Aar under the A5 bridge.

The Aar (German Aare), a tributary of the Rhine, is the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge "Riverine" redirects here For the use of that term in Maritime geography, see there Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation ^[1]

Its total length from its source to its junction with the Rhine comprises about 295^[2] km (183 miles),^[1] during which distance it descends 1,565 m (5,135 ft), draining an area of 17,779 km² (6,865 mi²)^[2]. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here

Course

The Aar rises in the great Aar glaciers of the Bernese Alps, in the canton of Bern and west of the Grimsel Pass. The Swiss Canton of Berne is Bilingual (Kanton Bern Canton de Berne and has a population of about 958000 Grimsel Pass (German Grimselpass) (el 2165 m is a Swiss high Mountain pass between the valley of the Rhone River in the canton ^[1] It runs east to the Grimsel Hospice, below the Finsteraarhorn, and then northwest through the Haslital, forming on the way the magnificent Handegg Waterfall, 46 m (151 ft), past Guttannen, and piercing the limestone barrier of the Kirchet by a major canyon, before reaching Meiringen, situated on a plain. Hostels provide budget-oriented accommodation where guests can rent a bed, sometimes a Bunk bed in a Dormitory and share a bathroom The Finsteraarhorn is the highest Mountain in the Bernese Alps range of the Swiss Alps and the highest mountain in the Bernese Oberland. The Haslital is a valley in the Bernese Oberland ( Oberhasli district) Switzerland, bordering on the cantons of Obwalden, Uri and Guttannen is a municipality in the district of Oberhasli in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Meiringen is a municipality in the district of Oberhasli in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. A little past Mieringen, near Brienz, the river expands into Lake Brienz where it becomes navigable. Brienz is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Berne in Switzerland. Lake Brienz (Brienzersee is a Lake just north of the Alps, in the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. Near the west end of the lake it receives its first important affluent, the Lütschine. The Lütschine is a river in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. It then runs across the swampy plain of the Bödeli between Interlaken and Unterseen before expanding once again into Lake Thun. Interlaken is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland, a well-known tourist destination Unterseen is a municipality in the district of Interlaken in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Lake Thun (Thunersee is a Lake just north of the Alps, in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. ^[1]

Near the west end of Lake Thun, the river receives the waters of the Kander, which has just been joined by the Simme. The river Simme is a tributary of the river Kander in the Bernese Oberland in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. On flowing out of the lake it passes through Thun, and then flows through the city of Berne, passing beneath eighteen bridges and around the steeply-flanked peninsula on which the Old City is located. Thun (Thoune is a municipality in the district of Thun in the canton of Berne in Switzerland with about 42136 inhabitants ( The city of Berne or Bern (, Berne, Berna, Romansh: Berna, Bernese German: Bärn) is the Bundesstadt ( Federal This is a list of the 18 Bridges spanning the river Aar on the territory of the city of Berne, Switzerland. | The Old City of Berne is the Medieval City center of Berne, Switzerland. The river soon changes its northwesterly flow for a due westerly direction, but after receiving the Saane or Sarine it turns north until it nears Aarberg. Saane (in German) or Sarine (in French) is one of the largest Rivers in Switzerland. There, in one of the major Swiss engineering feats of the 19th century the river, which had previously rendered the countryside north of Bern a swampland through frequent flooding, was diverted by the Hagneck Canal into Lake Biel. Recent developments in string theory suggest that the String theory landscape of vacua is vast Lake Biel-Bienne ( German: Bielersee, French: Lac de Bienne) is a Lake in the west of Switzerland. From the upper end of the lake the river issues through the Nidau Canal and then runs east to Büren. The lake absorbs huge amounts of eroded gravel and snowmelt that the river brings from the Alps, and the former swamps have become fruitful plains: they are known as the "vegetable garden of Switzerland".

From here the Aar flows northeast for a long distance, past the ambassador town Solothurn^[1] (below which the Grosse Emme flows in on the right), Aarburg (where it is joined by the Wigger), Olten, Aarau,^[1] near which is the junction with the Suhr, and Wildegg, where the Hallwiler Aa falls in on the right. The city of Solothurn ( German:, Soleure Soletta is the Capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The Emme is a river in Switzerland. It rises in the Alps between the peaks of Hohgant and Augstmatthorn in the Canton of Bern Olten is a City in the homonymous municipality of Olten in the district of Olten in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland Aarau is the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The city is also the capital of the district of Aarau. A short distance further, below Brugg it receives first the Reuss, and shortly afterwards the Limmat. Brugg is a municipality in the Swiss canton of Aargau and is the seat of the district of the same name The Reuss is a River in Switzerland. With a length of and a Drainage basin of, it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland (after The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zürich, in the It now turns due north, and soon becomes itself an affluent of the Rhine, which it surpasses in volume when the two rivers unite at Coblenz (Switzerland), opposite Waldshut, Germany. The Rhine (Rhein Rijn Rhin Reno Rain Rhenus is one of the longest and most important Rivers in Europe at 1320 kilometres (820 mi with an average discharge Koblenz (or Coblenz) is a municipality in the district of Zurzach in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. Waldshut-Tiengen is a city in southwestern Baden-Württemberg right at the Swiss border

