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90-523: Rapperswil is located on the northern shore of Lake Zurich at the point at which the lake is cut in two by the Seedamm isthmus , which is an ice age moraine . The upper (or eastern) part of Lake Zurich is called Obersee . Part of the old town, the castle and monastery are situated on a peninsula . The town's main sights are concentrated in the Altstadt of Rapperswil and can be seen while strolling through

180-537: A Molasse formation connecting Rapperswil with the Hurden peninsula. Before 1951 the annual water level fluctuated more than 1 metre (3.3 ft), but since then the water level is strictly regulated and therefore between summer and winter differs an average of 40 centimetres (15.7 in). The average lake level is now at 406 metres above sea level , while Obersee and Untersee differ by only 1 centimetre (0.39 in). The Seedamm between Rapperswil and Hurden

270-755: A 1978 inventory, in 1988 the University of Geneva took a second inventory of aquatic plants in the riparian zone of the entire lake area. The lake shore in the Canton of St. Gallen was divided into 50 portions of approximately 500 metres (1,640 ft) in length and described by 12 different parameters. The most important are the plants environmental information on aquatic plants (macrophytes), divided into reeds, floating plants and submerged vegetation (pondweed and stoneworts). The dense vegetation zones are generally between 1 metre (3.3 ft) and 4 metres (13.1 ft) up to 5 metres (16.4 ft) depth. Instead of nutrients there

360-751: A 55-minute ride away from St. Gallen (direct with Voralpen-Express or S6/ S4 with change in Uznach ). The railway tracks and the infrastructure, excluded the train station's building, have been renewed by June/July 2016. Since 2008, the bus service in Rapperswil-Jona ( Stadtbus Rapperswil-Jona ) has been provided by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland (VZO). In addition, Schneider Busbetrieb operates line 622 to Wagen (continues to St. Gallenkappel / Wattwil ) and line 621 to Buech/St. Dyonis. As of 2016, an average of 26,000 road vehicles cross

450-488: A handful of railway stations are present, such as Hurden , Rapperswil , Blumenau and Schmerikon ( Bollingen is closed since 2004). The line along the southern lake shore connecting Pfäffikon SZ , Altendorf , Lachen and Siebnen-Wangen in the canton of Schwyz, is provided by the Zurich S-Bahn lines S2 , S8 and S25 and IR35 . Buses are operated on both sides of the lake by the local Postauto providers and on

540-704: A lesser degree of Sägenbächlein, Wagner and Lehholz in Jona and the Linth with side channels in Schmerikon. Perennial systematic birdwatching and studies illustrate the importance of reed beds as an outstanding habitat for many bird species. Among the 15 most valuable ornithological reeds on Obersee include (Canton St. Gallen) Rapperswil Strandweg (rank 4), Bollingen Unter Stafflen (rank 7), Wurmsbach bay (rank 11), Wurmsbach nunnery (rank 12), and Schmerikoner Allmeind (rank 13). The extensive area of shallow water with its diverse flora and

630-469: A nature reserve. Together with an artificial island made of gravel, they form one of the most important waterfowl breeding areas. For this reason, fishing from the wooden bridge is prohibited, as is swimming and mooring boats in the area. Among the area around the Seedamm lake crossing and between Rapperswil and Busskirch , there are some more protected areas around Obersee. The Frauenwinkel protected area

720-568: A population of 25,777 (December 2007). This makes it the second-largest town in the canton after the capital of St. Gallen itself. Ironman 70.3 Switzerland and the Triathon Challenge took place in Rapperswil-Jona on 6 June 2010, and was repeated several times. The blues'n'jazz festival, taking place since 1998, is held at the end of June. Every three years Seenachtsfest is celebrated one weekend in August, attracting nearly 100,000 visitors to

810-537: A spectacular fireworks, for the next time in summer 2018. Rapperswil is the home of the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers , and their Diners Club Arena is situated on Obersee lakeshore. Kunst(Zeug)Haus is a vibrant center of Swiss contemporary art, housed in a former Swiss Military armory ( Zeughaus ). Herzbaracke is a swimming theatre, cabaret and restaurant on Lake Zürich at different locations, among them Zürich-Bellevue and Rapperswil harbour. Eis-zwei-Geissebei

900-543: Is a Carnival festival in Rapperswil on Shrove Tuesday, and Christkindlymärt is a Christmas funfair celebrated in late December, and last but not least, Radio Zürisee is situated in Rapperswil opposite of the Rapperswil railway station , and Obersee Nachrichten at Hauptplatz plaza. In Rapperswil there are several sites situated that are listed as Swiss heritage sites of national significance : Schloss Rapperswil with

