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76-857: The Valle Mesolcina , also known as the Val Mesolcina or Misox (German), is an alpine valley of the Grisons , Switzerland , stretching from the San Bernardino Pass to Grono where it joins the Calanca Valley . It is the valley formed by the river Moesa . Like the Val Bregaglia or the Val Poschiavo , the Valle Mesolcina is a valley lying south of the main ridge of the Alps . Although politically

152-571: A ship or raft berth. Imports from various regions of the Roman Empire (southern Spain, southern Italy, Lipari, southern and eastern Gaul and the Germanic areas) provide evidence of extensive trade relations. Sursee was likely a freight hub for trade with the entire Alpine region. Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, the canton of Lucerne was settled by the Alamanni , who generally settled away from

228-480: A six or more room apartment cost an average of 2032.38 CHF (US$ 1630, £910, €1300). The average apartment price in Lucerne was 103.1% of the national average of 1116 CHF. The vacancy rate for the canton, in 2010 , was 0.77%. The largest population centres are Lucerne , Emmen and Kriens . The historical population is given in the following chart: Much of the land in the canton is used for agriculture. Agriculture

304-460: Is a canton of Switzerland . It is located in the country's central, German-speaking part. The population of the canton (as of 31 December 2020) is 416,347. As of 2007 , the population included 57,268 foreigners, or about 15.8% of the total population. The cantonal capital is the city of Lucerne . The canton of Lucerne comprises territories acquired by its capital Lucerne , either by treaty, armed occupation or purchase. The first town acquired

380-533: Is above 2000 metres. PERMOS (The Swiss Permafrost Monitoring Network) is an operational monitoring service, and its main goal is to create long-term scientific documentation of the permafrost changes in the Swiss Alps. To accurately represent the current conditions of the Alps, the network records permafrost temperatures and thermal changes in boreholes, the bottom temperature of the snow cover, ground surface temperature, and

456-434: Is divided into six districts ( Wahlkreise ): Entlebuch , Hochdorf , Luzern-Land , Luzern-Stadt , Sursee , Willisau . Before 2007, the districts were called Ämter . There were five districts until 2013, when Luzern District was divided into Luzern-Land and Luzern-Stadt , the latter corresponding to the city of Lucerne proper (including Littau , incorporated into Lucerne in 2010). There are 83 municipalities in

532-419: Is one of many countries that need to begin to think about the future of energy production in response to climate change. Switzerland is paving the way for a new wave of innovation and creative problem solving that the rest of the world will eventually need to follow. The following table gives the surface area above 2000 m and 3000 m and the respective percentage on the total area of each canton whose high point

608-646: Is part of the Central Eastern Alps , except the Ortler Alps which belong to the Southern Limestone Alps . The Pennine , Bernese and Bernina Range are the highest ranges of the country, they contain respectively 38, 9 and 1 summit over 4000 meters. The lowest range is the Appenzell Alps culminating at 2,500 meters. Western Alps Eastern Alps The north side of the Swiss Alps is drained by

684-460: Is situated above the tree line and is clear of trees due to low average temperatures. It contains mostly grass and small plants along with mountain flowers. Below the permafrost limit (at about 2,600 meters), the alpine meadows are often used as pastures. Some villages can still be found on the lowest altitudes such as Riederalp (1,940 m) or Juf (2,130 m). The extent of the Alpine zone is limited by

760-492: Is the first World Heritage Site in the Alps. As the temperature decreases with altitude (0.56 °C per 100 meters on yearly average), three different altitudinal zones, each having distinct climate, are found in the Swiss Alps: The Subalpine zone is the region that lies below the tree line . It is the most important region as it is the largest of the three and contains almost all human settlements as well as

836-424: Is the most significant source of income, but industry is also developed. The most important agricultural products are crops , fruit and cattle breeding. Industry concentrates on textiles, machinery , paper, wood, tobacco and metallurgical goods. Tourism is of great importance. The canton of Lucerne is a gateway to holiday resorts in the nearby Alps, and much of the transit traffic between Germany and Italy crosses

