The Rhine Falls in Neuhausen are an amazing spectacle. Not only by day, but also at dusk they are as equally special. During the evening hours they alternately appear to be a glacier and then romantic water music. The new Rhine Falls illuminations are the work of the lighting designer, Charles Keller, from St. Gallen.

Nothing could be further from Keller’s mind than to have a light spectacle stream over the Rhine Falls. His primary goal is to set the scene and stage for this natural phenomenon. This he achieves with the deliberate use of light. As dusk sets in, as a background, he brings the buildings of the area out of the darkness: the railway bridge, Schloss Laufen and industrial buildings.

But soon the roaring masses of water appear in the limelight. The light source, six masts with LED and metal halide lamps close to the water, turns the Rhine Falls into a nightly water spectacle. The flow of water is clearly visible, far different than with the earlier flat illumination of glaring spotlights.

The new Rhine Falls illuminations, which were a present from the electricity board of the Canton of Schaffhausen for its 100^th birthday, can be seen for 947 hours a year. In conjunction with the Federal Nature and Cultural Heritage Protection Commission there are no illuminations during the month of June, two weeks in the wintertime, as well as on the first weekend in April.