Vierwaldstättersee (Lake Lucerne) - Switzerland
Posted by: fi67
N 47° 03.077 E 008° 18.672
32T E 447683 N 5211092
Vierwaldstättersee is the fourth largest lake of Switzerland and a popular destination for Swiss native as well as foreign tourists.
Waymark Code: WMDT15
Location: Luzern, Switzerland
Date Posted: 02/21/2012
Views: 23
From Wikipedia (with minor modifications):
"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 (lit. "Lake of the Four Forested Cantons").
Lake Lucerne is singularly irregular and appears to lie in four different valleys, all related to the conformation of the adjoining mountains. The central portion of the lake lies in two parallel valleys whose direction is from west to east, the one lying north, the other south of the ridge of the Bürgenstock. These are connected through a narrow strait, scarcely one kilometre wide, between the two rocky promontories called respectively Untere and Obere Nase. It is not unlikely that the southern of these two divisions of the lake—called Buochser See—formerly extended to the west over the isthmus whereon stands the town of Stans, thus forming an island of the Bürgenstock. The west end of the main branch of the lake, whence a comparatively shallow bay extends to the town of Lucerne, is intersected obliquely by a deep trench whose south-west end is occupied by the branch called Alpnacher See, while the north-east branch forms the long Bay of Küssnacht, Küssnachter See. These both lie in the direct line of a valley that stretches with scarcely a break parallel to the chain of the Bernese Alps from Interlaken to Lake Zug. At the eastern end of the Buochser See, where the containing walls of the lake-valley are directed from east to west, it is joined at an acute angle by the Bay of Uri, or Urner See, lying in the northern prolongation of the deep cleft that gives a passage to the Reuss, between the Bernese chain and the Alps of N. Switzerland."
Vierwaldstättersee and the surrounding area including famous mountains like Rigi, Pilatus or Titlis is an highly developed touristic region. The passenger ship fleet on the line includes many vintage paddle wheels steamers and has the most extensive inland navigation system in Europe.
The coordinates are at the main landing stage of Luzern at the west end of the lake. The overview pictures were taken at a look-out platform at the slope of mount Rigi, some other pictures are from the beach of Luzern near the famous Swiss Transport Museum.
Lake Type: Glacial lake
Coordinates location: Main landing stage in Luzern
Max. Length: 30 km
Max. Width: 20 km
Max. Depth: 214 m
Surface area: 113.6 km2
Parking / trail head: N 47° 01.944 W 008° 21.764
Website: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
To log a visit to a waymark, please post a photograph taken by you and a brief description of your visit.