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912-535: Is traditionally the largest party, having won 38 seats in the Cantonal Council as of the 2015 elections, and having two out of five members in the Government Council as of 2016 . Lucerne has a population (as of December 2020 ) of 416,347. As of 2013 , 18.1% of the population are resident foreign nationals, of which 15.5% are from Europe , 1.4% from Asia , 0.7% from Africa , and 0.5% from America . Over

988-590: The Eidgenossen or Swiss Confederation , and the first town to join the rural forest cantons. The Battle of Sempach (1386) near Sempach (which while allied wouldn't become part of the canton for 8 more years) drove the Habsburgs out of the region and strengthened the Confederation. That victory led also to the gradual acquisition of territory ruled by and from the town. Amstalden, a wealthy innkeeper Schüpfheim in

1064-492: The Christian Catholic Church , and there were 7,564 individuals (or 2.16% of the population) who belonged to another Christian church. There were 399 individuals (or 0.11% of the population) who were Jewish, and 13,227 (or 3.77% of the population) who were Islamic. There were 875 individuals who were Buddhist , 1,715 individuals who were Hindu and 293 individuals who belonged to another church. 20,681 (or 5.90% of

1140-793: The Evangelical Reformed Church of the Canton of Grisons . Swiss Alps The Swiss Alps comprise almost all the highest mountains of the Alps , such as Dufourspitze (4,634 m), the Dom (4,545 m), the Liskamm (4,527 m), the Weisshorn (4,506 m) and the Matterhorn (4,478 m). The other following major summits can be found in this list of mountains of Switzerland . Since the Middle Ages , transit across

1216-613: The Hallstatt period (800–480 BC) mainly graves have been discovered. Very little is known about the La Tène period (480–30 BC) in Lucerne. Some iron tools, gold coins, ceramic vessels and a glass bangle as well as a burial ground with at least four graves have been found. During the Roman era , the canton was once again thickly settled. A number of farms were built in the north–south running valleys ( Wigger , Suhre , Wyna and See valleys). During

1292-770: The Helvetic zone on the north and the Austroalpine nappes – Southern Alps on the south come originally from the European and African continent respectively. The rocks of the Penninic nappes belong to the former area of the Briançonnais microcontinent and the Tethys Ocean . The closure of the latter by subduction under the African plate ( Piemont Ocean first and Valais Ocean later) preceded

1368-942: The Matterhorn Peak in California (see the Matterhorn article for a list of Matterhorns in the world ). The confluence of the Baltoro Glacier and the Godwin-Austen Glacier south of K2 in the Karakoram range was named after the Konkordiaplatz by European explorers. 46°33′33″N 8°33′41″E  /  46.55917°N 8.56139°E  / 46.55917; 8.56139 Canton of Lucerne The canton of Lucerne ( German : Kanton Luzern [ˈkantɔn luˈtsɛrn] ; Romansh : Chantun Lucerna ; French : Canton de Lucerne ; Italian : Canton Lucerna )

1444-623: The Restoration (from 1815 to 1848) it was one of the three ruling cantons. The patrician government was swept away by the cantonal constitution of 1831. But in 1841 the Conservatives regained power. They quickly recalled the Jesuits , who had been expelled by earlier radical governments, to head the cantonal school system. The riots that followed brought about the Sonderbund War (1847) in which

1520-708: The Rhône , Rhine and Inn (which is part of the Danube basin) while the south side is mainly drained by the Ticino (Po basin). The rivers on the north empty into the Mediterranean , North and Black Sea , on the south the Po empty in the Adriatic Sea . The major triple watersheds in the Alps are located within the country, they are: Piz Lunghin , Witenwasserenstock and Monte Forcola . Between

