Switzerland is a beautiful country and how could it not be? Between the Swiss Alps and its many lakes, the landscapes in Switzerland are hard to beat but one feature that is somehow forgotten about quite often is the Swiss rivers.
Switzerland is packed full of beautiful rivers that join the landscape together. Starting up high in the mountains as small streams, carving through the valleys, flowing into and out of the magical lakes, and into the lowlands, they are undoubtedly one of Switzerland’s most stunning natural features.
Join me as I bring to light all the famous Swiss rivers so you can enjoy exploring them on your next visit to this fantastic country.
Table of Contents
What are Switzerland’s main rivers?
To start off with, let’s take a look at the main rivers in Switzerland, some of which you have probably heard of. These major rivers in Switzerland are also the longest Swiss rivers too and flow through large swathes of the country and provide up to 6% of Europe’s freshwater reserves.
One of the most famous rivers in Switzerland and in Europe is without a doubt, the Rhine River.
The Rhine River
The Rhine River is the longest river in Switzerland and it begins in the southern Swiss Alps in the Swiss canton of Graubunden. From here the Rhine flows some 375 kilometers through the Swiss countryside, the Swiss city of Basel, and other lesser-known towns such as Schaffhausen and Chur.
The Rhine River is of great historical importance as it is the longest river in Switzerland, it was used as a major waterway to transport goods through Switzerland and into its neighboring countries.
Once the Rhine River leaves Switzerland, it flows through Liechtenstein, Germany, France, and the Netherlands until it empties out into the North Sea. You can see why its waterways were such an important trade route for Switzerland and Europe.
It is the second longest river in Europe with a total length of 1230 km, second only to the Danube.
If you want to see the best of what the Rhine River has to offer, head to the small town of Schaffhausen in North Switzerland close to the German border. It is here where you will find Rheinfall, one of the biggest waterfalls in Switzerland and Europe as a whole.
Another great way to enjoy the Rhine River is in the Swiss City of Basel during the summer. Just hop into where the Rhine flows through the city with a waterproof bag and let the river take you downstream and you can have a little tour of the city as you float your way down.
The Aare River
The Aare River is another important Swiss river and is the longest river that starts and ends inside of Switzerland.
The River Aare is a Rhine tributary of the high Rhine and its headwaters begin at the Aare Glacier in the Swiss canton of Bern in the Swiss Alps, an area known as the Bernese Alps. The Aare River then flows for some 295 km through the country, passing through the capital city of Bern at which point it becomes a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old City.
The Aare River is one of the most beautiful rivers in Switzerland thanks to its turquoise color and if you happen to be in Switzerland during the summer, a swim in the river Aare is a must.
There is nothing quite like hopping into the refreshing water of the Aare River with views of Bern behind you. You can sunbathe along the shores of the Aare, go rafting, stand up paddle boarding, and even river surfing in certain spots.
The River Aare is also one of the most important rivers in Switzerland for electricity generation as it flows through 40 different hydroelectric power stations, generating a large portion of the country’s power.
The Rhone River
Another famous Swiss river is the Rhone which begins at the Rhône glacier high up in the Swiss Alps in the canton of Valais.
It is another of the longest rivers in Switzerland and the second longest river that is not a tributary. It flows 264 km through the country before entering France and then flowing into the Mediterranean Sea.
After leaving the Alps, the Rhone flows down into Lake Geneva and through Lake Geneva, the city of Geneva, and into France before entering the Mediterranean Sea.
One of the best places to see the Rhone is where it flows out of Lake Geneva in the city of Geneva. It is here where the Rhone joins the Arve River and changes color from a deep blue to a brighter turquoise blue. The scenes are stunning and a stroll down the banks of the river is a must.
The Reuss River
The Reuss River also begins in the Swiss Alps and in the same area as the Rhine and Rhone known as the Gotthard massif.
The Reuss starts and ends in Swiss territory flowing some 160 km from the Alps through central Switzerland, into Lake Lucerne on the southern end, out of Lake Lucerne at the city of Lucerne, and eventually ends when it joins the Aare River in the town of Gebenstorf.
If you like canoeing then you should join all the other canoe enthusiasts that love to paddle down the Reuss.
The reason canoe enthusiasts love the Reuss so much is that they can start their journey at the town of Bremgarten and enjoy the magical scenery along the way until they pull out just before the river joins the Aare in Gebenstorf.
You can rent canoes and join a paddle tour with ease and it is a great way to see the stunning Swiss landscapes along the way. The Reuss river is absolutely beautiful and one that should not be missed while traveling around the relatively small country of Switzerland.
The River Limmat & Linth
Another of the longest rivers in Switzerland is the Limmat & Linth which when joined together via Lake Zurich are 140 km long.
The Linth River is a tributary of the Aare and it begins in the mountain town of Linthal before flowing into Lake Zurich. This river historically made a massive contribution to the textile industry of the area and today is used to create electricity at the hydroelectric power stations.
