Lake Thun

BFS -No. 9073

Lake Thun is an Alpine lake in the Bernese Oberland at the northern edge of the Alps. The lake is 17.5 km long and max. 3.5 km wide. Its area is 47.69 km ²; making it the largest all lying in a lake Canton of Switzerland. The maximum depth is 217 m.

Geography and History

The content is around 6.5 km ³. At its northern outflow, the River Aare, is the eponymous town of Thun.

After the last ice age formed where two lakes are today, the so-called Wendelsee. Deposits of sediment of various mountain streams (especially by the Lombach and Lütschinen ) formed approximately in the middle of the lake one level, the " Bödeli " on which the communities Interlaken, Matten and lakes are today. This alluvial plain divided the lake in the Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

During normal water level of the lake level is at 557.8 m above sea level. M. Lake Thun has a catchment area of 2500 km ². For long, heavy rainfall, the lake overflowed its banks came because the discharge capacity of the Aare was limited. Since 2009, a spillway tunnels in operation, which has an additional discharge capacity of 100 m³ / s. The anticipatory regulation of flows from Lake Thun and the storage function of Lake Thun spare the lower altitude city of Bern some flooding.

The maximum outflow without studs is 345 cubic meters per second, the average discharge is 110 m³ / s Its main tributary, the River Aare, is fed to the southeast from 6 meters higher Brienz.

Economy and Tourism

From fishing in Lake Thun several professional fishermen live. In 2001, their total income amounted to 53'048 kg.

Since 1835 there is a lake on the passenger shipping. Today the BLS AG operates a fleet of ten ships, including the historic steamship Blümlisalp and 2001-2003 the far beyond the region known dragon ship ( converted motor boat city of Thun ).

On the shores of Lake Thun is operated in the communities Thun, Spiez, Oberhofen and Hilterfingen viticulture. White varieties are Müller- Thurgau and Chardonnay, red varieties are Garanoir and Pinot Noir. The Rebbaugebiet Lake Thun has since 1 January 2008, the legal status of an AOC.

As in other Swiss lakes, several thousand tons of ammunition were sunk in Lake Thun in the 20th century.

Since 2011, a 56 km long panoramic hiking path around Lake Thun created, with several large suspension bridges.

Pictures

Lake Thun in dusk

Paddle steamer Blüemlisalp in Spiez

Lake Thun and Interlaken, seen from the Schränni ( Roteflue ).

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