990-413: Is a high a load with floating mineral particles which prevents colonization of the sea floor in greater depths. The grade of colonization of the shallow water zone has risen again since the last observation in 1978, which is directly related to the increase in the maximum colonization zone. The vegetation consists four-fifths of submerged plants and only about one-fifth of emerging plants. The latter includes

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1080-400: Is a popular anchoring and bathing place, which represents a potential failure and thus a conflict with the high value of the shore habitats. Disorders also produce sport canoeists, leisure boats and surfboards that circulate too close to the shore. Very vulnerable with respect to disturbances mentioned are the valuable shore sections on both sides of the harbour at the Rapperswil lido. Therefore,

1170-549: Is a quarry that mines Bollinger Sandstein . Bollinger Sandstein (German name) or Bollingen Sandstone is a sandstone found on Obersee lake shore, namely between Bollingen and Uznach and the Buechberg area, in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz. Depending on the layer, the appearance and texture of the natural stone also varies, therefore distinct names have developed at the different mining locations: Güntliweid , Buechberg and Uznaberg . Bollinger-Lehholz sandstone

1260-446: Is a rare and spectacular event. The lake was frozen in the following Common Era / Anno Domini years (1963 was the last time): Lake Zurich's water is very clean and reaches, during summer, temperatures well beyond 20 °C (68 °F). Swimming in the public baths and beaches is very popular. The lake's water is purified and fed into Zurich's water system; it is potable. Obersee (Lake Zurich) The Obersee ("upper lake")

1350-538: Is also listed as a Class object in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance . In Kempraten ( Rapperswil-Jona municipality), there was a Roman vicus named Centum Prata . Another settlement was Turicum in Zurich. The main transportation nodes around the lake are Zurich and — given the presence of the Seedamm causeway — Pfäffikon and Rapperswil . Besides Quaibrücke in Zurich and

1440-530: Is interrupted by settlement patterns and transport systems, the amphibians have declined in these landscapes. With regard to a cross-linking of priority areas by the lake with the backlands, the most important amphibian spawning areas have been identified in 1997. Amphibian spawning areas of national importance are situated at the Allmeind areas in Jona and Schmerikon. At the Joner Allmeind two endangered species on

1530-452: Is larger than those of Frauenwinkel or of the Jona river and Wurmsbach stream. The present marshes only comprise a small fraction of the formerly extensive, extensively used reed and meadows which offered numerous animals and plants a wide habitat. Larger areas of the present nature reserve, such as the so-called Schüttinsel , were created on the deposits of non-recyclable residual material from

1620-457: Is located inmidst the protected area Nuoler Ried on the southern shore of the lake. The adjacent nature reserve Wägitaler Aa is a breeding ground paradise for various rare species of birds. In 1949 a private pilot, a flight instructor and the aviation pioneer Alfred Comte entered into a lease agreement with the Genossame (cooperative) Wangen. On 29 June 1950 for the first time a plane landed on

1710-470: Is mined between Jona and Bollingen . Since the incidence even partly is mined within the Güntliweid–Bätzimatt nature reserve , Bollinger sandstone usually is extracted with wire saws that cut the stone vertically in up to 60 metres (197 ft) deep shafts. For example, the present Lehholz quarry dates back to 1252 AD when Rudolf II von Rapperswil founded the nearby Wurmsbach Abbey in Jona. It

1800-470: Is missing, no data are available. For the inventory of the national fen asset protection zones, the Canton of St. Gallen evaluated and proposed, in accordance with the provisions in the national fen regulation, appropriate buffer zones, among them as fens of national importance : the lakeshore marshes west of Busskirch , Joner Allmeind marshes, the lakeside read area east of Wurmsbach , reed at Schmerikon and

1890-559: Is often referred to as the "town of roses" ( Rosenstadt ) because of its extensive displays of roses in three designated parks. No less than 15,000 plants of 600 different kinds may be viewed between June and October. There is also a rose garden in the town center, accessible to blind and disabled people. The old town ( Altstadt ) is dominated by the Schloss Rapperswil located at the peninsula called Endingen , Lindenhof and Herrenberg on Lake Zurich perched atop this rocky hill at

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1980-512: Is situated on the Seedamm area in Hurden . Its reed and marsh belt has a maximal width of about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) from the west to the east and a length of about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) from the north to the south. The lake area towards Lützelau and Ufenau islands it also part of the protected area of about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi). Landward there is reed vegetation with large and small sedge flora, rushes, Iris sibirica , and

