Visit the beautiful Alpine village that inspired The Hobbit | Travel News | Travel

The name ‘Lauter Brunnen’ literally means ‘many fountains’, according to MySwitzerland.com. That refers to the 72 waterfalls that are sprinkled across the valley. 

The highest waterfall is Staubbach Falls, plunging almost 300 metres. Another sight is Black Monk Mountain, where 20,000 litres of water flow over the 200-metre-tall rocks every second. 

From Lauterbrunnen, you can take a lift to the Top of Europe, or the Jungfraujoch Sphinx Observatory. The lookout is over 3,000 metres above sea level and a UNESCO World Heritage Sight.