The Limmat River begins when it flows out of Lake Zurich, flowing straight through the middle of the city of Zurich’s Old Town. It only flows for 35 km, passing through the lovely old town of Baden, before joining the Aare River downstream but is stunningly beautiful as it goes and is a major attraction for the city.
If you are visiting Zurich, a cruise along the river is a must and if you happen to be there in summer, enjoy swimming in the pools along its edge with stunning views of Zurich’s Old Town.
The River Inn
While the River Inn is not one of the longest rivers in the country, it is a very important one. The river flows for some 90 km from St Moritz in the Alps and heads northeast into Germany and Austria where it continues for 518 km until it goes into the Danube.
The Danube is the longest river in Europe and it travels through central Europe and drains into the Black Sea in both Ukraine and Romania.
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The Inn is quite special in this case as it is the only river in Switzerland that flows into the Black Sea plus it is a very important waterway for both Germany and Austria.
The Saane or La Sarine River
The Saane or La Sarine River is another very important Swiss River that runs some 128 km from the Swiss Alps and ends up in the Aare River.
The reason this river is so important is that it flows through one water reservoir after the next along with a lot of dams and provides a lot of people with water during the summer months. It is also the river that flows right past Gruyeres, and then through the center of Fribourg, so it provides that city with a great place to hang out and enjoy the water in the summer months.
The River Thur
The Thur River is a tributary of the Rhine and is one of the main rivers in the eastern part of Switzerland. The river is 125 km long and begins in the Toggenburg valley. It is the biggest river in Switzerland that does not have a reservoir (natural or artificial) along its length.
The Thur River, therefore, has magnificent floodplains that are home to stunning wildflowers, animals, orchards, and forests too. You will find a lot of stunning villages along the Thur too and it is one of the most stunning rivers in Switzerland to hike next to.
The River Ticino
The River Ticino starts up high in the Swiss Alps and flows across the border into Italy where it joins the River Po.
The river begins in Val Bedretto in the cantons of Ticino and Valais, hence the name. It provides a large amount of hydroelectric power in Switzerland and is very popular with white water rafters and kayakers too.
It is also home to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the three castles in Bellinzona and San Nicolao’s church in Giornico which sit on its banks.
Once the Ticino river leaves Switzerland, it flows into Italy, down the alps, and into Lake Maggiore. It then leaves Lake Maggiore and continues for hundreds of kilometers before joining the River Po and emptying out into the Adriatic Sea.
A List of Swiss Rivers
There are more than 50 rivers in Switzerland ranging from small streams to the massive rivers we have discussed in detail above. If you would like to know about all of them, you can find a list of all 50+ rivers here.
The 8 Longest Rivers In Switzerland
- The Rhine, 375 km
- Aare, 295 km
- The Rhône, 264 km
- Reuss, 158 km
- Linth / Limmat, 140 km
- Saane/Sarine, 128 km
- Thur, 125 km
- Inn, 104 km
Map of Rivers In Switzerland
FAQs
What is the longest river in Switzerland?
The longest river in Switzerland is the Rhine with a length of 375km. The Rhine starts in the Swiss Alps and continues down to the German border where it shares some length with Switzerland’s northern neighbor.
What river flows through Switzerland?
There are a few major rivers that flow through Switzerland, all of which we have covered above. The rivers Rhine (Rhein), Rhone, and the Inn River all start in the alps and flow across Europe into the sea, making up the longest rivers in Europe.
The Rhine makes its way from the alps all the way to the north sea in the Netherlands while the Rhone flows through Lake Geneva, France, and into the Mediterranean, and the River Inn enters the Danube and eventually the Black Sea.
How Many Rivers Are in Switzerland?
There are over 50 rivers in Switzerland, whose total length is over 61,000 km. Many of Switzerland’s rivers are tributaries of the larger rivers like the Rhine and the Rhone or feed into other major rivers like them.
What Is The Longest River Entirely In Switzerland?
By far the longest river entirely in Switzerland is the Aare river which measures 295 km in length.
Which river flows through Lucerne?
The name of the river that flows through Lucerne is the Reuss river.
What is a 3 letter Swiss river?
A Swiss river that is only 3 letters long is the Inn river.
Why are Swiss rivers green?
One thing that makes the rivers in Switzerland so beautiful is their green-turquoise color and some of you might be asking why Swiss rivers are this way. You might have thought it was due to algae or pollution but in fact, it is the opposite.
Each river begins in the Alps and is usually from glaciers such as the Rhône glacier. Glacial waterways are packed full of minerals and it is these minerals that give the rivers and lakes their amazing color.
The minerals from the glaciers and rocks dissolve and sink very slowly allowing them to stay suspended in the river’s flow, catch the light, and create a stunning color.
Flowing Out
Thank you very much for reading my article. I hope you enjoyed it and have discovered a lot about Swiss rivers and why they are so great and important to the country.
Please leave us a comment below with any questions and share your experience of Swiss rivers with us. We would love to hear about them.