2070-671: Is the Au peninsula at the village of Au between Wädenswil and Horgen . The lake shores are well cultivated and fertile. They include nature reserves , such as Frauenwinkel or Bätzimatt . The bay of Rapperswil and reed in Nuolen are wintering areas for birds and popular sites for bird watching . To the east, separated by Zürichberg - Adlisberg , Forch , and Pfannenstiel , are two smaller lakes, Greifensee ( lit.   ' Lake Greifen ' ) and Pfäffikersee ( lit.   ' Lake Pfäffikon ' ). There are several minor lakes and ponds in

2160-627: Is the missing, extensively used transition to riparian vegetation. Geotopes comprise geological outcrops, boulders and river delta formations. Geological rock outcrops, i.e. scenically striking rocky ridges are found in Fuchsberg and Stafflen in Jona, Heilig Hüsli in Rapperswil and the Hörnli glacial erratic in Oberbollingen . Extensive river deltas included that of the Jona and Aabach in Schmerikon , to

2250-463: Is the smaller of the two parts of Zürichsee (Lake Zurich) in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz in Switzerland . Zürichsee is the common name for the lower ( Untersee ) northwestern section of 68.2 square kilometres (26.3 sq mi), while the smaller southeastern upper ( Obersee ) lake area measures 20.8 square kilometres (8.0 sq mi), separated by the Seedamm causeway,

2340-540: Is to enforce these rules. Once a section of the Obersee area, the former easterly lake Tuggen was landed in the early 16th century AD and for the last time mentioned in 1535 AD. Parts of the former lake were situated in the Canton of Glarus , the larger western area in the canton of St. Gallen towards Uznach . In much earlier era, Obersee and Tuggenersee also were separated by the Buechberg hill, on those eastern side

2430-561: The Frauenwinkel protected area is situated. That bigger part of the Zürichsee to the west of the Seedamm, is largely situated in the canton of Zurich , smaller parts in the cantons of Schwyz and St. Gallen ( Kempraten and Rapperswil ), whilst the upper lake is shared just between the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz . Zürichsee was formed by the Linth river , which rises in the glaciers of

2520-534: The Seedamm isthmus in Lake Zurich, the area is in close vicinity to the prehistoric lake crossings discovered at the Hurden Rosshorn site. One Prehistoric pile dwelling settlement, Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum , was located on a former island and directly linked to these sea crossings. The Feldbach settlement was located at a 3 km footwalk distance to the north and the west. The Hurden Seefeld settlement

2610-705: The Technikum island settlement , and the remains of a first wooden bridge (1523 BC, reconstructed in 2001) to Hurden located on the Obersee lakeshore nearby the Technical University (HSR) respectively the so-called Heilig Hüsli at the northwestern part of the Seedamm area. The three neighbouring Prehistoric settlements , as well as the early lake crossings, are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric Pile dwellings around

2700-482: The Fuchsberger Horn where a species-rich forest with oak and pine trees breeds. Also worth mentioning is the small wooded area at the far end of the upper Bollingen peninsula. Outside of urban areas, the bank is often planted with different density and broad trees stocks. Extensive shore sections are occupied by large, private gardens and parks. Although often non-native and exotic shrubs and trees species occur and

2790-549: The Glarus Alps . In 1811 the Escher canal was completed, which diverted the Linth river into Walensee (Lake Walen) from where its waters are carried to the east end of Obersee by the Linth canal (completed in 1816), and separated by the Buechberg hill. No other streams of importance flow into the Obersee besides the Linth and the much smaller Jona river . Obersee is characterized by its shallow depth and, compared to its volume, by

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2880-684: The Limmat . The Limmat is a tributary of the Aare , which itself is a tributary of the High Rhine . The culminating point of the lake's drainage basin is the Tödi at 3,614 metres above sea level. Besides the River Linth, other tributaries are the Jona , Schmerikoner Aa , Steinenbach and Wägitaler Aa , which all flow out into Obersee , along with several creeks. The Seedamm , an artificial causeway and bridge, crosses

2970-687: The Polish Museum including the Polish national archive, the medieval Rathaus (town hall) located at the Hauptplatz square, and the Seedamm region including Heilig Hüsli and the remains of the prehistoric wooden bridges respectively the neolithic stilt house settlements located there. The latter are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps" . Located at

3060-494: The Seedamm causeway and the Bahnhofstrasse road in Rapperswil every day. As of 30 June 2016, Rapperswil-Jona is expected to participate as the first Swiss city in a pilot project for so-called Mobility pricing in order to relieve the traffic on road and rail during rush hours. Lake Zurich Lake Zurich ( German : Zürichsee ; Alemannic German : Zürisee ) is a lake in Switzerland , extending southeast of

