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Lake Zurich (
Swiss German
Swiss German (Standard German: , gsw, Schwiizerdütsch, Schwyzerdütsch, Schwiizertüütsch, Schwizertitsch Mundart,Because of the many different dialects, and because there is no defined orthography for any of them, many different spelling ...
/
Alemannic Alemannic (''Alamannic'') or Alamanni may refer to:
* Alemannic German, a dialect family in the Upper German branch of the German languages and its speakers
* Alemanni, a confederation of Suebian Germanic tribes in the Roman period
* Alamanni (surna ...
: ''Zürisee'';
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
: ''Zürichsee''; rm, Lai da Turitg) 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
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, extending southeast of the city of
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or ''Zürichsee'' can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the
Seedamm The Rapperswil Seedamm is the partially artificial causeway and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden (SZ) and Rapperswil (SG). The Seedamm carries a road and a railway across the lake, with the railway being used by the ...
at
Rapperswil, whilst the part upstream of Rapperswil may be called the ''Obersee'' or Upper Lake.
Geography
Lake Zurich is formed by the
Linth river, which rises in the
glacier
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its Ablation#Glaciology, ablation over many years, often Century, centuries. It acquires dis ...
s of the
Glarus Alps and was diverted by the Escher canal (completed in 1811) into
Lake Walen from where its waters are carried to the east end of Lake Zurich by means of the Linth canal (completed in 1816). The waters of the Lake of Zurich flow out of the lake at its north-west end (
Quaibrücke), passing through the city of Zürich; however, the outflow is then called the
Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare. The confluenc ...
.
The culminating point of the lake's drainage basin is the
Tödi
The Tödi (), is a mountain massif and with the mountain peak Piz Russein the highest mountain in the Glarus Alps and the highest summit in the canton of Glarus, Switzerland. It is located on the border between the cantons of Graubünden, to the ...
at 3,614 metres above sea level.
No streams of importance flow into the lake besides the Linth.
[ The ]Seedamm The Rapperswil Seedamm is the partially artificial causeway and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden (SZ) and Rapperswil (SG). The Seedamm carries a road and a railway across the lake, with the railway being used by the ...
, a partially artificial causeway and bridge, crosses a narrow point of the lake carrying a railway line and road from Rapperswil to Pfäffikon. The eastern section of the lake is known as the '' Obersee'' ("upper lake"). West of this dam lie the small islands of Lützelau and Ufenau, where in 1523 Ulrich von Hutten
Ulrich von Hutten (21 April 1488 – 29 August 1523) was a German knight, scholar, poet and satirist, who later became a follower of Martin Luther and a Protestant reformer.
By 1519, he was an outspoken critic of the Roman Catholic Church. Hutte ...
took refuge and died. Both shores are well cultivated and fertile.[ Another tourist destination is the Au peninsula at the village of Au between Wädenswil and Horgen.
To the east – separated by ]Zürichberg
The Zürichberg is a wooded hill rising to 679 m (2,228 feet), overlooking Lake Zürich and located immediately to the east of the city of Zürich, Switzerland, between the valleys of the Limmat and the Glatt rivers. Its highest point is about ...
- Adlisberg, Forch
Forch is a village and a mountain pass (el. ) located in the municipalities of Küsnacht and Maur in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland.
Geography
Forch is located approximately in the southeast of Zürich, nearby Zumikon and Maur. It in ...
and Pfannenstiel Pfannenstiel may refer to:
People
*Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel (1862–1909), German gynecologist who was a native of Berlin (see ''Pfannenstiel incision'')
*Jackalyne Pfannenstiel (born 1947), United States Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Insta ...
– are two minor lakes: Greifensee (Lake Greifen) and Pfäffikersee (Lake Pfäffikon). Zimmerberg and the Etzel regions lie to the west.
Administratively, Lake Zurich is split between the cantons of Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
, St. Gallen and Schwyz
The town of Schwyz (; french: Schwytz; it, Svitto) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.
The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the '' ...
. The lower lake, to the west of the Seedamm, is largely in the canton of Zürich, whilst the upper lake is shared between the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz.
History
The lake was frozen in the following Common Era
Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...
/Anno Domini
The terms (AD) and before Christ (BC) are used to label or number years in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The term is Medieval Latin and means 'in the year of the Lord', but is often presented using "our Lord" instead of "the Lord", ...
years:
* 1223, 1259, 1262
* 1407, 1491
* 1514, 1517, 1573
* 1600, 1660, 1684, 1695
* 1709, 1716, 1718, 1740, 1755, 1763, 1789
* 1830, 1880, 1891, 1895
* 1929, 1963
Population and transportation
The three population and transportation centres are Zurich, Pfäffikon SZ and Rapperswil.
