Rhine Falls hosts medieval market from 20 November
Published on 11/14/2026 at 14:15 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSMarket plans and waterfall setting
- Verein Turnei.ch brings the market to Schloss Laufen and Schlössli Wörth from 20 November 2026.
- The event connects two castles and both banks of the Rhine beside the waterfall.
- Rhine Falls is 150 metres wide and 23 metres high, according to Schaffhauserland Tourism.
Rhine Falls hosts the Medieval Christmas Market from 20 to 22 November 2026 in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, with activity planned on both sides of the Rhine. The event brings two castles together beside one of Europe’s largest waterfalls.
Medieval Christmas Market spans both banks
The market runs from Friday to Sunday around the waterfall, linking Laufen Castle on the southern bank with Schlössli Wörth in Neuhausen on the northern bank. The organiser describes a programme centred on merchants, craftspeople, musicians and jesters, giving the event a historical theme without removing the setting from the present-day visitor landscape.
The event is being presented as a joint market across two cantons and two historic castles. The organiser’s event page confirms the 20 to 22 November 2026 dates and names both Laufen Castle and Schlössli Wörth as venues. The official visitor listing also places the market at Rhine Falls on both sides of the river.
Rhine Falls gives the market its natural setting
The event uses the relationship between the two banks as part of its structure. Rather than occupying a single town square, the market is distributed between the castle above the falls and the riverside site at Schlössli Wörth, making the waterfall itself the fixed point between the venues.
Schaffhauserland Tourism records the falls as 150 metres wide and 23 metres high, with an average of 700,000 litres of water passing over the rocks every second. Its background information says the natural formation dates back 17,000 years. Those figures place the November market beside a geological feature that long predates the medieval theme adopted by the event. The same tourism authority identifies the central rock and boat trips as established parts of the visitor experience, although the market announcement does not state that every regular boat service will operate during the weekend.
The setting also divides the visit between Switzerland’s cantons. Laufen Castle is in the canton of Zurich, while Neuhausen and Schlössli Wörth are in the canton of Schaffhausen. The two venues therefore give the market a cross-river character that is specific to this waterfall and its two-bank visitor area.
Two castles shape the November visitor experience
The market is scheduled for the period immediately before the wider Advent season gathers pace. Its presence changes the character of the visit from a viewing stop into a dated public event, while the waterfall remains the geographical link between the stalls, performances and castle grounds.
For travellers, the principal practical point is that the event is not confined to Laufen Castle. The Neuhausen side is part of the announced venue, so a visit based only around the southern castle would omit one half of the market arrangement. The organiser’s listing identifies Schlössli Wörth at 8212 Neuhausen am Rheinfall and Laufen Castle at 8447 Dachsen.
Visiting Rhine Falls: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Medieval Christmas Market takes place from 20 to 22 November 2026 at Laufen Castle and Schlössli Wörth beside Rhine Falls.
- The announced event covers both banks of the Rhine, so the venue includes the Neuhausen side as well as the castle on the southern bank.
- Neuhausen am Rheinfall is in northern Switzerland, while Laufen Castle lies across the river in Dachsen in the canton of Zurich.
- German is the local official language in Neuhausen, and Switzerland uses the Swiss franc.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Rhine Falls
When does the Medieval Christmas Market take place at Rhine Falls?
The market is scheduled for 20 to 22 November 2026 at Laufen Castle and Schlössli Wörth.
Where is Rhine Falls and how do you get there?
Rhine Falls is in northern Switzerland beside Neuhausen am Rheinfall, with the announced event extending across the river to Laufen Castle in Dachsen.
What is Rhine Falls?
It is a waterfall 150 metres wide and 23 metres high, with an average of 700,000 litres of water passing over the rocks each second.