3150-538: The Seedamm causeway was built in 1878, the Heilig Hüsli chapel was the only remaining structure of the prehistorical and medieval lake crossings. It stood isolated in the lake and was not accessible to visitors until the reconstruction of the former wooden bridge was erected in 2001. The lake and the small islands between the chapel, the timber piles of the Rapperswil–Hurden bridge and the Seedamm are designated as

3240-590: The Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as Class A objects of national importance. Rapperswil railway station is a nodal point of the IR Voralpen Express ( SOB ), the Zürich S-Bahn lines S5 , S7 , S15 and S40 , and the St. Gallen S-Bahn line S6 . This railway station is a 36-minute (S5/S15, combined quarter-hourly service) ride away from Zürich Hauptbahnhof and

3330-407: The bird reserves of national importance Güntliweid up to Bätzimatt at Buechberg . The reserve is located on the south lake shore, at the foothills of Buechberg, and extends from the south of Bätzimatt at Schmerikon to Güntliweid east of Lachen. It is considered as a particularly valuable resting place for waders , and may be obtained as resting place for waders on the train, although there

3420-487: The cantons of Schwyz , St. Gallen and Zurich , are among the 56 Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps in Switzerland. These nine sites on the Lake Zurich lakeshore are Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn , Freienbach–Hurden Seefeld , Rapperswil-Jona/Hombrechtikon–Feldbach , Rapperswil-Jona–Technikum , Erlenbach–Winkel , Meilen–Rorenhaab , Wädenswil–Vorder Au , Zurich–Enge Alpenquai , and Kleiner Hafner . Because

3510-540: The 1960s and 1970s, but that since then at a low level takes place a slight recovery. Lily as floating leaf plants covered on Untersee 0.4 ha, with a declining trend; in contrast, a doubling Obersee on 2 ha can be detected. 56 of the 61 species in the entire Zürichsee colonize the upper lake and the lower lake 34. Most frequently represented are the pondweed ( Potamogeton ); 24 species are considered rare, more than 15 very rarely. In fact, there are no more original riverside forests on lake shore, except on steep slopes like

3600-573: The Alps . In Kempraten , two kilometers away, there was a probably Helvetic settlement; and in the beginning of the 1st century AD, the Roman vicus Centum Prata (meaning 100 meadows ) became an important trade center on the way to the Roman heartland. The neolithic bridge between Hurden and Rapperswil was renewed by the Romans at least around 165 AD. Historians mention a 10th-century ferry station assumably at

3690-595: The Lake Zurich Navigation Company – provides with its 17-passenger ships touristic services on Lake Zurich and also on Obersee , as well as the much smaller Hensa AG, based in Rapperswil . Public transport over the Seedamm is provided by the Zurich S-Bahn lines S5 and S40 , and along the northern shore by St. Gallen S-Bahn services S6 and S17 and the Voralpen-Express , although just

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3780-653: The Lower Lake ( unterer Zürichsee ), respectively. Lake Zurich is a glacial lake that was formed by the Rhine-Linth glacier  [ de ] . Its main tributary is the River Linth , which rises in the glaciers of the Glarus Alps . The Linth originally flew directly into Lake Zurich, but was later diverted by the Escher canal (completed in 1811) into Lake Walen ( Walensee ) from where its waters are now carried to

3870-535: The Old Swiss Confederation. Rapperswil was at first part of the Helvetic and the canton of Linth 's capital city. After the 1803 Act of Mediation , it joined the canton of St. Gallen , and the former Herrschaft Rapperswil was split into the municipalities of Rapperswil and Jona. On 1 January 2007 the former municipalities of Rapperswil and Jona merged to form a new political entity: Rapperswil-Jona has

3960-570: The Red List ( Yellow-bellied toad and Pelophylax ) can be found in large to very large populations. Schmerikoner Allmeind is home to the same two endangered species. For both areas the preservation and promotion of natural corridors are required, and in Schmerikon along the Linth and the side channels a large-scale networking with Kaltenbrunner Riet and other protected areas in the Linthebene region. The few existing inventory data are compiled by

4050-617: The Seedamm, there are no bridges across the lake. In addition, the towns of Meilen and Horgen are connected by a car ferry . Bus routes on the western shore are operated by Zimmerberg Bus . On the eastern side, the VZO provides bus services along the lake shore and to the Zürcher Oberland . VZO also operates the urban bus routes in Rapperswil and Jona . At the northern end of the lake, in Zurich, public transport consists of trams , trolleybuses and busses of VBZ . Left bank : The towns on

