One of the many falls of Trummelbach

Located a few miles south of Lauterbrunnen on the valley floor, Trummelbach is one of our favorite places to visit. Unlike most waterfalls, Trummelbach is not visible from the outside. That’s because most waterfalls are outside of the mountains they’re falling from. Trummelbach falls inside the mountain.

The water for Trummelbach comes from glaciers flowing down the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau mountains that overlook the Lauterbrunnen valley. This powerful flow has carved a path through the mountain, and Swiss engineers have created walkways, staircases, and windows to let us see the water as it comes through. There’s even an elevator of sorts (actually a funicular, but inside the mountain) to give you an initial lift up near the top.

As you exit the elevator and enter the mountain you hear the roar of the falls first. You don’t actually walk next to the water, but you might get damp from spray and the moisture in the air. Walkways are all paved and have safety guard rails. There are lots of stairs to climb, but the effort is worth it.

Colored lights have been placed in strategic places so that you can see the water and the effect that it has had on the rock in the mountain. The twisted rock shapes testify to the power of the water flow.

When you walk out of Trummelbach into the crisp mountain air, you can see the glacial stream as it exits the mountain and begins its flow down the valley to Lauterbrunnen. The beauty of the stream and the trees that surround it is wonderful.

Walk around the corner and you’re treated to a stunning view of the Lauterbrunnen valley, looking north.

And then to finish it off, there’s a nice coffee shop where you can sit, drink coffee and eat delicious kuchen (I had apple strudel), and wait for the bus back to town.

You never see the whole falls at once – just various parts of it traveling their course through the mountain. Sometimes the water collects in pools, and they overflow at the other end into new falls.