# Reichenbach Falls

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Waterfall in Switzerland

This article is about the falls. For the 2007 film, see [*Reichenbach Falls* (film)](/source/Reichenbach_Falls_(film)). For the 2012 TV episode, see [The Reichenbach Fall](/source/The_Reichenbach_Fall).

Reichenbach Falls German: Reichenbachfälle Interactive map of Reichenbach Falls Location Schattenhalb Canton of Bern Switzerland Total height 250 m (820 ft) Number of drops 7 Average flow rate 3–5 m3/s (110–180 cu ft/s)

The Grand Reichenbach Fall at night

**Reichenbach Falls** ([German](/source/German_language): *Reichenbachfälle*) is a [waterfall](/source/Waterfall) in the [Bernese Oberland](/source/Bernese_Oberland) region of Switzerland,[1] which drop a height of 250 metres (820 ft).[2] In literature, the upper Great Reichenbach Fall is the location of the final altercation between [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle](/source/Arthur_Conan_Doyle)'s hero [Sherlock Holmes](/source/Sherlock_Holmes) and his greatest foe, [Professor Moriarty](/source/Professor_Moriarty), in "[The Final Problem](/source/The_Final_Problem)".

## Description

The Reichenbach Falls have a height of 250 metres (820 ft).[2] At 110 metres (360 ft), the upper Grand Reichenbach Fall ([German](/source/German_language): *Grosser Reichenbachfall*) is one of the highest waterfalls in the [Alps](/source/Alps).[3] It loses 290 metres (950 ft) of height from the top of the falls to the valley floor of the [Haslital](/source/Haslital).[1] A [hydroelectric](/source/Hydroelectric) power company harnesses the flow of the Reichenbach Falls during certain times of year, reducing its flow.[4][5]

## Location

The falls are located in the lower part of the [Reichenbachtal](/source/Reichenbachtal), on the Rychenbach, a tributary (from the south bank) of the [Aare](/source/Aare). They are some 1.5 km (0.93 mi) south of the town of [Meiringen](/source/Meiringen), and [Interlaken](/source/Interlaken). Politically, the falls are within the municipality of [Schattenhalb](/source/Schattenhalb) in the [canton of Bern](/source/Canton_of_Bern).[1][4]

The falls are made accessible by the [Reichenbach Funicular](/source/Reichenbach_Funicular). The lower station is some 20 minutes' walk, or a six-minute bus ride, from [Meiringen railway station](/source/Meiringen_railway_station) on the [Brünig railway line](/source/Br%C3%BCnig_railway_line) that links Interlaken and [Lucerne](/source/Lucerne).[1][4]

## In popular culture

### Arthur Conan Doyle's *Sherlock Holmes* stories

The town and the falls are known worldwide as the setting for a fictional event: it is the location where [Sir Arthur Conan Doyle](/source/Sir_Arthur_Conan_Doyle)'s hero, [Sherlock Holmes](/source/Sherlock_Holmes), fights to the death with [Professor Moriarty](/source/Professor_Moriarty), at the end of "[The Final Problem](/source/The_Final_Problem)", first published in 1893. A memorial plate at the [funicular](/source/Funicular) station commemorates Holmes, and there is also a Sherlock Holmes museum in the nearby town of [Meiringen](/source/Meiringen).[6]

Out of many [waterfalls](/source/Waterfall) in the [Bernese Oberland](/source/Bernese_Oberland), Reichenbach Falls seems to have made the greatest impression on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was shown them on a Swiss holiday by his host [Sir Henry Lunn](/source/Henry_Simpson_Lunn), the founder of [Lunn Poly](/source/Lunn_Poly). Sir Henry's grandson, [Peter Lunn](/source/Peter_Lunn), recalled, "My grandfather said 'Push him over the Reichenbach Falls' and Conan Doyle hadn’t heard of them, so he showed them to him." So impressed was Doyle that he decided to let his hero die there.[6]

The actual ledge from which Moriarty fell is on the other side of the falls from the funicular; it is accessible by climbing the path to the top of the falls, crossing the bridge and following the trail down the hill. The ledge is marked by a plaque as illustrated here; the English inscription reads: "At this fearful place, Sherlock Holmes vanquished Professor Moriarty, on 4 May 1891." The pathway on which the duel between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty occurs ends some hundred metres away from the falls. When Doyle viewed the falls, the path ended very close to the falls, close enough to touch it, yet over the hundred years after his visit, the pathway has become unsafe and slowly eroded away, and the falls have receded further back into the gorge.[6]