4140-640: The Voralpen Express. This short line connects Rapperswil with Pfäffikon SZ via Hurden . The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft – lit.   ' the Lake Zurich Navigation Company ' – provides with its 17-passenger ships touristic services on Lake Zurich. There are a number of passenger ferry services, notably the Horgen–Meilen ferry , an auto ferry between Horgen and Meilen . The freezing of Lake Zurich, called Seegfrörni in Swiss German ,

4230-540: The bay of Kempraten . The castle dates back to the early 13th century (first mentioned in 1229). In 1350, it was destroyed by Rudolf Brun , the mayor of Zurich , and was rebuilt in 1352/54 by Albrecht II, Duke of Austria . Deer inhabit lands surrounding the castle. Since 1870, the castle has been home to the Polish National Museum created by Polish émigrés, including the castle's lessee and restorer, Count Wladyslaw Broel-Plater . A small Capuchin's monastery

4320-531: The canton of Zurich, and Rapperswil-Jona . The latter includes the medieval town of Rapperswil , whose castle is home to the Polish museum , and the coastal villages of Kempraten , Busskirch and Bollingen . The municipalities of Rapperswil-Jona and Schmerikon , which is close to the east end of the lake, are both in the canton of St. Gallen . A little further east is the larger town of Uznach . Nine Prehistoric pile dwellings around Zürichsee , which are located in

4410-400: The cantons Zurich and St. Gallen. Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (commonly abbreviated to ZSG ) operates passenger vessels on Lake Zurich ( Zürichsee ), connecting the surrounding towns between Zürich-Bürkliplatz and the Rapperswil peninsula with its harbour area. Settlements in the region of Rapperswil date back to at least 5000 years ago. Archaeological relicts have been found at

4500-651: The cemetery chapel ( Liebfrauenkapelle ) and a small Protestant church. The locational advantage of the place attracted the national Circus Knie who built its headquarters in Rapperswil in 1919. The circus is now also responsible for the Circus Museum and the Knie's Kinderzoo located in Rapperswil which is particularly aimed at children. Rapperswil also hosts the Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil HSR (University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil) and an Economics school for parts of

4590-465: The city of Zurich . Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or Zürichsee can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the Hurden peninsula and Seedamm causeway (between Pfäffikon and Rapperswil ). In the latter case, the upstream part of the lake is called Obersee ( lit.   ' Upper Lake ' ), whilst the lower part is sometimes also referred to as

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4680-420: The competent fisheries overseer respectively a report in 1993. This is a rough, spatially highly generalized statement to the spawning grounds of Northern pike , Coregonus and Coregonus zugensis (commonly Albeli ). In addition to these specific fishing information, ecological data and studies on the other species of fish and their habitat requirements, but also to other creatures, such as crabs and mussels

4770-449: The decline of the reed banks and the increase in interference from recovery operations and water sports on the lake shore, the number of breeding pairs is constantly decreasing. Today the Great reed warbler is acutely threatened. According to the Red List of endangered species in Switzerland, it is listed in the top risk category of disappearing birds whose survival in Switzerland is unlikely if

4860-412: The depths. The Walensee and Obersee are the main water suppliers for Zürichsee which is used in turn for more than a million inhabitants as drinking water storage. To ensure the quality of the drinking water supply, the water supply authorities of the city of Zurich therefore regularly examine the quality of these two lakes. The neighboring cantons of Zurich, Schwyz, Glarus and St. Gallen participate in

4950-464: The east end of Lake Zurich (near Schmerikon ) by means of the straightened Linth canal (completed in 1816). Until the early 16th century, there was another lake upstream of Obersee , Lake Tuggen ( Tuggenersee ) near Tuggen . The waters of Lake Zurich flow out of the lake at its north-west end (at the level of the Quaibrücke ), passing through the city of Zurich; however, the outflow is then called

5040-583: The former locus Endingen (given by the Einsiedeln Abbey ) were built by the Counts of Rapperswil , i.e. by Rudolf II and his son Rudolf III von Rapperswil around 1200: The town was founded when the nobility of Rapperswil moved from Altendorf across the lake to Rapperswil. On the peninsula at Oberbollingen , the St. Nicholas Chapel is mentioned, where around 1229 a small Cistercian (later Premonstratensian) monastery

5130-716: The grass runway of the airfield. Since 1957 also seaplanes use the lake shore area, being today – the Ad Astra Aero airport at Zürichhorn was closed around 1931 – the last water airfield in Switzerland. The airfield track has been paved in 1967, and the airport is equipped with a VASI approach aid. The boat density on the lake is by far the highest in Switzerland: around 3,000 private boats (1.44 boats per hectare) according to studies of 1978/79 and 1.21 boats per hectare in 1972 on an area of 20.8 square kilometres (8.0 sq mi) resulting in considerable disturbances to wildlife and