1596-580: The Swiss Alpine Club in 1863) and the opening of mountain train lines ( Rigi in 1873, Pilatus in 1889, Gornergrat in 1898). The Jungfraubahn opened in 1912; it leads to the highest railway station in Europe, the Jungfraujoch . Switzerland enjoys a 62,000-km network of well-maintained trails, of which 23,000 are located in mountainous areas. Many mountains attract a large number of alpinists from around

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1672-642: The Swiss Plateau , before retreating and leaving remnants only in high mountain areas. In modern times the Aletsch Glacier in the western Bernese Alps is the largest and longest in the Alps, reaching a maximum depth of 900 meters at Konkordiaplatz . Along with the Fiescher and Aar Glaciers , the region became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. An effect of the retreat of the Rhine Glacier some 10,000 years ago

1748-617: The early modern age , the town government fell into the hands of an aristocratic oligarchy , whose power, though shaken by the Swiss peasant war of 1653 in the Entlebuch, lasted until 1798. Under the French -supported Helvetic republic (1798–1803) Lucerne was the seat of the central government. When the republic collapsed, under the Act of Mediation (1803) it was one of the six " Directorial " cantons and during

1824-600: The 1st century AD, the farms provided food for the Legion camp in Vindonissa and for the larger settlements located in the Swiss plateau. Towards the end of the 1st century there was a vicus at Sursee . The remains of houses show that there were a number of small shops and manufacturing buildings in the town. The west bank of the Suhre was fortified with a stone slip and may have served as

1900-586: The Alps are (from west to east): France , Italy , Austria and Liechtenstein . The Alps are usually divided into two main parts, the Western Alps and Eastern Alps , whose division is along the Rhine from Lake Constance to the Splügen Pass . The western ranges occupy the greatest part of Switzerland while the more numerous eastern ranges are much smaller and are all situated in the canton of Graubünden . The latter

1976-692: The Alps is a key issue at national and international levels, as the European continent is at places divided by the range. Since the beginning of industrialisation Switzerland has improved its transalpine network; it began in 1882, by building the Gotthard Rail Tunnel , followed in 1906 by the Simplon Tunnel and 1913 by the Lötschberg Tunnel , and more recently, in 2007, by the Lötschberg Base Tunnel . The 57.1-km long Gotthard Base Tunnel ,

2052-555: The Alps played an important role in history. The region north of St Gotthard Pass became the nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the early 14th century. The Alps cover 60% of Switzerland's total 41,285 square kilometres (15,940 sq mi) surface area, making it one of the most alpine countries. Despite the fact that Switzerland covers only 14% of the Alps total 192,753 square kilometres (74,422 sq mi) area, 48 out of 82 alpine four-thousanders are located in

2128-524: The Conservatives were defeated, the decisive battle taking place at Gisikon, not far from Lucerne. The canton of Lucerne is part of Central Switzerland . The lands of the canton lie on the northern foothills of the Swiss Alps ( Urner Alps ). The highest elevation of the canton of Lucerne is at the Brienzer Rothorn at 2,350 m (7,710 ft). It borders the cantons of Obwalden and Nidwalden to

2204-505: The Entlebuch valley of the canton of Lucerne, was the leader of a planned rebellion of the valley against the city of Lucerne. In a plot to limit the power of the city, officials from the neighbouring canton of Obwalden had promised their support. The conspiracy was detected before they could stage the planned coup. On 24 August 1478, Amstalden was arrested, tortured and interrogated, and finally beheaded in November 1478. The incident furthered

2280-638: The Helvetic Zone and those on the south side are part of the Penninic nappes. The Austroalpine zone concerns almost only the Eastern Alps, with the notable exception of the Matterhorn . The last glaciations greatly transformed Switzerland's landscape. Many valleys of the Swiss Alps are U-shaped due to glacial erosion. During the maximum extension of the Würm glaciation (18,000 years ago) the glaciers completely covered

