Staubbach Falls (german: Staubbachfall (sing.), lit.: dust creek fall) is a
waterfall in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, located just west of
Lauterbrunnen in the
Bernese Highlands. The waterfall drops from a
hanging valley that ends in overhanging cliffs above the
Weisse Lütschine Weisse or Weiße is a surname which means "white" in German. It may refer to:
People
* Charles H. Weisse (1866–1919), American politician
* Christian Felix Weiße (1726–1804), German writer
* Christian Hermann Weisse (1801–1866), German Prot ...
.
The stream, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, forms a cascade so high that it is almost lost in spray before it reaches the level of the valley. After rain, and early in the season when fed by melting snow, Staubbach Falls is very striking. The force of the stream above the fall at such times is sufficient to carry the water clear of the precipice, and the whole mass descends in a condition of liquid dust, between spray and cloud, that sways to-and-fro with the gentlest breeze. In a dry summer, when the supply of water is much reduced, the effect is comparatively insignificant.
[ John Ball, ''The Alpine Guide, Central Alps'', p. 75, London, 1866]
A visit by
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in 1779 provided the inspiration for his poem "
Gesang der Geister über den Wassern
"Gesang der Geister über den Wassern" () is a 1779 poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832). It may be best known in the English-speaking world through a musical setting of 1820–21 by Franz Schubert (1797–1828) as a part song for men ...
".
The falls were featured on the 3-centime Swiss
postage stamp of the 1930s.
See also
*
Trümmelbach Falls
The Trümmelbach Falls (german: Trimmelbachfälle or Trümmelbachfälle) in Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, are a series of ten glacier-fed waterfalls inside the mountain made accessible by the , stairs, and illumination.
Located in the Lauterbrun ...
, another notable waterfall in the Lauterbrunnen valley
References
{{Authority control
Waterfalls of Switzerland
Aare basin