5220-603: The lake has grown in size over time, the original piles are now around 4 metres (13 ft) to 7 metres (23 ft) under the water level of 406 metres (1,332 ft). Two other sites are not far away: Greifensee–Storen/Wildsberg at the Greifensee and Wetzikon–Robenhausen at the Pfäffikersee. As well as being part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, each of these 11 prehistoric pile dwellings

5310-484: The lake. At Wädenswil , the line connects to the Wädenswil–Einsiedeln railway to Einsiedeln , served by the S13 . Right bank : Towns on the eastern shore of the lower lake (also known as the Goldcoast , or Goldküste ) are connected by the Lake Zurich right bank railway line between Zürich HB and Rapperswil . This line is served by S-Bahn services S6 , S7 , S16 and S20 of Zurich S-Bahn. The Rapperswil–Ziegelbrücke railway line along

5400-506: The lawns usually are intensively cultivated, the upstream water habitats often form relatively low-noise buffer areas to the underlying recreation, transport and settlement areas. At several banks sections butt agricultural meadows and pastures directly to the water. However, the upper Bollingen peninsula is the only major agricultural area with lake access. All remaining grasslands have less than 50 metres (164 ft) lake access and are usually relatively little interference. A disadvantage often

5490-451: The marinecontrol regulations prohibit to motorboats shore independent movements within the 150 metres (492 ft) zone and slow driving within the 300 metres (984 ft) zone. For sailboats and motorboats a minimum distance of 25 metres (82 ft) from reeds and water lilies when anchoring and sailing. Individual bank sections are marked with yellow buoys, which means that these zones are closed to all vessels. The maritime police's mission

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5580-458: The medieval alleys. The main sights of Rapperswil are its rose gardens , Rapperswil Castle , the reconstructed wooden bridge to Hurden with its bridge chapel Heilig Hüsli located at Seedamm , the Kapuzinerkloster (Capuchin's monastery) , the remains of the Middle Ages fortifications located on Lake Zurich , Lindenhof hill, Herrenberg , Engelplatz , Hauptplatz , Bühlerallee and Fischmarktplatz at Rapperswil harbour. Rapperswil

5670-449: The monitoring costs. Since the early 1970s the water quality has greatly improved thanks to extensive restructuring measures. Almost all residents in the 1,740 square kilometres (672 sq mi) large catchment area are connected to sewage plants. Although every spring a circulation of the water occurs, often a visible lack of oxygen in July below a depth of 30 metres (98 ft) is observable, which lasts for several months. Following

5760-586: The narrowest point of the lake at the level of the Hurden Peninsula , carrying a railway line and road from Rapperswil to Pfäffikon . The waterway is also crossed by the Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden , a wooden pedestrian bridge. The eastern section of the lake is known as the Obersee ( lit.   ' Upper Lake ' ). West of the Seedamm lie the small islands of Lützelau and Ufenau , where in 1523 Ulrich von Hutten took refuge and died. Other islands include Grosser Hafner , Saffa Island and Schönenwerd (near Richterswil ). A popular tourist destination

5850-403: The nearby gravel extraction. Schmerikoner Ried is a reed located on the northeastern lake shore in the Linthebene area towards the Grynau Castle . The protected area was set under federal protection as a low-moor bog of national importance (German: Bundesinventar der Flachmoore von nationaler Bedeutung ) in 1994. On the southwestern side, between Grynau and Lachen there is namely

5940-411: The northeastern lake shore. From Tuggen there's also a historical road heading from the former granary at the Grynau Castle over the Buechberg hill towards Siebnen . In general, the southern side of the lake is not as developed for tourism, although the Lachen lido is very popular. Also often frequented is the lido of Schmerikon at the Linth canal's estuary. The private airfield Wangen-Lachen

6030-528: The northeastern shore by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürichsee und Oberland , respectively, in addition to local buses within Rapperswil-Jona . The pathway between Rapperswil and Schmerikon , and the wooden bridge in the Seedamm area are very popular for hiking, as well as the 'fishing village' Hurden on its southern side is often frequented by tourists. Knie's Kinderzoo situated on lake shore in Rapperswil, Busskirch , Wurmsbach Abbey and Bollingen in Jona towards Schmerikon are other points of interests on

