Removals to Switzerland - A Guide to Swiss Lakes

If you are moving to Switzerland, although the country is landlocked, there are plenty of beautiful lakes that provide a wonderful environment for sporting activities. The fact that the Swiss do well in many yachting competitions is proof that you don’t need a coastline to take up this or any other water-based activity when you move here.

In the time leading up to your move, you will want a professional company who can assist you in all aspects of your removals to Switzerland. Whether you want help with packing or unpacking, assistance with customs paperwork, part or full load removals, and/or insurance, we can help.

Hamiltons has 20 years experience in professional removals to Switzerland and other European and world-wide destinations - as well as destinations within the UK - and our team of experts is on hand to provide a high quality service tailored to your needs.

In fact, there are hundreds of lakes of all sizes in Switzerland which together make up 587 square miles of water. Here’s our guide to some of the biggest and the best and the activities you can do here.

Removals to Switzerland - click here to read more about our removals to Switzerland service.

Our Guide to Some of the Well Known Large Lakes in Switzerland

Did you know that there are 40 shipwrecks, and six railway cars that date from the 1880’s in Lake Geneva? This is just one of the many fascinating facts about lakes in Switzerland. If you require removals to Switzerland, read on to find more facts and information on the biggest lakes near you.

Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and it is roughly 50 miles long and 10 miles across (at its widest stretch). It is known locally in Switzerland as Lac Léman.

In the 1960’s, the lake was so polluted it was considered too risky to swim in certain areas. Fortunately, this has changed and swimming is among the many pastimes here. You can also take up sailing, boating, water skiing, scuba diving, or wind surfing. Yacht racing is popular on Lake Geneva and high-spec catamarans have been designed and built especially for use on the lake.

Another fact about the lake is that, in the early part of the 19th century, Lake Geneva made history as it was selected by French mathematician Jacques Charles Francois Sturm and Swiss physicist Daniel Collodon to measure the speed of sound in natural water using exploding gunpowder.

Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore is in the canton of Ticino, on the southern side of the Alps and lies in both Italy and Switzerland. The entire lake (including the Italian side) is about 70 km long although 13 km of this is on the Swiss side.

Some interesting facts about this lake is that a 1925 Buggatti roadster belonging to an architect was deliberately sunk in the lake in the 1930’s as part of a tax dodge. He never recovered it from the lake and it was found by a local diver in 1967. In 2009 the wreck was finally pulled out of Lake Maggiore and sold at a classic car exhibition in Paris for just over a quarter of a million euros.

Apart from diving, one of the activities you can do in Lake Maggiore is to take a cable car at the town of Locarno. You can also enjoy pleasure boating along the river or take advantage of the year long mild climate and enjoy one of the beautiful walks along the Gambarogno Riviera (on the opposite side of the river to Locarno).

Lake Lugano

Lake Lugano, also called Lago di Lugano, is a ‘K’ shaped glacial lake which takes its name from the town of Lugano. It is in Italy and Switzerland and one of the interesting facts about the lake is that the Italian side of the water is regarded as a duty free area.

Overlooking the lake between Switzerland and Italy is Monte San Giorgio, a wooded mountain area and world heritage site. Fossils have been discovered in this area that date back 220 million years.

Meanwhile, if you want to take up one of the sports on the lake, you can find all sorts of activities to do here including canoeing and kayaking, diving, windsurfing, rowing, wake boarding, sailing and paddling.

Lake Constance

Lake Constance covers the largest area of any other lake in Switzerland and is shared with France, Germany and Austria.

It lies on the Rhine on the northern base of the Alps and is used as a source of drinking water for South West Germany. If you love getting out in the fresh air, some of the activities you can do here are take a beautiful lakeside walk, go sailing, or if you want a fun-filled activity, pedalo riding.

Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne, also called Vierwaldstättersee, is a beautiful lake within the town of Lucerne. It is an important tourist destination where you can enjoy a leisurely cruise along the river and enjoy the impressive mountain backdrop.

You can swim in the lake or, if you would like to take a trip back in time, why not take a historic boat ride on a paddle wheel steamer?

Lake Zurich

The lake’s water is extremely clean and purified water from the lake is used as a water source in Zurich. The lake can get very warm too, reaching temperatures of 20°C and above so it is a great place to swim. It is an incredibly peaceful area and, as well as swimming, there are trails around the lake which offer a wonderful opportunity for hiking.

Lac de Neuchâtel

This is the largest lake that is entirely in Switzerland and lies at the southern base of the Jura mountains. Although most of the lake is in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel, it also lies in the cantons of Bern, Vaud and Fribourg.

It is an attractive region with snow-topped mountains and lush greenery. At the northern end of the lake the landscape is dotted with vineyards and there is a large marshland to the south. Some of the activities you can do here are swimming, fishing, sailing, surging, rowing and boating.

About Hamiltons

Hamiltons offers weekly removals to Switzerland, although we also provide a special service, for your convenience, where you can specify the collection and delivery dates for removals to Switzerland.

Removals to Switzerland - click here for full information on our removals to Switzerland service or click here for a free European removals quote.