Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne (French Lac des Quatre Cantons; Italian Lago dei Quattro Cantoni, Lago di Lucerna; Romansh: Lai dals Quatter Chantuns ) is a lake surrounded by mountains in central Switzerland (434 m, 114 km ² to 214 m deep). The shoreline length is 161.9 kilometers.

Name

Takes its name from the four adjacent Lake Lucerne here Waldstätten: the cantons of Uri, Unterwalden, Schwyz and Lucerne.

Formation

The lake was formed during the last ice age by the Reuss glacier. The lake itself was formed as Gletscherrandsee at the end of the Ice Age some 12,000 years ago.

In Lucerne " Glacier Garden " depicts a documentary history of the Alps, the ice ages, and their glaciers.

Inflow

In Lake Lucerne flows from the Gotthard massif, the Reuss. It leads with large amounts of material, so that the delta has shifted over time by 10 km to the north in the Lake of Uri.

In the area of the Reuss delta between Flüelen and Seedorf of the lake is partially filled in again. From the excavated material of the bypass tunnel Flüelen and the Gotthard Base Tunnel arise again shallow water areas that had disappeared by the gravel mining.

Succession of bays and Seeteile

The lake consists of more arms and bays:

  • The Uri extends from the confluence of the Reuss at Seedorf 11 km north to Brunnen
  • The Gersauer Lake (also Gersauerbecken ) leads 14 km from east to west from Brunnen to Ennetburgen where the Engelberg Aa flows into the lake. In the middle of the bay of Buochs ​​the lake reaches 214 m depth with its deepest point.
  • The Chrüztrichter ( Cross Richter) is in the west of the basin Weggiser the real center of this Seeteils. From it branches four main arms ( funnel) from:
  • The Vitznau (eastern arm of the Cross judge ) is located south of Weggis and runs from east to west. It leads between Hertenstein in the north and the guarantor floor in the south to the middle of the lake. It is also called Vitznauer pool.
  • The Stans funnel ( south-west arm of the Cross judge ). In the southwest of which are the Horwerbucht and
  • The Alpnachersee which is separated between Acheregg and Stansstad by a 100 meter wide throat and a bridge from the rest of the lake and is located at the southern foot of Mount Pilatus.

Currents

Due to the relatively warm waters of the Reuss and the hair dryer constantly restructures the water, the Lake of Uri at the bottom is warmer and lighter than the water in the pool Gersauer. This temperature difference flock every spring huge masses of water from the Gersauerbecken in the depths of Lake Uri. Similar deep-water currents also exist from Alpnachersee in the Gersauerbecken.

Water quality and temperatures

The water stays an average of three and a half years in the lake basin and drinking water quality. The Swiss Federal Institute for Limnology Eawag monitors the water quality. In summer, the lake reaches a temperature of 22 ° C. 1929 and 1963 froze the Alpnachersee and the Lucerne bay. From the 17th and 19th centuries glaciations of the entire Lake Lucerne are documented. In 1684 and 1685 could be crossed Gersauer pool on the ice.

Climate and vegetation

The climate around the föhnbegünstigten and protected by mountains, Lake Lucerne is compared to other regions of the German-speaking Switzerland relatively mild; the vegetation is similar in part to that of the canton Ticino. The mean Tageshöchst-/-tiefsttemperatur is in Lucerne 2.6 ° C / -3.1 ° C (January) and 23.5 ° C / 13.3 ° C (July). In Altdorf south of the lake, the values ​​are 3.9 ° C / -2.7 ° C (January) and 23.0 ° C / 13.2 ° C in July (climate average for the years 1961-1990). At the lake shores grow hemp palm trees, figs, yuccas, cypresses, cacti and other Mediterranean plants.

Traffic

On the lake, the vessels of the shipping company of Lake Lucerne to operate the ship stations. Until the construction of Axenstrasse ( 1863-1865 ) of the waterway was the only possible connection to the canton of Uri, the Gotthard Pass and thus the only way out of the cities in the north to the ports and trading cities on the Mediterranean. Even today operate on this route their paddle steamer Stadt Luzern ( flagship ), Uri, Unterwalden, Gallia and Schiller. Even after the construction of the Gotthard Railway and the Gotthard motorway is the area around Lake Lucerne is still a transportation hub. The 1991 scale on old roads of Switzerland leads the way around the southern part of the lake, the Lake of Uri.

