SWITZERLAND
AND LAKES
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ALL ABOUT SWITZERLAND |
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SWISS RIVERS AND LAKES |
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| Swiss Rivers & Lakes · Rivers: Facts & Figures · Lakes: Facts & Figures River Rhine River Aare River Rhône River Reuss River Ticino River Linth/Limmat Swiss Tour |
Switzerland has lots of rivers and lakes. All major cities have their origin in the strategic advantages of their water related location for both trade and defense. Rivers Rhine [Rhein], Aare, Rhône, Reuss and Ticino are Switzerland's largest rivers. They all originate in the center of Switzerland's alps. |
| River | Cities / Towns | Lakes in Switzerland (including border lakes) |
Outflow | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhine | Chur, Schaffhausen, Basel | Bodensee [Lake Constance] | 439 m³/s (Koblenz) 1028 m³/s (Basel) |
North Sea (68%) |
| Thur | Frauenfeld | 46 m³/s | R. Rhine, North Sea | |
| Aare | Thun, Bern, Biel/Bienne Solothurn, Olten, Aarau |
Lakes of Brienz, Thun and Biel | 121 m³/s (Bern) 314 m³/s (Turgi) |
R. Rhine, North Sea |
| Saane/Sarine | Fribourg | 53 m³/s | R. Aare/Rhine, North Sea | |
| Reuss | Lucerne, Emmen | Lake Lucerne | 140 m³/s (Turgi) | R. Rhine, North Sea |
| Limmat | Zurich | Lake Zurich | 103 m³/s (Turgi) | R. Rhine, North Sea |
| Rhone | Geneva, Lausanne, Sion, Montreux, Vevey | Lake Geneva | 179 m³/s (St. Maurice) 335 m³/s (Geneva) |
Mediterranean Sea (18%) |
| Doubs | St. Ursanne | 33 m³/s | R. Rhone, Mediterranean Sea | |
| Ticino | Bellinzona, Locarno | Lago Maggiore | 70 m³/s (Locarno) | R. Po, Mediterranean Sea (10%) |
| Maggia | 16 m³/s | Lago Maggiore, Mediterranean Sea | ||
| En/Inn | St. Moritz, Scuol | Lake Silvaplana | 57 m³/s (Scuol) | R. Danube, Black Sea (4%) |
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Beautiful seemingly untouched nature and technical facilities of a highly industrialized and densely populated country - especially lots of hydroelectrical power plants and bridges - alternate from section to section. At best they may interact to form a synthesis with a completely new expression of their own.
| Lake | Main Influx Rivers | Outflow | Cities / Towns | Surface Area |
Height above Sea Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lac Léman [Lake Geneva] |
R. Rhône | R. Rhône | Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Vevey, Nyon | 582 km² [224 sq mi] | 372 m [1220 ft] |
| Bodensee [Lake Constance] |
R. Rhine | R. Rhine | Constance (Germany), Kreuzlingen, Arbon, Rorschach, Romanshorn, Steckborn | 539 km² [208 sq mi] | 396 m [1299 ft] |
| Lake Neuchâtel | R. Thielle R. Orbe R. Areuse | Zihlkanal | Neuchâtel, Yverdon-Les-Bains, Estavayer-Le-Lac | 217 km² [84 sq mi] | 429 m [1407 ft] |
| Lago Maggiore | R. Ticino R. Maggia | R. Ticino | Locarno, Ascona | 212 km² [82 sq mi] | 193 m [633 ft] |
| Vierwaldstättersee [Lake Lucerne] |
R. Reuss | R. Reuss | Lucerne, Brunnen, Küssnacht a. Rigi | 113 km² [44 sq mi] | 434 m [1423 ft] |
| Lake Zürich | Linthkanal | R. Limmat | Zurich, Rapperswil-Jona, Thalwil, Wädenswil | 88 km² [34 sq mi] | 406 m [1332 ft] |
| Lake Lugano | R. Aare | R. Aare | Lugano, Melide | 49 km² [19 sq mi] | 270 m [885 ft] |
| Lake Thun | R. Aare | R. Aare | Thun, Spiez, Interlaken | 48 km² [19 sq mi] | 558 m [1831 ft] |
| Lake Biel | R. Aare | R. Aare | Biel/Bienne, La Neuveville | 40 km² [15 sq mi] | 429 m [1407 ft] |
| Lake Zug | R. Lorze | R. Lorze | Zug, Cham, Walchwil, Immensee | 38 km² [15 sq mi] | 414 m [1358 ft] |
| Lake Brienz | R. Aare | R. Aare | Brienz, Interlaken | 30 km² [12 sq mi] | 564 m [1850 ft] |
| Walensee | R. Linth | Linth channel | Walenstadt | 24 km² [9 sq mi] | 419 m [1375 ft] |
| Lake Murten | R. Broye | canal de la Broye | Murten | 23 km² [9 sq mi] | 429 m [1407 ft] |
| Lake Sempach | R. Suhre | R. Suhre | Sempach, Sursee | 15 km² [6 sq mi] | 504 m [1654 ft] |
| Sihlsee | R. Sihl | R. Sihl | Einsiedeln | 11 km² [4 sq mi] | 889 m [2917 ft] |
| Lake Hallwil | R. Ron | R. Aabach | Beinwil, Hallwil | 10 km² [4 sq mi] | 449 m [1473 ft] |
| Lac de la Gruyère | R. sarine | R. Sarine | (Gruyères, Bulle) | 10 km² [4 sq mi] | 677 m [2221 ft] |
| Lac de Joux | R. Aare | R. Aare | Thun, Spiez, Interlaken | 9 km² [3 sq mi] | 1005 m [3297 ft] |
| Greifensee | R. Aare | R. Aare | Thun, Spiez, Interlaken | 9 km² [3 sq mi] | 435 m [1427 ft] |
| Lake Sarnen | R. Sarner Aa | R. Sarner Aa | Sarnen | 8 km² [3 sq mi] | 469 m [1539 ft] |
| Aegerisee | R. Lorze | R. Lorze | Oberägeri, Unterägeri | 7 km² [3 sq mi] | 724 m [2375 ft] |
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