Lakes in Switzerland - crystal waters

Swimming and snorkelling among ducks and water-lilies. At the lakeside there is the children's adventure paddling pool.

Encircled by popular excursion mountains, Lake Lucerne is the lake with the greatest scenic variety in the country. It is somewhat reminiscent of a fjord landscape, yet remains characterised by a mild lake climate. Boat cruises on board five historic paddlewheel steamers and 15 elegant salon motor vessels count among the highlights of this region.

Passengers boarding a boat in Schaffhausen, at the foot of the Munot fortress, will pass by Hohenklingen castle and the cultural and vegetable island of Reichenau, in order to reach Konstanz (D) on the upper shores of the Lower Lake and, a little later, Kreuzlingen on Lake Constance. A 50-kilometre trip along the High Rhine, between Schaffhausen and ‘Stein am Rhein’ and on the Lower Lake, lasts nearly 5 hours and rightly ranks as one of Europe’s most glorious boat trips.

Lake Sils is the largest lake in Graubünden and, together with lakes St. Moritz, Silvaplana and Champfèr, forms the Upper Engadine chain of lakes. Thanks to the enduring Maloja wind, ideal conditions for windsurfing and sailing exist here.

The Rhine cruises operated by the Basler Personenschifffahrt company provide an opportunity to experience the pulsating metropolis of Basel and its environs from the water. There are two principal routes: the town and harbour cruises, and the lock cruises from Basel upstream along the Rhine to Rheinfelden.

At 38 kilometres in length and 8 kilometres in width, the Lac de Neuchâtel is the largest lake contained entirely within Swiss borders. The northern shore of the lake is characterised by vineyard landscapes, the southern shore by the largest marshland and bird paradise in Switzerland. Boat cruise enthusiasts can experience all three lakes at the periphery of the Jura – lakes Biel, Murten and Lac de Neuchâtel – on a leisurely, four-hour cruise.