Aare River

Location – Switzerland

Length – 292 km

Depth – up to 200 meters depth

Course – The Aare is the longest wholly Swiss river. It originates from the Oberaar glacier in the eastern Bernese Alps, flows through lakes Brienz and Thun, passes by the federal capital of Bern, is channeled into Lake Biel, follows the southern foot of the Jura range and finally flows into the Rhine at Koblenz, in north-western Switzerland. Passenger boats operate on the lakes as well as the river section from Biel to Solothurn.

Bridges – Koblenz Aare railway bridge, Untertorbrücke, Neubrügg, Altenbergsteg, Nydeggbrücke, Tiefenaubrücke, Dalmazibrücke, Kirchenfeldbrücke, Kornhausbrücke, Schönausteg, Halenbrücke, Seftausteg, Felsenaubrücke, Lorrainebrücke, Monbijoubrücke, Tiefenaubrücke, Felsenauviadukt and Stauwehr Engehalde.

17 bridges span the Aare river in the city of Bern. The oldest of these, and one of the oldest bridges in Switzerland, is the stone Untertorbrücke (Untertor bridge), which connects the Matte district with Altenberg and was completed in 1487. The first version of the Untertorbrücke was made of wood and crossed the Aare from 1256 onwards, before being washed away in a flood. Until the first high-level bridges were built in the 19th century, the Untertorbrücke was the only pedestrian and vehicle route across the Aare river into the city of Bern.

Fauna –