The waterfalls are relatively low in height compared to other waterfalls. The water spills over the edge of the cliff at a rate of 750,000 liters per second. This is about a fifth of the volume of water that flows over the Niagara Falls. However it is more than enough to discourage visitors from leaning to far over the railing to get their photographs of the Rhine.
Rhine Falls Waterfall
The Urban Waterfall, the Rhine Falls in Switzerland is a series of three falls which are the Zürcher, Schaffhauser, and Mühle falls. It is said to be the largest waterfall in Western Europe. Its height is at 25 meters and its width is about 150 meters. Located in the relatively urban area of Schaffhausen, the falls have been well known in Europe for many years.
The Rhine Falls has three sections which are divided by islets of sharp, jagged limestone rock that is piled up against the waterfall. According to reports, these are old remnants of the waterfall cliff that eroded and collapsed and somehow defied the powers of the rushing water to tumble them downstream. On both sides of the Rhine River, there is a thick forested area of local trees and shrubs. Beyond the vegetation is the city of Schaffhausen of narrow alleys and old stucco and brick architecture. The Rhine Falls may not par along with the other waterfalls that are famous throughout the world but seen in person it is said that they rouse admiration and respect.
The Rhine waterfalls were created about 15,000 years ago during the Würm ice age when glaciers began to retreat and left behind a landscape filled with grooves and other scars from the heavy ice. Accordingly, it was the glaciers that forced the River Rhine to change course several time in its history. As a result, new riverbeds were carved out in the limestone rock surrounding the area. Several old fossil riverbeds have been found filled in over the years with sediment. The limestone bed and cliffs that the waterfalls flow over now are made of material which is hard and difficult to erode. Yet according to the geology of the area, the cliffside will eventually disintegrate and collapse once more. And the waterfall will be effectively pushed to another few feet backwards.
Also, the well-known falls were part of an old important trade route. It was part of the trade route that flows from the Lake Constance, Bodenensee in the local language used from the 13th to the 19th centuries to transport salt from Lake Constance to the area of Basel. Today, the Rhine Falls are very busy with over 50,000 tourists visiting on a daily basis. This also makes it one of the easier falls to get to having its location just outside of a small city. Another fun thing to experience while visiting the Rhine Falls is to ride on one of the daredevil boats that scurry around the base of the falls for a better angle to get the best picture.