2356-583: The Lucerne area are stone artifacts and cave bear bones found in the Steigelfadbalm cave on Mt. Rigi from the Middle Paleolithic or about 30,000 BC. Other animal bones including mammoth, reindeer and giant deer from the local glacial maximum have also been found in the canton. Around 17,000 BC the glaciers disappeared from the Swiss plateau and recolonization is likely at that time. The first Paleolithic and Mesolithic settlement discovered in

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2432-481: The Roman settlements. Some exceptions include a Roman manor at Büron and the Roman town of Sursee. An Alamannic grave field was found at Aesch with 61 graves with wooden coffins from before the 7th century before. In the women's graves there were necklaces with glass and amber beads, while swords were found in the men's graves. Belt buckles and small iron knives were found in the graves of both sexes. A few items from

2508-426: The Swiss Alps and practically all of the remaining 34 are within 20 kilometres (12 mi) of the country's border. The glaciers of the Swiss Alps cover an area of 1,220 square kilometres (470 sq mi) — 3% of the Swiss territory, representing 44% of the total glaciated area in the Alps i.e. 2,800 square kilometres (1,100 sq mi). The Swiss Alps are situated south of the Swiss Plateau and north of

2584-409: The Swiss Alps began with the first ascents of the main peaks of the Alps ( Jungfrau in 1811, Piz Bernina in 1850, Monte Rosa in 1855, Matterhorn in 1856, Dom in 1858, Weisshorn in 1861) mostly by British mountain climbers accompanied by the local guides. The construction of facilities for tourists started in the mid-nineteenth century with the building of hotels and mountain huts (creation of

2660-604: The Valle Mesolcina belongs to the Grisons, its population is predominantly Italian-speaking and culturally oriented towards the Ticino . The valley includes the Mesocco and Roveredo of the Moesa district , including: The majority of the population adheres to Roman Catholicism , but there is a significant Protestant presence which is part of a Reformed community. located in Grono and adhering to

2736-963: The Witenwasserenstock and Piz Lunghin runs the European Watershed separating the basin of the Atlantic (the North Sea) and the Mediterranean Sea (Adriatic and the Black Sea). The European watershed lies only partially on the main chain . Switzerland possesses 6% of Europe's freshwater, and is sometimes referred to as the "water tower of Europe". Since the highest dams are located in Alpine regions, many large mountain lakes are artificial and are used as hydroelectric reservoirs. Some large artificial lakes can be found above 2,300 m, but natural lakes larger than 1 km are generally below 1,000 m (with

2812-419: The attractiveness of the Alpine landscape, increasing winter temperatures will result in a shorter skiing season, and these climate changes are limiting the amount of snow coverage produced. All of these climate and geographical factors are leading to a smaller number of visitors and reduced revenues which can have an intense economic impact on winter tourism. In response to these changes, Switzerland has turned to

2888-473: The canton (As of 2016 ). The Constitution of Lucerne of 2007 entered into force on 1 January 2008, replacing the 1875 constitution. With the new constitution, the legislative body Grosser Rat (Grand Council) was renamed to Kantonsrat (Cantonal Council). It is composed of 120 members elected by proportional representation. The executive body is the Regierungsrat (Government Council), composed of 5 members. The Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP)

2964-638: The canton is in the Wauwilermoos, which is now a Swiss heritage site of national significance . A number of other settlements have since been found, mainly on sandy, dry elevations in the immediate vicinity of water. The settlements of Egolzwil 3 in Wauwilermoos in Egolzwil , Seematte at Hitzkirch and Halbinsel in Sursee are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The Wauwilermoos houses had wooden or bark floors and hearths of clay. The villages had ceramic vessels and wood, bone, antler, stone and flint tools as well as textiles. Copper ax blades and knives provide

3040-437: The canton was quite settled. There were a number of settlements on the shores of Lake Sempach and Lake Baldegg along with hilltop settlements, graves and scattered items throughout the area. At Hochdorf-Baldegg a fenced village from the early Bronze Age (2200–1500 BC) was uncovered. The single-story houses all had clay or stone hearths. During the Middle Bronze Age (1550–1350 BC) most of the villages were not located directly on

