Login
Login

List of rivers of Switzerland

{{Short description|None}}

Image:Karte Schweiz Details.png and rivers]]

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.

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 {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} in Switzerland

class="wikitable sortable"
Rank || River || Length (km) || Length (mi)
1Rhine{{convert|375|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
2Aare (or Aar){{convert|295|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
3Rhône{{convert|264|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
4Reuss{{convert|158|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
5Linth and Limmat together{{efn-lr|The Linth is the main tributary of Lake Zurich and the Limmat the lake's outflow.}}{{convert|140|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
6Thur{{convert|135|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
7Saane/La Sarine{{efn-lr|The river is called Sarine in French and Saane in German.}}{{convert|128|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}

Rivers by drainage area

Image:Sarine-Saane near Fribourg.jpg at Fribourg]]

Basins covering more than {{convert|1000|km2|abbr=on}}, counting only the area in Switzerland.

class="wikitable sortable"
rowspan=2|Rank ||rowspan=2| River ||colspan=2| Length ||colspan=2| Drainage area
kmmi

!km2

sq mi
1Rhine{{convert|375|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|36,494|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
2Aare (or Aar){{convert|295|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|17,779|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
3Rhône{{convert|264|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|10,403|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
4Reuss{{convert|158|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|3,425|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
5Orbe and Thielle together{{convert|118|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|2,672|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
6Linth and Limmat together{{convert|140|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|2,416|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
7Inn{{convert|104|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|2,150|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
8Saane/La Sarine{{convert|128|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|1,892|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
9Thur{{convert|135|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|1,696|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
10Hinterrhein (Posterior Rhine){{convert|57.3|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|1,693|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
11Ticino{{convert|91|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|1,616|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
12Vorderrhein (Anterior Rhine){{convert|67.5|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|1,514|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
13Doubs{{convert|74|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|1,310|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}
14Kander{{convert|44|km|mi|disp=table|sortable=on}}{{convert|1,126|km2|sqmi|disp=table|sortable=on}}

Rivers by orography

{{see|Hydrology of Switzerland}}

Image:Suisse hydrologie 1.svg with Aar sub-basin}} {{legend|#fff448|Rhone}} {{legend|#ccff75|Po}} {{legend|#de87cd|Danube}} {{legend|#43a900|Adige}}]]

File:RheinfallSchaffhausen.JPG near Schaffhausen]]

File:Aare river in Bern.jpg]]

File:Birs laufen.jpg at Laufen]]

File:BDWM Be 4-8 Reussbrücke Bremgarten I.jpg]]

File:Kathedrale mit Saane Fribourg.jpg]]

File:Sitterviadukt Herisau AR.jpg

File:Taminaschlucht Quelle Mai13.JPG]]

File:Landwasser Viaduct (158241373).jpeg]]

File:St. Ursanne mit der Brücke über den Doubs.jpg]]

File:Confluence Rhône et Arve.JPG]]

File:Valle Verzasca, Ticino, Switzerland12.jpg

File:Renaturierter Rombach mit Lü im Hintergrund.jpg]]

File:Ober Engadin view.jpg]]

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=

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

{{div col end}}

=F–K=

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

{{div col end}}

=L–O=

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

{{div col end}}

=P–S=

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

{{div col end}}

=T–Z=

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

{{div col end}}

See also

Notes

{{notelist-lr}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{commons category|Rivers of Switzerland}}

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20080502004613/http://www.bafu.admin.ch/hydrologie/index.html?lang=en Hydrological data of some Swiss rivers]
  • [http://www.swissrivers.ch Daily forecast of Swiss rivers]

{{Switzerland topics}}

{{List of rivers of Europe}}

{{Portal bar|Geography|Switzerland}}

*

Switzerland

Rivers