Cassarate (river)

{{Short description|River in Switzerland}}

{{Infobox river

| name = Cassarate

| image = Fiume Cassarate1.png

| image_caption = Cassarate river in Lugano

| source1_location = Monte Gazzirola / Val Colla

| mouth_location = Lake Lugano at Lugano

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|46.0021|8.9616|display=it|region:CH_type:river}}

| progression = {{RLake Lugano}}

| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = Switzerland

| length_km = 18.3

| source1_elevation =

| mouth_elevation =

| discharge1_avg =

| basin_size =

}}

The Cassarate is a river of the Swiss canton of Ticino. It rises in the upper part of the Val Colla, on the slopes of Monte Gazzirola and the San Lucio Pass. It flows into Lake Lugano at Lugano.

On its way downstream, the river flows through the Val Colla valley before reaching the city centre of Lugano.{{cite map | publisher = Swiss Confederation | title = map.geo.admin.ch | url = http://map.geo.admin.ch/?selectedNode=node_ch.swisstopo.swissboundaries3d-gemeinde-flaeche.fill1&Y=720080&X=100876&zoom=5&bgLayer=ch.swisstopo.pixelkarte-farbe&layers=ch.swisstopo.swissboundaries3d-gemeinde-flaeche.fill&layers_opacity=1&layers_visibility=true&lang=en | accessdate = 2012-10-29}}

Historically, the lower reaches of the Cassarate river formed the boundary between the communities of Lugano (to the west) and Cassarate (to the east), but both communities now form part of the city.