3116-399: The canton. There were 159,152 married individuals, 18,853 widows or widowers and 14,154 individuals who are divorced. As of 2000 , there were 13,430 private households in the canton, and an average of 2.5 persons per household. There were 47,012 households that consist of only one person and 12,952 households with five or more people. As of 2009 , the construction rate of new housing units

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3192-441: The collision between the two plates and the so-called alpine orogeny. The major thrust fault of the Tectonic Arena Sardona in the eastern Glarus Alps gives a visible illustration of mountain-building processes and was therefore declared a UNESCO World Heritage. Another fine example gives the Alpstein area with several visible upfolds of Helvetic zone material. With some exceptions, the Alps north of Rhône and Rhine are part of

3268-456: The country. Switzerland depends on the use of hydroelectricity to power nearby communities, but as glaciers melt and stop refreezing, the melting that creates the energy ceases to exist. Researchers have been evaluating how the topography will change as the glaciers begin to decrease and they are looking more deeply into potential construction costs, energy production, and future problems they might encounter with these new developments. Switzerland

3344-414: The development of snow cover. The network additionally takes air photos periodically from selected areas. These monitoring strategies continue to develop as new research and data are recorded over time. The glaciers in the Swiss Alps have lost around half their volume during the last 90–120 years. The composition of the great tectonic units reflects the history of the formation of the Alps. The rocks from

3420-406: The distrust amongst rural and urban cantons in the Old Swiss Confederacy and was one of the reasons for the conclusion of the Stanser Verkommnis (Treaty of Stans ) in 1481, an important coalition treaty of the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy During the Reformation Lucerne remained attached to Roman Catholicism. The papal nuncio resided here from 1601 to 1873. In the 16th century, during

3496-419: The exceptions of lakes in the Engadin such as Lake Sils , and Oeschinen in the Bernese Oberland). The melting of low-altitude glaciers can generate new lakes, such as the 0.25 km large Triftsee which formed between 2002 and 2003. Switzerland has been using this concerning transition in climate as a positive opportunity to develop new innovations and to change the ways that energy is being produced in

3572-413: The first evidence of metal use in Switzerland. Imported mollusks show that there were trade connections to the Mediterranean. The bones at Egolzwil 3 are over two thirds from domestic animals with the remainder from wild animals. The main domesticated animals were sheep, goats and pigs with only a few domestic cattle. The animals hunted included deer, roe deer, wild boar and elk. During the Bronze Age

3648-459: The first permanent snow, its altitude greatly varies depending on the location (and orientation), it comprises between 2,800 and 3,200 meters. The glacial zone is the area of permanent snow and ice. When the steepness of the slope is not too high it results in an accumulation and compaction of snow, which transforms into ice. The glacier-formed then flows down the valley and can reach as far down as 1,500 meters (the Upper Grindelwald Glacier ). Where

3724-407: The growing power of the Habsburgs in the area the ties that bound Lucerne to Murbach weakened. In 1291 the Habsburgs finally purchased Lucerne from Murbach. The purchase of Lucerne by the Habsburgs drove the three forest cantons ( Uri , Schwyz and Unterwalden ) to form an Eternal Alliance , an act that is considered to be the foundation of Switzerland. In 1332 Lucerne became the fourth member of

3800-399: The lake shores. The Late Bronze Age settlement at Sursee-Zellmoos on Lake Sempach featured houses arranged in rows with mortared stone. The walls were timber lined with clay. Another Late Bronze Age settlement near the village of Schötz was densely populated between 1350 and 800 BC. While numerous individual Iron Age items have been found, almost no settlements have been discovered. From