6120-431: The northern shore of Obersee is served by St. Gallen S-Bahn services S4 , S6 and S17 , and the Voralpen Express . This line connects Rapperswil with Schmerikon on the eastern end of the lake via Blumenau . Bollingen is a ghost station since 2004. Seedamm : The Rapperswil–Pfäffikon railway line across the Seedamm and Hurden Peninsula is served by Zurich S-Bahn services S5 and S40 and

6210-453: The opposition's leader against Rudolf Brun , the mayor of Zürich, was arrested for two years, and the town walls of Rapperswil, its castle and Altendorf castle were destroyed by Brun in 1350. Between 1358 and 1360 Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria , built a wooden bridge across the lake that has been used to 1878 – measuring approximately 1,450 metres (4,757 ft) in length and 4 metres (13 ft) wide; 546 oak piles have been installed. In 1415,

6300-441: The plumage change frequent disruptions for waterfowl can have deadly consequences. Also important are the widest possible retreat as cover for frightened animals. Many of the most attractive landscapes shore of Zürichsee are located in the section of the Canton of St. Gallen. Accordingly, there is rush of boats from the lower lake area, i.e. west of the Seedamm isthmus, on nice summer days. The environmentally sensitive Wurmsbach bay

6390-423: The rare Gentiana pneumonanthe . In certain places even transition and high marsh occurs. In the nature reserve there are European rarities, among them Phengaris alcon , Eurasian curlew and Gentiana pneumonanthe , as well as Ruspolia nitidula , a small snail. Nuoler Ried is a reed located on the north end of a large plane that was filled by the Wägitaler Aa and Spreitenbach streams. This delta

6480-453: The reed area in front of HSR area and Knie's Kinderzoo in Rapperswil . Fens of regional and local importance include the reed area east of the Busskirch church, the reed area south of Hessenhof, the small area at the parking side of the Jona mouth ( Stampf ), the embankment and so-called Kormoraninsel at Stampf , as well as the bay to the west of the upper Bollingen peninsula. After

6570-405: The reedbed: In 1850 90 hectares (222 acres) of reed beds were alone in the lower lake area yet been demonstrated. A comparison of aerial photographs from 1954 and 1987 shows in most shore sections of the machining area a significant decrease in the reed beds. The reed area has increased from 1978 to 1987 in the upper lake from 15 to 16 ha. It can be concluded that the reed banks are mostly declined in

6660-513: The riparian vegetation by the private boat traffic, as well as by the airfield. Disturbance sensitive species are those which have a large flight distance, such as Grebes and Little grebes , Common moorhen , Water rail , Gadwall and Tufted duck . These animals leave in disorders rapidly their habitat, return either not or return with some delay, only after elimination of the fault. The flight distance when passing motor and sailing boats can be up to 500 metres (1,640 ft). During

6750-455: The so-called Einsiedlerhaus in Rapperswil – in 981 AD as well as the vineyard on the Lindenhof hill – between Kempraten on Kempratnerbucht , Lützelau and Ufenau island and assumably present Hurden , which allowed the pilgrims towards Einsiedeln to cross the lake before the prehistoric bridge at the Seedamm isthmus was re-built in 1358 . Rapperswil Castle and the fortifications of

6840-444: The south shore) are Kilchberg , Rüschlikon , Thalwil , Oberrieden , Horgen , Au , Wädenswil and Richterswil in the canton of Zurich , and Freienbach , Pfäffikon , Hurden, Altendorf , Lachen , Nuolen and Tuggen in the canton of Schwyz . On the opposite shore, which gradually becomes the northern shore towards east, are Zollikon , Küsnacht , Erlenbach , Herrliberg , Feldmeilen , Meilen , Stäfa , and Feldbach in

6930-421: The still widespread shore trees play an extremely important role for many bird species, both as food, breeding and resting place. A critical phase in the evolution of birds is the time of moulting , during which they are more or less incapable of flying and depending on quiet water areas. The Reed warblers inhabit the seaward edges of the reed belts and need significantly more space than other reed birds. Due to

7020-415: The threats continue. In Obersee area are three important resting places of waders: Joner Allmeind annually depending on the water level in spring and autumn, Rapperswil in winter and Schmerikoner Allmeind in spring and autumn. Many amphibian species are dependent on both natural waters for spawning, as well as on adjacent food and wintering areas. Because the connection between these two partial habitats

7110-604: The town bought freedom for itself. In 1442, during Old Zurich War , Rapperswil was in alliance with Zürich and the Habsburg Dynasty. In 1458 Rapperswil was controlled by the Swiss Confederation as a so-called Gemeine Herrschaft , i.e. under control of two cantons (Glarus and Schwyz) of the Old Swiss Confederation and their representative, a Vogt at Rapperswil castle. Because of its strategic location along important infrastructure lines, and because of flourishing trade,