### In other media

The Reichenbach Falls are the subject of several early 19th-century paintings by the English [Romantic](/source/Romanticism) landscape painter [J. M. W. Turner](/source/J._M._W._Turner).[7][8][9]

The indie band [Ravens & Chimes](/source/Ravens_%26_Chimes) named its debut album (released in 2007) after the falls.[10]

Another indie band, [Racing Mount Pleasant](/source/Racing_Mount_Pleasant) (formerly Kingfisher), has a song named after the falls on its 2022 debut album.[11]

Many adaptations of Sherlock Holmes have featured the confrontation at Reichenbach, notably including the [Granada Television series](/source/Sherlock_Holmes_(1984_TV_series)), starring [Jeremy Brett](/source/Jeremy_Brett) as Sherlock Holmes. The Granada adaptation of *The Final Problem*, with [David Burke](/source/David_Burke_(British_actor)) as Dr Watson and [Eric Porter](/source/Eric_Porter) as Professor Moriarty, was filmed at the real Reichenbach Falls. The series later returned there for some scenes in *The Empty House*, with [Edward Hardwicke](/source/Edward_Hardwicke) as Watson.

*[Reichenbach Falls](/source/Reichenbach_Falls_(film))* was also the title of a 2008 [BBC Four](/source/BBC_Four) TV drama by James Mavor, based on an idea by [Ian Rankin](/source/Ian_Rankin) and set in [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh). Numerous historical characters associated with the city, including Conan Doyle and his mentor Dr [Joseph Bell](/source/Joseph_Bell), are mentioned in the story.[12]

*[Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows](/source/Sherlock_Holmes%3A_A_Game_of_Shadows)*, a [2011 film](/source/2011_in_film) adaptation inspired by "The Final Problem", also hosts the falls, although in this adaptation, a large castle has been built over them, replacing the pathway.[13]

The third episode from the 2012 second series of the [BBC](/source/BBC) drama *[Sherlock](/source/Sherlock_(TV_series))*, "[The Reichenbach Fall](/source/The_Reichenbach_Fall)" (inspired by "The Final Problem"), is a play on the waterfall's name.[14][15] The special episode of *Sherlock*, "[The Abominable Bride](/source/The_Abominable_Bride)", which was broadcast on 1 January 2016, featured a re-creation of the showdown between Sherlock and Moriarty set in Victorian times, as depicted in the book.

The final season of the TV series *[Elementary](/source/List_of_Elementary_episodes)* features a villain named Odin Reichenbach. The second-last episode, in which the character meets justice, is titled "Reichenbach Falls".

		- The Holmes plaque on the ledge

		- Holmes and Moriarty fighting at Reichenbach Falls, by [Sidney Paget](/source/Sidney_Paget)

		- *The Great Fall of the Reichenbach, in the Valley of Hasle, Switzerland* (1804, watercolour on paper) by [J. M. W. Turner](/source/J._M._W._Turner)

## See also

- [List of waterfalls](/source/List_of_waterfalls)

- [List of waterfalls in Switzerland](/source/List_of_waterfalls_in_Switzerland)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-swisstopo_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-swisstopo_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-swisstopo_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-swisstopo_1-3) ["1210 - Innertkirchen"](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/en/products/maps/national/lk25?layer=ch.swisstopo.landeskarte25_papier.metadata&product=1210&productIdentifier=1210&childGroupIdentifier=lk25eb#product-1210) (Map). [*Reichenbachfall*](https://s.geo.admin.ch/745eff8c08) (2015 ed.). 1:25 000. National Map 1:25'000. Wabern, Switzerland: Federal Office of Topography – [swisstopo](/source/Swisstopo). 2013. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-302-01210-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-302-01210-0). Retrieved 11 July 2017 – via map.geo.admin.ch.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-worldwaterfall_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-worldwaterfall_2-1) ["Reichenbachfall"](https://www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com/waterfall/223). *World Waterfall Database*. Retrieved 18 November 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Schwick, Christian; Spichtig, Florian (eds.). ["Wasserfall-DB"](http://www.waterfall.ch/index.php?N1_ID=177&N2_ID=171&Language=de). *waterfall.ch* (in German). Zurich, Switzerland: Schweizerische Greina-Stiftung (SGS). Retrieved 11 July 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-RBFF_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-RBFF_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-RBFF_4-2) ["Reichenbach Funicular"](http://www.grimselwelt.ch/bahnen/reichenbachfall-bahn). *Grimselwelt*. Innertkirchen, Switzerland: Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG. Retrieved 11 July 2017. The thundering waters of the Reichenbach Waterfall