3876-422: The last 10 years (2000–2010) the population has changed at a rate of −0.4%. Migration accounted for −1.2%, while births and deaths accounted for 1.3%. Most of the population (as of 2010 ) speaks German (91%) as their first language, while Serbo-Croatian , Italian , Albanian and English are the second most common languages (3%), followed by Portuguese and French with 2% each, and Spanish with 1%. Of

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3952-404: The longest railway tunnel of the world, opened in 2016 and provides a direct flat rail link through the Alps. The different names of the mountains and other landforms are named in the four national languages . The table below gives the most recurrent names. Also, a large number of peaks outside the Alps were named or nicknamed after Swiss mountains, such as the Wetterhorn Peak in Colorado or

4028-921: The majority of ski resorts in Switzerland tend to open in December and run through to April. The most visited places are: Other important destinations on the regional level are Engelberg - Titlis (Central Switzerland / OW ) and Gotthard Oberalp Arena with Andermatt (Central Switzerland / UR ) and Sedrun (GR), Leysin -Les Mosses, Villars-sur-Ollon , Les Diablerets -Glacier 3000 (all VD), Leukerbad (VS), Savognin , Scuol , Obersaxen , Breil/Brigels (all GR), Meiringen – Hasliberg (BE), Sörenberg ( LU ), Klewenalp with Beckenried and Emmetten (both NW ), Melchsee-Frutt ( OW ), Flumserberg and Pizol (both Sarganserland in SG ), Toggenburg with Wildhaus – Unterwasser – Alt St. Johann (SG), Hoch-Ybrig and Stoos (all SZ ), Braunwald and Elm ( GL ), Airolo and Bosco/Gurin ( TI ) and many more. The first person to ski in Grindelwald , Switzerland

4104-426: The mountain regions are within 1 to 3 hours travel of Switzerland's main cities and their respective airport . The Engadine in Graubünden is between 3 and 6 hours away from the large cities; the train journey itself, with the panoramic Glacier Express or Bernina Express , is popular with tourists. The Engadin Airport near St. Moritz at an altitude of 1,704 meters is the highest in Europe. The crossing of

4180-571: The municipalities of Greppen , Weggis and Vitznau on the western and south-western slopes of Mount Rigi . The area of the canton is 1,493 km (576 sq mi). 817.7 km (315.7 sq mi), about 55% of the total land area, is used for agriculture. An additional 449.0 km (173.4 sq mi) (about 30%) of the canton is wooded. The remainder of the canton is either developed, 125.3 km (48.4 sq mi) (8.4%), or unproductive (lakes, rivers or mountains), 101.5 km (39.2 sq mi) (6.8%). The Canton

4256-858: The national border. The limit between the Alps and the plateau runs from Vevey on the shores of Lake Geneva to Rorschach on the shores of Lake Constance , passing close to the cities of Thun and Lucerne . The not well defined regions in Switzerland that lie on the margin of the Alps, especially those on the north side, are called the Swiss Prealps ( Préalpes in French, Voralpen in German, Prealpi in Italian). The Swiss Prealps are mainly made of limestone and they generally do not exceed 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). The Alpine cantons (from highest to lowest) are Valais , Bern , Graubünden , Uri , Glarus , Ticino , St. Gallen , Vaud , Obwalden , Nidwalden , Schwyz , Appenzell Innerrhoden , Appenzell Ausserrhoden , Fribourg , Lucerne and Zug . The countries with which Switzerland shares mountain ranges of

4332-535: The population in the canton, 115,233 or about 32.9% were born in Lucerne and lived there in 2000. There were 101,980 or 29.1% who were born in the same canton, while 66,486 or 19.0% were born somewhere else in Switzerland, and 55,314 or 15.8% were born outside of Switzerland. As of 2000 , children and teenagers (0–19 years old) make up 25% of the population, while adults (20–64 years old) make up 58.6% and seniors (over 64 years old) make up 16.4%. As of 2000 , there were 158,345 people who were single and never married in