Aar Gorge

Inside the Aar Gorge

The Aar Gorge (Aareschlucht) is a section of the river that carves through a limestone ridge near the town of Meiringen. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Meiringen is a municipality in the district of Oberhasli in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. The gorge is an indirect product of glaciation; 10,000 years ago, just as the Ice Age was coming to an end, torrential runoff water from melting glaciers eroded a deep, narrow chasm through the limestone barrier. "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. Although barely one mile long, this passage is bordered by sheer cliffs up to 165 feet (50 m) high on either side. At the bottom of this steep drop the river is scarcely three feet (one meter) wide.

The gorge has been opened to the public since 1889, by building walking paths along the Gorge. Before then, the only way was to go through the dangerous river torrent, which provided fables by travellers, who claimed to see large snakes and monsters. Since then, the gorge is a popular tourist attraction for many visitors who like natural beauty.

List of Tributaries

Forest route near Aar

Aare receives the Reuss in the "Wasserschloss"

• Limmat
  • Sihl
  • Linth (main tributary of Lake Zürich)
• Reuss River (see also: Reuss River#Tributaries)
  • Kleine Emme
  • Sarner Aa
  • Engelberger Aa
  • Schächen
  • Furkareuss
• Suhr
• Wigger
• Emme
• Zihlkanal
  • Suze
  • Broye
  • Orbe
• Saane (Sarine)
  • Sense
• Kander
  • Simme
  • Allenbach
• Lütschine

Reservoirs

• Lake Wohlen, 481 m
• Niederriedsee, 461 m
• Klingnauer Stausee, 318 m

History

The river's name may be attested to in the Gaulish (Helvetic) Berne zinc tablet which dates back to Roman Gaul. A tributary is a Stream or River which flows into a mainstem (or parent river The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zürich, in the SIHL can represent Shanghai Industrial Holdings, a listed company in Hong Kong The Sihl is a river of Switzerland. The Linth (pronounced lint is a Swiss River starting above Linthal the mountains of Glarus near the Klausen Pass and flowing from there north Lake Zurich ( Swiss German / Alemannic: Zürisee; German: Zürichsee) is a Lake in Switzerland, extending The Reuss is a River in Switzerland. With a length of and a Drainage basin of, it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland (after The Reuss is a River in Switzerland. With a length of and a Drainage basin of, it is the fourth largest river in Switzerland (after The Kleine Emme is a river of the Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, a left tributary of the Reuss River extending for 58 km draining a basin of 477 The Sarner Aa is a River in Switzerland. It drains the Lungerersee and is a Tributary of Lake Lucerne, which is drained by the Engelberger Aa (or Engelbergeraa) is a River in Switzerland. It raises west of Surenpass in Uri, flows through the valley of The Schächental is an alpine valley of Uri, Switzerland, formed by the Schächen river The Emme is a river in Switzerland. It rises in the Alps between the peaks of Hohgant and Augstmatthorn in the Canton of Bern The Broye is a 68km long river in the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud, in Switzerland. Saane (in German) or Sarine (in French) is one of the largest Rivers in Switzerland. The river Simme is a tributary of the river Kander in the Bernese Oberland in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland. Allenbach is a municipality in the district of Birkenfeld, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The Lütschine is a river in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. Lake Wohlen (German Wohlensee) is a Reservoir in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. Niederriedsee (or Stausee Niederried) is a Reservoir formed by the Niederried dam on the Aar River in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland The Klingnauer Stausee (or "Klingnau reservoir" is a Reservoir near Böttstein, canton of Aargau, Switzerland, at. Gaulish or Gallic is the name given to the Celtic language that was spoken in Gaul before the Vulgar Latin of the late Roman Empire became The Berne Zinc tablet (also Gobannus tablet) was found in the 1980s in Berne. For Gaul before the Roman conquest see Gaul. Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day Its Roman name was Obringa.

References

External links

• The Aar Gorge (Aareschlucht)