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 Rhône River Aare River Reuss River Linth/Limmat Swiss Tour |
Swiss Rivers and LakesSwitzerland 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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