The Rhine Falls, known locally as the Rheinfall, are located in northern Switzerland on the border of the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zurich, close to the towns of Neuhausen am Rheinfall and Laufen-Uhwiesen. The falls are about 150 meters wide and 23 meters high. In summer, up to 600 cubic meters of water per second pass over the rocks, which makes this the largest plain waterfall in Europe. Viewpoints, boat tours, and the surrounding castles draw many visitors each year.
The location also makes a good low-level sightseeing destination for virtual pilots. Developer nils8107 has now released ✨ Rheinfall (Rhine Falls) - Neuhausen / Laufen, Switzerland for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. It is a freeware scenery that recreates the falls and their surroundings.
The scenery is built from official Swiss open geodata published by swisstopo. Terrain and structures are based on swissSURFACE3D LiDAR data, swissALTI3D elevation data, SWISSIMAGE with 10 cm resolution, and swissBUILDINGS3D. According to the author, this means that rocks, cascades, riverbanks, and buildings are computed from real measurements instead of being modeled by eye.
The water is dynamic and flows over the rock formations in a series of cascading rapids. Particle spray effects rise from the base of the falls, and a distance-based waterfall sound becomes louder as you approach. This lets you judge your distance by ear as well as by sight when flying a helicopter or a slow aircraft along the river.
Several landmarks have been modeled in detail, including Laufen Castle and Schlössli Wörth. The historic mill is also included, with a turning water wheel. On the river, boats move with visible wakes, and fish jump out of the water near the falls. The scenery also covers the time after sunset. The night illumination follows the lighting schedule of the real falls, so the colors and timing match what visitors see on site. Seasonal fireworks displays are included for the Swiss National Day on August 1 and for New Year's Eve, which makes these dates interesting times to visit.
Download
The scenery is available for free on Flightsim.to. If you enjoy it, consider supporting nils8107 with a donation, as this helps fund further work on Swiss scenery projects: ✨ Download Rheinfall (Rhine Falls) - Neuhausen / Laufen, Switzerland on Flightsim.to.