Staubbach Falls at Lauterbrunnen, Canton of Bern, Switzerland Jan 3, 2026

Staubbach Falls at Lauterbrunnen, Canton of Bern, Switzerland

Our picture of the day takes us to the Swiss village of Lauterbrunnen, where the Staubbach Falls shimmer in the distance beyond a quiet alpine valley. The falls cascade 297 metres down a towering cliff, one of Europe"s highest free-falling waterfalls, creating a shimmering veil of mist that can be seen for miles around. The town of Lauterbrunnen, with its 72 waterfalls, is often considered one of the most picturesque valleys in the world. This is the landscape a young traveller, J.R.R. Tolkien, crossed during a hiking trip in 1911, long before he became the storyteller behind "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." Its soaring cliffs, silver waterfalls and crisp mountain air left a lasting impression and are believed to have inspired his vision of Rivendell, the elven refuge hidden deep in Middle-earth.

© pongnathee kluaythong/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jan 3, 2024Lake Minnewanka, Alberta, Canada
Jan 3, 2025Radcliffe Camera and All Souls College, University of Oxford, England

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Aug 10, 2025Lioness in Kenya
July 15, 2026Marie Lake, John Muir Wilderness near Bishop, California, USA
Sept 2, 2026Beach huts, Southwold, Suffolk Heritage Coast, England
July 3, 2026Fireflies glowing above a stream, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Mar 9, 2025St Marks Clock Tower, Venice, Italy
Apr 24, 2025Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska, United States
Mar 15, 2024Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA
Feb 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Aug 24, 2023Shark Fin Cove, California, USA
Mar 27, 2026Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Sep 27, 2023French River, Ontario, Canada
Dec 28, 2024Green sea turtle, New Caledonia
Jul 24, 2024Swaledale sheep in North Yorkshire, England
Mar 17, 2025Samuel Beckett Bridge, Dublin, Ireland
Aug 27, 2025Sørvágsvatn lake, island of Vágar, Faroe Islands
Dec 19, 2025Bormio, Lombardy, Italy
July 22, 2026Port de Saint-Goustan, Auray, Brittany, France
Sep 29, 2025Rainbow houses, Netherlands
Dec 28, 2023Humpback whale
Jun 20, 2025Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Iceland
Oct 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon, USA
Dec 4, 2023Cheetah and her cubs
Feb 7, 2024St. James Tidal Pool, Cape Town, South Africa
Feb 25, 2026Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska, United States
Dec 13, 2025Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, United States
Dec 25, 2023Reindeer running in snow
Nov 25, 2025Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
Feb 22, 2024Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
July 18, 2026Devils Bridge, Kromlau, Saxony, Germany
Feb 1, 2025Königstein Fortress, Saxon Switzerland, Germany