4408-574: The population) belonged to no church, are agnostic or atheist , and 13,007 individuals (or 3.71% of the population) did not answer the question. In Luzern about 127,331 or (36.3%) of the population have completed non-mandatory upper secondary education , and 42,391 or (12.1%) have completed additional higher education (either universities or a Fachhochschule ). Of the 42,391 who completed tertiary schooling, 65.0% were Swiss men, 23.6% were Swiss women, 7.0% were non-Swiss men and 4.4% were non-Swiss women. Institutions of higher education include

4484-454: The production of artificial snow to match the demand for these tourist destinations and to uphold the structure and well-being of the economy. The Swiss Alps and Switzerland enjoy an extensive transport network . Virtually every mountain village can be reached by public transport, either by rail , bus, funicular, cable car, or usually a combination of them. The main companies of the coherently integrated public transport system are: Most of

4560-436: The productive areas. The forests are mainly composed of conifers above 1,200–1,400 meters, the deciduous tree forest is confined to lower elevations. The upper limit of the Subalpine zone is located at about 1,800 meters on the north side of the Alps and about 2,000 meters on the south side. It can, however, differ in some regions such as the Appenzell Alps (1,600 meters) or the Engadin valley (2,300 meters). The Alpine zone

4636-406: The region. As of  2010 , Luzern had an unemployment rate of 1.4%. As of 2008 , there were 1,764 people employed in the primary economic sector and about 703 businesses involved in this sector. 5,388 people were employed in the secondary sector and there were 324 businesses in this sector. 9,431 people were employed in the tertiary sector , with 1,113 businesses in this sector. In 2008

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4712-423: The right bank of the Reuss by Murbach Abbey in Alsace, of which it long remained a "cell". It is first mentioned in a charter of 840 under the name of Luciaria , which is probably derived from the patron saint of the monastery, St Leodegar . The name Lucerrun is first mentioned in 1252. At some point, a small village grew up around the monastery. The first signs of a municipal constitution appear in 1252. With

4788-430: The slopes are too steep, the snow accumulates to form overhanging seracs , which periodically fall off due to the downward movement of the glacier and cause ice avalanches. The Bernese Alps, Pennine Alps, and Mont Blanc Massif contain most of the glaciated areas in the Alps. Except for research stations such as the Sphinx Observatory , no settlements are to be found in those regions. Due to the change in weather patterns,

4864-411: The south, Schwyz and Zug to the east, Aargau to the north, and Bern to the west. Its territory corresponds to the subject territories acquired by the city of Lucerne during the 14th and 15th centuries, including: Lucerne proper at the outflow of the Reuss river from Lake Lucerne ; the stretch of the Reuss river between Lucerne and Honau , along Rooterberg hill (connecting to Lake Zug with

4940-437: The southern Alpine region, southern Germany and Burgundy indicate that trade continued. Two early medieval stone grave vaults, both of which were used for multiple burials, were found in the church of Altishofen . In the treasury of Beromünster Abbey there is a 7th-century ornate reliquary of gilded copper plates, which probably came from northern Italy. Lucerne grew up around a Benedictine monastery, founded about 750 on

5016-436: The summers are expected to continue getting warmer and drier, while the winters are expected to become moister. This change in the weather increases the chances of flooding with heavier rainfall, the melting of permafrost zones, a change in the geography and wildlife, and the occurrence of more deadly rock slides. Furthermore, natural hazards are occurring more frequently, such as floods, avalanches, and landslides. Additionally,

5092-431: The territory of Meierskappel municipality); the Kleine Emme basin (including its tributaries Entle and Rümlig ); the tributaries of the Aare between Napf and Lindenberg , including (west to east) Wigger , Suhre ( Lake Sempach ), Wyna , Aabach ( Lake Hallwil , Lake Baldegg ); two territories connected only by water, across Lake Lucerne: the northern slope of Bürgenstock (part of Lucerne municipality), and

