Rathausbrücke and Hotel zum Storchen at Weinplatz in ZürichThe confluence of the Limmat and Sihl, just downstream of Zürich city centreLetten Power Station in ZürichKloster Fahr on the LimmatThe Limmat in EnnetbadenThe confluence of the Aare (to the left) and Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. The river commences at the outfall of Lake Zurich, in the southern part of the city of Zürich. From Zürich it flows in a northwesterly direction, continuing a further 35 km it reaches the river Aare. The confluence is located north of the small town of Brugg and shortly after the mouth of the Reuss.
The hydronym is first attested in the 8th century, as Lindimacus. It is of Gaulish origin, from *lindo- "lake" (Welshllyn) and *magos "plain" (Welsh maes), and was thus presumably in origin the name of the plain formed by the Linth.[1]
Power generation
Like many Swiss rivers, the Limmat is intensively used for production of hydroelectric power: along its course of 35 km (22 mi), its fall is used by no less than ten hydroelectric power stations. These include:
Historically, the Limmat was an important navigation route. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, voyages from Zürich to Koblenz are recorded. In 1447, the Emperor Frederick III granted the privilege of free navigation on the Limmat and on the Rhine to Zürich. Because of the current, navigation was typically downstream only, with the barges being sold on arrival.[7]
Today, the Limmat is navigable for much of its length by small craft only, with many of the hydroelectric power plants incorporating boat lifts. The traditional boat type used on the river is the weidling, a flat-bottomed vessel that is usually 10 metres (33 ft) long.[8][9]
The uppermost stretch of the river through the centre of Zürich is navigable by rather larger vessels, albeit limited by low bridges. On this stretch of the river the Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (Lake Zurich Navigation Company) operates its Limmat boat service, from the Landesmuseum to Lake Zurich, using low-profile motor boats.[10]
^Felix Stähelin (1935), "Die vorrömische Schweiz im Lichte geschichtlicher Zeugnisse und sprachlicher Tatsachen", Zeitschrift für schweizerische Geschichte (in German), vol. Band 15, Leemann, pp. 337–368
^"A-Objekte KGS-Inventar". Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft, Amt für Bevölkerungsschutz. 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2014-12-10.