Besides Quaibrücke in Zurich and the Seedamm The Rapperswil Seedamm is the partially artificial causeway and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden (SZ) and Rapperswil (SG). The Seedamm carries a road and a railway across the lake, with the railway being used by the ...
, there are no bridges across the lake.
The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft – the Lake Zurich Navigation Company – provides with its 17-passenger ships touristic services on Lake Zurich. There are a number of passenger ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
services, noticeably the Horgen–Meilen ferry, an auto ferry between Horgen and Meilen
Meilen is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
History
Archaeological finds in Meilen date back more than 4,000 years. In January 1854 the level of lake Zürich was particularly low and the locals ...
.
Towns on the lake
Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
, at the north-western end of the lake, is the largest city on Lake Zurich.
On the west shore (which gradually becomes the south shore) are Rüschlikon
Rüschlikon is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. It is located on the west shore of Lake Zürich.
Coat of arms
Its coat of arms features a white shield showing a red rose with a yellow center and ...
, Thalwil, Horgen, Wädenswil, Richterswil, Pfäffikon, and Lachen.
On the opposite shore are Küsnacht, Meilen
Meilen is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.
History
Archaeological finds in Meilen date back more than 4,000 years. In January 1854 the level of lake Zürich was particularly low and the locals ...
, Stäfa, and Rapperswil-Jona
Rapperswil-Jona is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
Besides Rapperswil and Jona, which were separate municipalities until 2006, the municipality includes Bollingen, Bussk ...
with the medieval town of Rapperswil, whose castle is home to the Polish museum. Schmerikon
Schmerikon is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. In the local Swiss German dialect it is called ''Schmerike''.
Geography
Schmerikon is located at the head of Lake Zuric ...
is close to the east end of the lake, and a little further east is the larger town of Uznach
Uznach is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of See-Gaster in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
History
Uznach is first mentioned in 741 as ''Uzinaa'' in a grant from a noble lady at Benken Abbey to the Abbey of Saint G ...
.
Water quality
Lake Zurich's water is very clean and reaches, during summer, temperatures well beyond . Swimming in the public baths and beaches is very popular. The lake's water is purified and fed into Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
's water system; it is potable.
Prehistoric pile dwellings around Zürichsee
The Prehistoric pile dwellings around Zürichsee
Prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich comprises 11 – or 10% of all European pile dwelling sites – of a total of 56 prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps in Switzerland, that are located around Lake Zurich in the Cantons ...
comprises 11 of total 56 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 Switzerland, that are located around '' Zürichsee'' in the cantons
A canton is a type of administrative division of a country. In general, cantons are relatively small in terms of area and population when compared with other administrative divisions such as counties, departments, or provinces. Internationally, t ...
of Schwyz
The town of Schwyz (; french: Schwytz; it, Svitto) is the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland.
The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the '' ...
, St. Gallen and Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
.
Located on ''Zürichsee'' lakeshore, there are Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn
Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
Geography
The site is located on ''Zürichsee'' lakeshore in H ...
, Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld
Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
Geography
Hurden-Seefeld is located at the ''Frauenwinkel'' area ...
, Rapperswil-Jona/Hombrechtikon–Feldbach
Rapperswil-Jona/Hombrechtikon–Feldbach or commonly Seegubel is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
Geography
'' Seegubel'' is lo ...
, Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum
Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. Located on a small former island on '' upper Lake Zürich'' in Rap ...
, Erlenbach–Winkel
Erlenbach–Winkel is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
Geography
The site is located on ''Zürichsee'' lakeshore in Winkel, a lo ...
, Meilen–Rorenhaab
Meilen–Rorenhaab is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which 56 are located in Switzerland.
Geography
The site is located on Lake Zurich {''Zürichsee'') lakeshore ...
, Wädenswil–Vorder Au
Wädenswil–Vorder Au is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which 56 are located in Switzerland.
Geography
The site is located at the Au peninsula respectively parti ...
, Zürich–Enge Alpenquai, Grosser Hafner
Grossner Hafner is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
Geography
Grosser Hafner was located on the then swamp area between the L ...
and Kleiner Hafner
Kleiner Hafner is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland.
Geography
Kleiner Hafner was located on the then swamp land between the ri ...
