Pfäffikersee (or ''Lake Pfäffikon'') is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in the

canton of Zürich The canton of Zürich (german: Kanton Zürich ; rm, Chantun Turitg; french: Canton de Zurich; it, Canton Zurigo) is a Swiss canton in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton in the ...

, Switzerland, near the town of Pfäffikon. It is 2.5 km long and 1.3 km wide at the middle. The lake was created in the last ice age when a

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice shee ...

blocked off the ability for the lake to empty north towards

Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria), La ...

. There is also a

hiking trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

around the lake that people often bike and walk on, and the area is considered protected lands, among them the ''

Robenhauser Ried Robenhausen is a locality in Wetzikon, one of the municipalities of the canton of Zürich, Switzerland. The wetland Robenhauser Ried belongs to the protected area surrounding ''Pfäffikersee''. The prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich, pre ...

'' and the prehistoric settlement Wetzikon–Robenhausen, discovered and researched by

Jakob Messikommer Jakob Messikommer (18 August 1828 – 23 August 1917) was a Swiss archaeologist who among others discovered and researched the UNESCO serial site Wetzikon–Robenhausen. Bibliography Personal life Born in the hamlet of ''Stegen'' in Wetzik ...

(1828–1917), which became a serial site of the

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps are a series of prehistoric pile dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps built from about 5000 to 500 BC on the edges of lakes, rivers or wetlands. In 2011, 111 sites located various ...

''. In Roman era, along ''Pfäffikersee'' there was a

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

from the ''vicus Centum Prata'' (

Kempraten Kempraten-Lenggis is a village (''Kirchdorf'') within the municipality of Rapperswil-Jona, ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The remains of the Gallo-Roman settlement ''Centum Prata'' are one ...

) on Obersee–

Lake Zürich __NOTOC__ Lake Zurich ( Swiss German/Alemannic: ''Zürisee''; German: ''Zürichsee''; rm, Lai da Turitg) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or ''Zürichsee'' can be used to ...

via ''

Vitudurum Vitudurum (sometimes Vitodorum) is the name of a Roman ''vicus'', those remains are located in Oberwinterthur, a locality of the municipality of Winterthur in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. Geography The majority of the remains of com ...

'' (

Oberwinterthur Oberwinterthur is a district in the Swiss city of Winterthur. It is district number 2. The district comprises the quarters Talacker, Guggenbühl, Zinzikon, Reutlingen, Stadel, Grüze, Hegmatten and Hegi. Oberwinterthur was formerly a munic ...

) to ''Tasgetium'' (

Eschenz Eschenz is a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. History The prehistoric shore village on ''Werd Island'' and in the ''Seeäckern'' area (northeast of Eschenz) are rich archeological sites that have cont ...

) to the Rhine. To secure this important transport route, the

Irgenhausen Castrum Irgenhausen Castrum is a Roman fort at Irgenhausen, situated on Pfäffikersee lake shore in Switzerland. It was a square fort, measuring in square, with four corner towers and three additional towers. The remains of a stone wall in the interior ...

was built. File:Pfäffikon - Pfäffikersee IMG 3352.jpg, Pfäffikersee at Pfäffikon, Seegräben in the background File:Irgenhausen castrum IMG 3402.jpg, as seen from the Roman castrum

Irgenhausen Irgenhausen is a village ( Aussenwacht) of the municipality of Pfäffikon in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. Geography Irgenhausen is located in the district of Pfäffikon in the Zürcher Oberland on the eastern shore of the Pfäffik ...

File:Pfäffikersee - Seegräben - Irgenhausen IMG 3622.jpg, ''Bürglen'' drumlin in Irgenhausen where the Roman

is situated File:Pfäffikersee - Auslikon IMG 3462.jpg,

Auslikon Auslikon is a village ('' :de:Aussenwacht'') of the municipality of Pfäffikon in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. Geography Auslikon is located in the district of Pfäffikon in the Zürcher Oberland on the eastern shore of the Pfäffiker ...

lido, Wetzikon in the background File:Pfäffikon - Pfäffikersee IMG 3356.jpg, Pfäffikersee as seen to the south

External links

*
Waterlevels of Pfäffikersee
at Pfäffikon Pfaffikon Lakes of the canton of Zürich High Rhine basin Wetzikon Pfäffikon, Zürich LPfaffikersee Seegräben {{Zurich-geo-stub

See also

External links