Switzerland. What makes the system unusual is the Rinquelle, a karst spring that joins the lowest stage in its own 48-metre fall; it emerges directly from a cliff face as a full river rather than building up from a stream - the cave system behind it was explored between 1953 and 1981 - and in high melt it can discharge with real force out of the rock. Fed from the karst plateau behind, the falls respond to snowmelt and rain with a delay and can shrink markedly in dry spells. The walk in from Weesen along the shore takes about an hour and a half.

Highlights

• Three stages, nearly 600 metres - the middle one about 305 on its own.
• The Rinquelle - a karst spring bursting out of the cliff as a full river.
• Karst-fed timing - strong after melt and rain, thin in dry spells.
• A shore walk in - about ninety minutes from Weesen.

When to go

May to October; May and June for the most water. Half a day.

Good to know

Late-summer flow can be disappointing. The path from Weesen is long enough to matter and there is no road to the falls. Betlis has one restaurant. Boat times back are limited.

Nearby

Betlis and Quinten are along the shore; Amden is on the terrace above.

Key facts