7200-753: The town grew rich. This allowed a certain degree of freedom (especially within the Habsburg-controlled territories and) within the Swiss Confederation which ended with the formation of the Swiss cantons by Napoleon in 1799. In 1656 and 1712 (the First War of Villmergen and the Toggenburg War , or Second War of Villmergen, respectively), Rapperswil was involved in wars between the Catholic and Reformed cantons of

7290-434: The very large inflow from the Linth canal. The theoretical residence time of water in the upper lake at medium Linth inflow is thus only around 10 weeks. In the near-surface layers of water, a slight upward trend in average temperature has been observed, resulting in the temperature stratification of the lake being more stable much longer into late summer. The increasingly warm winters result in incomplete mixing of lake water to

7380-508: The vicinity, such as Egelsee , Lützelsee or Türlersee . Zimmerberg , Etzel and Buechberg mountains lie to the west and south of the lake, respectively. Further to the east, the Speer , Chüemettler and Federispitz can be seen from the southern part of the lake. Administratively, Lake Zurich is split between the cantons of Zurich ( Horgen District ), St. Gallen ( See-Gaster ) and Schwyz ( Höfe and March districts). The lower lake, to

7470-459: The west of the Seedamm, is largely in the canton of Zurich, whilst the upper lake is shared between the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz. The following rivers or streams flow into lower part of Lake Zurich. From the Limmat clockwise, they are: Zurich , at the north-western end of the lake, is the largest city on Lake Zurich. The least populous is Hurden . On the west shore (which gradually becomes

7560-515: The western and southern shores of Lake Zurich are linked by the Lake Zurich left bank railway line, which connects Zürich HB with Ziegelbrücke . This line is served by the S2 , S8 , S24 and S25 of the Zurich S-Bahn and InterRegio (IR) trains. It is also used by EuroCity (EC), Intercity Express (ICE), Intercity (IC) and Railjet (RJX) trains but they do not call at stations along

7650-666: Was built in 1757 with stone from the Buechberg quarry. It was also used for the Fraumünster and Grossmünster churches in Zurich, as well as for the Einsiedeln and St. Gallen abbeys. Almost 2,000 cubic metres (70,629 cu ft) of sandstone still are mined (as of 2004) annually, usually 5 metres (16 ft) wide and about 3.5 metres (11 ft) high blocks weighing approximately 16 tonnes, even up to 25 tonnes. Cantons : SZ , SG . The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft –

7740-757: Was established by the house of Rapperswil; in 1267 it was united with the nearby Mariazell-Wurmsbach Abbey. St. Martin Busskirch is one of the oldest churches around upper Lake Zürich . Even the citizens of Rapperswil had to attend services in Busskirch until Count Rudolf II built the Stadtpfarrkirche on Herrenberg next to Rapperswil Castle on Lindenhof hill . Known members of the family are Countess Elisabeth von Rapperswil (around 1252/62 –1309), her sons Wernher von Homberg , Reichsvogt and minnesang poet, and Count Johann I. von Habsburg-Laufenburg-Rapperswil (* around 1295/97, † 1337). His son Johann II († 1380),

7830-529: Was established in 1606 at the lakeside Endingerhorn as a Catholic counterpart to the Reformation's centre in the city of Zurich . The monastery buildings belong to the citizens of Rapperswil ( Endingen itself belongs to the Einsiedeln Abbey ) rather than to the monks who inhabit it, and is still in use. The main churches in town include the Roman Catholic St. John's Church (built in early 13th century),

7920-499: Was located close to the other end of the sea crossings, on the Hurden side. Because the lake has grown in size over time, the original piles are now around 4 metres (13 ft) to 7 metres (23 ft) under the water level of 406 metres (1,332 ft). As well as being part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps , the settlements are also listed in

8010-525: Was transferred with oxen to the lake shore transshipping point to be shipped with so-called Ledi boats towards the present Sechsläutenplatz Zurich far into the 19th century. Particularly the present municipality of Zurich used the Bollingen quarries for the construction of countless public and private buildings, for example, the cathedral towers and the city fortifications, or the Zunfthaus zur Meisen that

8100-400: Was used since about 5,000 years as a historical lake crossing . Since the 1870s a partially artificial road causeway and two bridges were added, to cross the most narrow and flatbedded area of the lake, carrying a railway line and road from Rapperswil to Pfäffikon . Seedamm divides the southeastern section of lower Zürichsee and Obersee , connected by the Hurden canal at Hurden, where also

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