5168-464: The tertiary sector was 102,334. In the tertiary sector; 25,105 or 24.5% were in the sale or repair of motor vehicles, 8,182 or 8.0% were in the movement and storage of goods, 8,146 or 8.0% were in a hotel or restaurant, 3,835 or 3.7% were in the information industry, 7,000 or 6.8% were the insurance or financial industry, 10,979 or 10.7% were technical professionals or scientists, 8,111 or 7.9% were in education and 15,924 or 15.6% were in health care. Of

5244-426: The total number of full-time equivalent jobs was 160,133. The number of jobs in the primary sector was 9,608, of which 9,462 were in agriculture, 119 were in forestry or lumber production and 27 were in fishing or fisheries. The number of jobs in the secondary sector was 48,191 of which 31,698 or (65.8%) were in manufacturing, 142 or (0.3%) were in mining and 14,990 (31.1%) were in construction. The number of jobs in

5320-544: The water supply that the glaciers originally provided is on the decline, which is problematic for producing energy, agricultural practices, and other human use. Finally, the glacial melting puts the economy at risk because there will be less incoming financial revenue from the tourism and recreation services that these glaciers and ecosystems typically provide. All of these impacts will disrupt the nearby communities and require that updated infrastructure and safety measures be put into place to prevent mass destruction. Tourism in

5396-412: The working population, 12.1% used public transportation to get to work, and 48.5% used a private car. From the 2000 census , 248,545 or 70.9% were Roman Catholic, while 39,426 or 11.2% belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church . Of the rest of the population, there were 7,801 members of an Orthodox church (or 2.23% of the population), there were 471 individuals (or 0.13% of the population) who belonged to

5472-890: The world, especially the 4000-meter summits and the great north faces ( Eiger , Matterhorn and Piz Badile ). The large winter resorts are also popular destinations in summer, as most of aerial tramways operate through the year, enabling hikers and mountaineers to reach high altitudes without much effort. The Klein Matterhorn is the highest summit of the European continent to be served by cable car. The major destinations for skiing and other winter sports are located in Valais , Bernese Oberland and Graubünden . Some villages are car-free and can be accessed only with public transports such as Riederalp and Bettmeralp . Zermatt and Saas-Fee have both summer ski areas. The ski season starts from as early as November and runs to as late as May; however,

5548-429: Was Weggis (in 1380), Rothenburg , Kriens , Horw , Sempach and Hochdorf (all in 1394), Wolhusen and Entlebuch (1405), the so-called "Habsburger region" to the northeast of the town of Lucerne (1406), Willisau (1407), Sursee and Beromünster (1415), Malters (1477) and Littau (1481), while in 1803, in exchange for Hitzkirch , Merenschwand (held since 1397) was given up. The oldest traces of humans in

5624-426: Was 4.7 new units per 1000 residents. As of 2003 the average price to rent an average apartment in Lucerne city was 1150.31 Swiss francs (CHF) per month (US$ 920, £520, €740 approx. exchange rate from 2003). The average rate for a one-room apartment was 646.07 CHF (US$ 520, £290, €410), a two-room apartment was about 879.64 CHF (US$ 700, £400, €560), a three-room apartment was about 1033.60 CHF (US$ 830, £470, €660) and

5700-510: Was Englishmen Gerald Fox (a resident of Tone Dale House in England) who put his skis on in his hotel bedroom in 1881 and walked out through the hotel Bar to the slopes wearing them. Some major sporting activities include: Climate change is impacting European Alpine tourism due to the increasing number and intensity of natural hazards, and it is endangering the accessibility and infrastructure of tourism destinations. Melting glaciers are affecting

5776-640: Was the Flims Rockslide , the biggest still visible landslide worldwide. To protect endangered species some sites have been brought under protection. The Swiss National Park in Graubünden was established in 1914 as the first alpine national park. The Entlebuch area was designated a biosphere reserve in 2001. The largest protected area in the country is the Parc Ela , opened in 2006, which covers an area of 600 square kilometres. The Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area

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