List of rivers of Switzerland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of rivers of Switzerland (and tributaries thereof). Included rivers flow either entirely or partly through Switzerland or along its international borders. Swiss rivers belong to five drainage basins, i.e. of the Rhine, the Rhône, the Po, the Danube or the Adige. Of these, only the Rhine and Rhône flow through Switzerland (and also originate there). The waters therefore drain into either the North Sea, the Mediterranean Sea or the Black Sea.

Map of Switzerland showing major lakes and rivers

Some of the larger rivers, such as the Aare, Limmat (ZSG) and Rhine (URh), are in part navigable and include recreational boat lines.

Below, rivers are grouped by length, drainage area, orography and in alphabetical order. A list of border rivers is also given.

Rivers by length

Rivers with over 100 km (62 mi) in Switzerland

More information Rank, River ...
RankRiverLength (km)Length (mi)
1Rhine375233
2Aare (or Aar)295183
3Rhône264164
4Reuss15898
5Linth and Limmat together[i]14087
6Thur13584
7Saane/La Sarine[ii]12880
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Rivers by drainage area

Saane/La Sarine at Fribourg

Basins covering more than 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi), counting only the area in Switzerland.

More information Rank, River ...
RankRiverLengthDrainage area
kmmi km2sq mi
1Rhine37523336,49414,090
2Aare (or Aar)29518317,7796,865
3Rhône26416410,4034,017
4Reuss158983,4251,322
5Orbe and Thielle together118732,6721,032
6Linth and Limmat together140872,416933
7Inn104652,150830
8Saane/La Sarine128801,892731
9Thur135841,696655
10Hinterrhein (Posterior Rhine)57.335.61,693654
11Ticino91571,616624
12Vorderrhein (Anterior Rhine)67.541.91,514585
13Doubs74461,310510
14Kander44271,126435
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Rivers by orography

Further information: Hydrology of Switzerland
The five river basins of Switzerland:
  Rhine with Aar sub-basin
  Rhone
  Po
  Danube
  Adige
High Rhine and Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen
The Aare at Bern
The Birs at Laufen
The Reuss in Bremgarten
Saane in Fribourg
Confluence of the Urnäsch and Sitter
Tamina Gorge near Bad Ragaz
Landwasser with Landwasser Viaduct
Le Doubs in Saint-Ursanne
Confluence of the Rhône and Arve in Geneva
Verzasca river and valley
Rom near Lü
Inn in Engadin

Switzerland is drained into four directions:

Drainage basins

Witenwasserenstock mountain is the triple divide of the drainage basins between the Rhine, Rhône and Po. Lunghin Pass is the triple divide between the Rhine, Danube and Po.

Rivers that flow into other rivers are sorted by the proximity of their points of confluence to the sea (the lower in the list, the more upstream). Some rivers (e.g. Danube) do not flow through Switzerland themselves, but they are mentioned for having Swiss tributaries. They are given in italics. The five drainage basins are highlighted in bold.

Border rivers

International

Between cantons

Alphabetical list

A–E

F–K

L–O

P–S

T–Z

See also

Notes

  1. [i]
    The Linth is the main tributary of Lake Zurich and the Limmat the lake's outflow.
  2. [ii]
    The river is called Sarine in French and Saane in German.
  3. [iii]
    Prior to the regulation of the Linth (1807–1823), the river did not flow into Lake Walen but joined the River Maag, the outflow of Lake Walen, west of the lake.
  4. [iv]
    The river is called Sure in the Luzern and Suhre in Aargau.
  5. [v]
    The Thielle begins at the confluence of the rivers Orbe and Talent.
  6. [vi]
    The Wutach flows mostly through Germany, but for about 6 km (3.7 mi) it forms the Germany–Switzerland border.

References

External links

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