. Because the lake has grown in size over time, the original piles are now around to under the water level of . Also on the small area of about around Zürichsee are the settlements Greifensee–Storen/Wildsberg on ''Greifensee'' and Wetzikon–Robenhausen
Wetzikon–Robenhausen is one of the 111 serial sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ''Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps'', of which are 56 located in Switzerland. The site is located on ''Pfäffikersee'' lakeshore in Robenhausen, a lo ...
on ''Pfäffikersee'' lakeshore.
As well as being part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, each of these 11 prehistoric pile dwellings is also listed as a ''Class object'' in the .
Tributaries
The following rivers or streams flow into Zürichsee.[''Bradshaw's pedestrian route-book for Switzerland, Chamouni, and the Italian lakes'', George Bradshaw (1868)] From the Limmat clockwise, they are:
*Hornbach (at Zürichhorn)
*Düggelbach (at Zollikon)
*Kusenbach (at Küsnacht)
*Küsnachter Dorfbach (at Hornelanpark, Küsnacht)
*Heslibach (at Erlenbach)
*Dorfbach Erlenbach (at Erlenbach)
*Tobelbächli (at Erlenbach)
*Schipfbach (at Erlenbach)
*Rossbach (at Herrliberg)
*Meilener Dorfbach (at Meilen)
*Beugenbach (at Meilen)
*Aebletenbach (at Ländeli)
*Uetiker Mulibach (at Meilen)
*Feldbach (at Horn)
*Sarenbach (at Freienbach)
*Krebsbach (at Bäch)
*Mülibach (at Richterswil)
*Zürichsee (at Wädenswil)
*Meilibach (at Wädenswil)
*Schanzengraben (Zürich)
Gallery
File:Uetliberg LCD.jpg, View from the top of the observation tower at Uetliberg.
File:Felsenegg - view from the top.jpg, View from Felsenegg to the eastern part of Lake Zürich
File:Zürichsee.jpg, Ufenau island
File:Halbinsel Au Nordseite.jpg, Au peninsula
File:SeedammBachtel.JPG, Seedamm The Rapperswil Seedamm is the partially artificial causeway and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden (SZ) and Rapperswil (SG). The Seedamm carries a road and a railway across the lake, with the railway being used by the ...
between Rapperswil and Hurden
Hurden is a village in the municipality of Freienbach in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. First mentioned in 1217, the name "de Hurden" was used for the peninsula and for the fish traps made of woven work, called "Hürden" or "Hurden", which w ...
, view from Bachtel hill
File:Rapperswil - Schlosshügel mit Sicht auf Ufenau.JPG, Lützelau and Rapperswil, view from Ufenau island
File:DS Stadt Zürich & Rapperswil - Rapperswil 1914.IMG 2362.jpg, Paddle steamships '' Stadt Rapperswil'' (to the left) and '' Stadt Zürich'' (1914) at Rapperswil (SG)
Rapperswil (Swiss German: or ;Andres Kristol, ''Rapperswil SG (See)'' in: ''Dictionnaire toponymique des communes suisses – Lexikon der schweizerischen Gemeindenamen – Dizionario toponomastico dei comuni svizzeri (DTS, LSG)'', Centre de dial ...
harbour
File:Zurisee Airplane.jpg, Zurisee from an airplane
See also
* Obersee (Zürichsee)
*Prehistoric pile dwellings around Zürichsee
Prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich comprises 11 – or 10% of all European pile dwelling sites – of a total of 56 prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps in Switzerland, that are located around Lake Zurich in the Cantons ...
* Paddle steamer Stadt Rapperswil
* Paddle steamer Stadt Zürich
*Radio Zürisee
Radio Zürisee (or radio zürisee according to the radio's logo; literally ''Radio Zürichsee''), is a privately-owned Swiss radio station based in Rapperswil on the shore of the Lake Zurich in the canton of St. Gallen.
History
Radio Zürisee w ...
*Seedamm The Rapperswil Seedamm is the partially artificial causeway and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden (SZ) and Rapperswil (SG). The Seedamm carries a road and a railway across the lake, with the railway being used by the ...
* Zürichsee-Zeitung
References
External links
*
Zürichsee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft
€”Boat schedules, mainly non-English.
Zürichsee-Fähre Horgen-Meilen
€”Ferry schedules, in German.
at Zürich
Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
Lake Zurich ENC Chart
{{Authority control
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
Zurich
LZurich
Schwyz–St. Gallen border