Lake Zurich
Fly here
A long ribbon of water running south-east of the city, lined with inhabited slopes.
From the basket
Starting from the city, the lake curves towards the south-east like a banana forty-two kilometres long. From the balloon you can see its densely built shores, dotted with villages and vineyards, rising gently towards the hills. In the distance, to the south, the first mountains herald the Alps.
It was born after the last glaciation, when a moraine blocked the course of the Linth, its main river. Opposite Rapperswil, the Hurden spit abruptly narrows the lake and cuts it in two. Beyond lies the Obersee, the “upper lake”, fourteen kilometres long, as far as Schmerikon. On this side, twenty-eight kilometres lead to the city.
Its shores belong to three cantons: St Gallen, Schwyz and Zurich. To the north-west, the city spreads to the water’s edge, where the Limmat leaves the lake to cross Zurich.
Follow the curve of the lake from Rapperswil to the city, then let the wind carry you towards the roofs of the old town.
Sources: Wikipedia, “Lac de Zurich” (in French).