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Visit the Reichenbach Waterfalls near Meiringen in Switzerland"](http://www.european-traveler.com/switzerland/visit-the-reichenbach-waterfalls-near-meiringen-in-switzerland/). European Traveller. Retrieved 16 January 2012.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-plobit_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-plobit_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-plobit_6-2) ["Peter Lunn"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/special-forces-obituaries/8939098/Peter-Lunn.html). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. London. 6 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["The Great Fall of the Reichenbach, in the Valley of Hasle, Switzerland, 1804, Joseph Mallord William Turner"](http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-the-great-fall-of-the-reichenbach-in-the-valley-of-hasle-switzerland-tw0018). Tate, London. Retrieved 6 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["The Great Fall of the Reichenbach, Switzerland, 1802, Joseph Mallord William Turner"](http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-the-great-fall-of-the-reichenbach-switzerland-tw0896). Tate, London. Retrieved 6 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["The Upper Falls of the Reichenbach, 1802, Joseph Mallord William Turner"](http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-the-upper-falls-of-the-reichenbach-tw0491). Tate, London. Retrieved 6 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Levack, Chandler (3 October 2007). ["Ravens and Chimes"](https://www.spin.com/2007/10/ravens-and-chimes/). *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))*. Retrieved 6 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Grip Your Fist, I'm Heaven Bound"](https://genius.com/albums/Kingfisher-mi-and-racing-mount-pleasant/Grip-your-fist-im-heaven-bound). Genius. Retrieved 26 February 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Reichenbach Falls (2007)"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862641/plotsummary). [Internet Movie Database](/source/Internet_Movie_Database). Retrieved 6 January 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Framestore - Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows | AEAF News"](http://www.vfxfestival.com/AEAF-News/framestore-sherlock-holmes-a-game-of-shadows). Vfxfestival.com. Retrieved 2 February 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-woll_14-0)** Wollaston, Sam (15 January 2012). ["TV review: Sherlock | Call the Midwife | Hugh's Hungry Boys"](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/jan/15/tv-review-sherlock). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. London. Retrieved 16 January 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-crompton_15-0)** Crompton, Sarah (15 January 2012). ["Sherlock: final episode, BBC One, review"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9013972/Sherlock-final-episode-BBC-One-review.html). *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. London. Retrieved 16 January 2012.

## External links

English [Wikisource](/source/Wikisource) has original text related to this article:

**[Reichenbach Falls](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/en:Special:Search/Reichenbach_Falls)**

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Reichenbach Falls](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Reichenbach_Falls).

- [Reichenbach Funiclar](http://www.grimselwelt.ch/en/transport-lift/reichenbachfall)

- [Photos from the Sherlock Holmes Society of London](http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/galleries/beeline/pages/23160795_jpg.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081204153507/http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/galleries/beeline/pages/23160795_jpg.htm) 2008-12-04 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- ["Reichenbach Falls", BBC Four Film & Drama](https://web.archive.org/web/20070303074805/http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/cinema/features/reichenbach-falls.shtml)

v t e Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes Canon Adaptations Pastiches Popular culture Novels A Study in Scarlet (1887) The Sign of the Four (1890) The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) The Valley of Fear (1915) Story collections The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1892) The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (1894) The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905) His Last Bow (1917) The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes (1927) Characters Sherlock Holmes Dr. Watson Professor Moriarty Inspector Lestrade Mycroft Holmes Mrs. Hudson Irene Adler Colonel Moran Baker Street Irregulars Minor characters Giant rat of Sumatra Uncollected stories "The Field Bazaar" (1896) "The Story of the Lost Special" (1898) "How Watson Learned the Trick" (1924) Universe 221B Baker Street Baritsu Diogenes Club The Dynamics of an Asteroid Reichenbach Falls A Treatise on the Binomial Theorem Studies Sherlockian game Holmesian studies The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes From Holmes to Sherlock The Great Detective Naked Is the Best Disguise Related Sherlock Holmes fandom Sherlockiana Sherlock Holmes Museum The Sherlock Holmes The Baker Street Irregulars The Baker Street Journal The Bootmakers of Toronto Sidney Paget The Strand Magazine Undershaw Category

[46°42′49″N 8°10′59″E / 46.71361°N 8.18306°E / 46.71361; 8.18306](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Reichenbach_Falls&params=46_42_49_N_8_10_59_E_region:CH-BE_type:waterbody)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Reichenbach Falls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichenbach_Falls) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichenbach_Falls?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.