| Lake Lucerne Vierwaldstättersee | |
|---|---|
 View of Lake Lucerne from the Pilatus | |
 map | |
| Location | Central Switzerland |
| Coordinates | 47°01′10″N 8°24′04″E / 47.0194°N 8.4011°E |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Reuss River Sarner Aa Engelberger Aa Muota |
| Primary outflows | Reuss River |
| Catchment area | 2,124 km2 (820 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Switzerland |
| Max. length | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Max. width | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Surface area | 113.6 km2 (43.9 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 104 m (341 ft) |
| Max. depth | 214 m (702 ft) |
| Water volume | 11.8 km3 (9,600,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Residence time | 3.4 years |
| Shore length1 | 143.7 km (89.3 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 433 m (1,421 ft) |
| Frozen | in the 17th and 19th century; Lucerne Bay and Lake Alpnach in 1929 and 1963 |
| Islands | Altstad-Insel |
| Sections/sub-basins | Urnersee Chrüztrichter Gersauerbecken Vitznauerbecken Küssnachtersee Alpnachersee Luzernersee |
| Settlements | Lucerne (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
editLake 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.