Lake Lucerne
Vierwaldstättersee
View of Lake Lucerne from the Pilatus
map
LocationCentral Switzerland
Coordinates47°01′10″N 8°24′04″E / 47.0194°N 8.4011°E / 47.0194; 8.4011
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsReuss River
Sarner Aa
Engelberger Aa
Muota
Primary outflowsReuss River
Catchment area2,124 km2 (820 sq mi)
Basin countriesSwitzerland
Max. length30 km (19 mi)
Max. width20 km (12 mi)
Surface area113.6 km2 (43.9 sq mi)
Average depth104 m (341 ft)
Max. depth214 m (702 ft)
Water volume11.8 km3 (9,600,000 acre⋅ft)
Residence time3.4 years
Shore length1143.7 km (89.3 mi)
Surface elevation433 m (1,421 ft)
Frozenin the 17th and 19th century; Lucerne Bay and Lake Alpnach in 1929 and 1963
IslandsAltstad-Insel
Sections/sub-basinsUrnersee
Chrüztrichter
Gersauerbecken
Vitznauerbecken
Küssnachtersee
Alpnachersee
Luzernersee
SettlementsLucerne (see article)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Lucerne (German: Vierwaldstättersee, lit. "Lake of the Four Forested Cantons") is a lake in central Switzerland and the fourth largest in the country.

The lake is a complicated shape, with bends and arms reaching from the city of Lucerne into the mountains. It has a total area of 114 km² (44 sq mi), an elevation of 434 m (1,424 ft), and a maximum depth of 214 m (702 ft). Its volume is 11.8 km³. Much of the shoreline rises steeply into mountains up to 1,500 m above the lake, resulting in many picturesque views including those of Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus.

The Reuss River enters the lake at Flüelen (in the canton of Uri, the part called Urnersee) and exits at Lucerne. The lake also receives the Muota (at Brunnen) Engelberger Aa (at Buochs), the Sarner Aa (at Alpnachstad).

It is possible to circumnavigate the lake by road, though the route is slow, twisted, and goes through tunnels part of the way. Dozens of steamers ply between the different towns on the lake. It is a popular tourist destination, both for native Swiss and foreigners, and there are many hotels and resorts along the shores. In addition, the meadow of the Rütli, traditional site of the founding of the Swiss Confederation, is on the southeast shore of the lake. A 35 km commemorative walkway, the Swiss Path, was built around the lake to celebrate the country's 700th anniversary.

Geography

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Lake Lucerne borders on the three original Swiss cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden (which today is divided into the Cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden), as well as the canton of Lucerne, thus the name Vierwaldstättersee. Many of the oldest communities of Switzerland are along the shore, including Küssnacht, Weggis, Vitznau, Gersau, Brunnen, Altdorf, Buochs, and Treib.