Where is Aare?

The Aare is the longest river in Switzerland. It is also the most water-rich river flowing into the Rhine. The Aare is a total of 288 kilometers long.

The Aare has its source in the Aargletschern, which are located in the Bernese Alps. In the valley below the source, it flows through the rocks in a narrow gorge. The water takes up more space shortly afterwards in Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.

In Bern, the capital of Switzerland, the river makes a strong bend. The first houses of the city of Bern, today’s Old Town, were built under the protection of this river loop. The Mattenquartier, which is located directly on the river bank, is still sometimes flooded by the Aare today.

Below Bern, the Aare used to meander wildly through the Seeland. She caused a lot of floods. The Aare was then placed in the Hagneck Canal and routed into Lake Biel. There she deposits all the sand and stones that she brings with her. In Biel, the water leaves the lake through another channel and flows back into the old bed. This work became known as the “Jurassic Water correction”. Since then, floods have rarely occurred in this area, and if they have, they are less severe than they used to be.

In the flat area from Lake Biel to Solothurn you can travel by motorboat on the Aare. If you want, you can also travel the Aare by inflatable boat. You can also bathe in it. The Aare has also been installed several times with a weir so that electric power can be produced.

The canton of Aargau is named after the River Aare. There the Aare flows into the Rhine. At this point is also the border between Switzerland and Germany.