Flüelen and Axenstrasse

In Flüelen previously changed the passenger by mule or by stagecoach to the ship. On the eastern shore the Axenstrasse leads with many tunnels and galleries of Flüelen over Sisikon to Brunnen. It is part of the A4. The railway line runs primarily underground Flüelen to Brunnen. On the way to Küssnacht remember old, beautifully restored hotel buildings at the time of the arisen tourism in the 19th century.

Flight activities

Between Buochs ​​and Ennetburgen in Stans is the Buochs ​​, which was formerly used almost exclusively by the Swiss Army and Pilatus Aircraft. Today the airfield for civilian air traffic is open. The military airfield Alpnach is used by the Swiss Army as a helicopter base.

Hang gliders and paragliders use when the weather thermals the rock walls or keep using suitable air currents on the steep rock walls. The most popular flying sites for paragliders around Lake Lucerne are Pilatus, Rigi, Emmetten, Stanserhorn and the whole valley of Engelberg. When flying to note here, that is partially flown in the control zone of the airfield Alpnach.

History

Across the lake or along it formerly led pilgrimages to Rome. Even the leading westward to Santiago de Compostela St. James runs from Einsiedeln to Brunnen. From here it leads to the west by boat to Lucerne or the Alpnachersee south to Brünigpass.

Tourism

On the way to the South Englishman discovered the mountains of central Switzerland. It resulted in several spas and seaside resorts such as Weggis or Gersau. Opened in 1871, is the very first cog railway in Europe, the Vitznau- Rigi -Bahn. 1889 was built by Alpnachstad to Mount Pilatus which today still steepest cogwheel railway in the world. Climbing up the Rigi described Mark Twain as a journalist, which led to the flourishing of the Swiss Tourism in the United States of the 19th century. On Lake Lucerne runs with five steamships one of the largest steamship fleets in Europe.

On the very first Lake Lucerne Swiss Alpine Club was located, then as a purely British affair.

  • Known View Mountains Rigi, Pilatus, Bürgenstock, Stanserhorn, myths, Urirotstock
  • Places from Swiss history: Riitli, Tellsplatte, Tellskapelle, Hohlegasse

Miscellaneous

Load with ammunition

Between 1918 and 1967 disposed of Swiss munitions factories their production waste in Lake Lucerne, Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. The total amount which was sunk in up to 200 meters depth in Lake Lucerne, is estimated at 3300 tonnes ( 2800 tonnes in Uri, as well as 500 tonnes in Gersauerbecken ).

Diving

There are about ten places where you can dive in Lake Lucerne without a boat. The water is rather cool all year round and therefore usually very clear. The Uri you can at Sisikon, at the northern portal of the Schieferneggtunnels, dive a jagged cliff. The Lediwrack Bruno is located at 15 meters depth in front of fountain. Next -known dive sites are Vitznau, Weggis, Gersau and Hergiswil.

Floods and earthquakes

After the earthquake of September 18, 1601 tsunami originated in the Lake of Lucerne with probably up to 4 meter high tidal waves. Another such event should have taken place in 1687. Also from Lake Geneva a single tsunami event from the year 563 is known, and the Lauerzersee from the year 1806.

The consequences of the general warming in the Alps are also discussed for the lake and its surroundings. The 2005 flood with various debris flows and landslides could be understood as a warning symptom.

Trade

Since 1891 the company manufactures Arnold Co.AG with huge dredgers commercial gravel from what it pays the corporation Uri gravel tax. Today, only the fourth and fifth dredgers from the 1950s and 1960s in umgebautem condition in use. The fleet of Arnold Co.AG includes about fifteen Nauen.

Caused a sensation in the company between 2001 and 2005 than in the Uri with debris from the Neatstollen Amsteg or bypass Flüelen six islands were built. Even with Beck Ried and other places in the lake gravel is mined.

Namesake

  • The Jacobi pond in the city forest of Frankfurt is popularly called because of its shape Lucerne.
  • Also, an artificial lake in Zoo Berlin is known for the same reason Lucerne.

Trivia

There is a private model replica of a steamboat with " one-man crew »: The Liberty Belle, built in 1987, is the smallest fully functional steamer Switzerland. He drives sometimes on the lake and whistles signal according to regulations in the oncoming traffic with his great role models.

Sarner Aa Engelberger Aa Aar Ficus A2 motorway (Switzerland) Swiss Path Uri Rotstock Recreational diving Lake Lauerz Silenen Beckenried Frankfurt City Forest List of lakes with a dam in Switzerland Lake Baldegg Lake Biel Lake Constance Lake Hallwil Lac de Joux Oeschinen Lake Lake Sarnen Lake Sempach Walensee Lake Zug Integrated Authority File
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