weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Today's final post of our 2023 summer trip to Switzerland again portrays a wide variety of locations, and all cover water scenes, mostly at lakes and one at a major river. Switzerland is called "The Water Castle of Europe" and a look at the map will show that this is certainly true, no other place, at least in Central Europe, has a density of lakes like Switzerland, and two of the major Central Europe Rivers, the Rhine and the Rhone, have their origin in the Swiss Alps, while the other major river, Danube, starts out in southern Germany, very close to the Swiss border. This statement comes however with a very big caveat: what I quoted is true for Central Europe, but these dimensions pale when compared to the Scandinavian countries and particularly to Russia. But be that as it may, this parting post for Switzerland will provide a set of images related to water or of buildings at the edge of water.

Image #1: We start out with our only river picture, the river Aare in the town of SOLOTHURN at the foot of the Jura mountains. The river Aare however does not originate in the Jura mountains but at much higher altitude at the distant Aare Glacier in the Bernese Alps, from where it makes its way to the Lakes Brienz and Thun with the town of Interlaken at their confluence, then continues to the Swiss capital city of Bern, on to Solothurn and eventually joins the river Rhein.

Images #2 - 6: These pictures are set at Switzerland's second largest lake, shared with Germany and a tiny part also with Austria. LAKE CONSTANCE (German: Bodensee) is located in the northeastern part of Switzerland and the shores of the lake as well as of the outflowing Rhine River downstream are home to a number of interesting towns, small and large, in all three countries. The images I present show water scenes and also buildings in the two small Swiss towns STECKBORN and GOTTLIEBEN in the canton Thurgau, many of which are built in the very decorative half-timbered style common to this area and throughout much of Germany. Those of you that have followed our driving tour through the North European Plain which I presented here on UHH in spring/summer 2021 might remember similarly constructed and decorated great buildings in many parts of Germany.

Image #7 shows a scene from LAKE ZUG in the central part of Switzerland, neighbor of the much larger Lake Lucerne
Image #8 shows a peaceful scene at the small LAKE BALDEGG in the canton Lucerne, situated very close to the village where I grew up
Images #9 & 10 finally bring you to LUCERNE, one of Switzerland's most tourist-oriented cities, where I held my first job, with views of Mount Rigi as well as Lucerne's famous covered wooden bridge and the octagonal water tower built of stone in the 13th century.


Notes
TRIP INFO: Set # 1 provides a brief introduction to this series. Please use the link below if you would like to review this intro:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-797460-1.html

SUMMER TRIP INFO: Set # 7 provides more information on this second trip of the year to Europe
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-797711-1.html

EARLIER POSTS of this series: Access my topic list at UHH, the new posts are listed in reverse chronological order:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/user-topic-list?usernum=45105

Thanks for visiting, I recommend viewing the downloads and look forward to your comments and questions.

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1 - Solothurn - Buildings on Landhausquai seen from the Wengi bridge, at right rear the tower of the St Ursen-Cathedral, in the foreground the river Aare

(Download)

2 - Thurgau/Steckborn - The Turmhof at Lake Constance (Untersee) at Steckborn's harbor: This historic structure was built in 1282 and served first as an abbot's residence, with many subsequent changes in ownerships, it presently houses a museum

(Download)

3 - Thurgau/Steckborn - Closer take of the Turmhof and adjacent buildings

(Download)

4 - Thurgau/Gottlieben - Rhein river between Lake Constance and the Untersee viewed from the Seestrasse and pier at Gottlieben

(Download)

5 - Thurgau/Gottlieben - Decorative old facade of the Hotel Drachenburg in Gottlieben on the river Rhein between Lake Constance and the Untersee

(Download)

6 - Thurgau/Gottlieben - Grassy square surrounded by old half-timbered houses in the center of the village

(Download)

7 - Zug - View from Artherstrasse along the eastern lakeshore of Lake Zug to the headland of Meierskappel LU jutting into Lake Zug at the center of the image, at left Mount Rigi

(Download)

8 - Lucerne/Retschwil - View from the Seestrasse over the northern end of Lake Baldegg with Mount Rigi at the center and the alpine mountain chain to its sides

(Download)

9 - Lucerne - Lake Lucerne with Mount Rigi and the motor boat "Weggis" performing regular scheduled routes on the lake

(Download)

10 - Lucerne - The famous water tower and 14th century chapel bridge, crossing the river Reuss at its exit from Lake Lucerne, at rear center the Jesuit church (1677) and at the upper left Mount Pilatus (2128m/6983ft), the "house mountain" of Lucerne

(Download)

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

For your reference:

Map of Switzerland indicating the location of the places shown in this set

(Download)

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

There is no lovelier place on earth than Switzerland. Great set.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Great set!

Irv Pearlman Loc: Farmington Hills, Mi.

Joe, more beautifully photographed images of a picturesque place. Really enjoy.

NMGal Loc: NE NM

Joe, these are gorgeous. Number 8 gives me such a sense of peace.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Ken for your superlative comment - as a native Swiss, of course that makes me very happy - but I do have to interject and plead for the rest of the world: there are so many lovely places out there - let's enjoy them all!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Bill, glad you liked the images in this set.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Irv for looking in on my presentation, I am very pleased to hear that you enjoyed these images of Switzerland. I believe that this is the first time I see you penning a comment - welcome and I hope that you will look in on the coming presentations again, or even have a look-back to some of the earlier ones, Switzerland is covered quite a few times and will come up again in the next days.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Barbara - I am very pleased that you particularly commented on this image, it is especially meaningful to me as it comes from very close to where I grew up - only 7 miles away! And yes, this is a very peaceful spot!

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Another excellent preview, Joe. The last shot brings back good memories.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Mike, good to hear that this last picture of Lucerne brings back good memories! To me also: Lucerne is the capital city of the canton where I grew up in a small village, some 10 miles away, and it is here that I had my first and my second jobs. The first one was at the far end of the covered bridge and the second one at the near end, so I traversed the river Reuss many, many times during those years - and still make a point of crossing it at least once each time I am back in town!

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

Spectacular shooting, and I really love Four 💙💚💙 I think I have saved so many of you shots over the past several years that I am about ready to get them their own USB stick 😜

Bubalola Loc: Big Apple, NY

Great show again, Joe! It was particularly interesting for me because I’d never been around the Constance Lake in Switzerland. But I did spend a joyful afternoon once in August 2001 in splendid Lucerne...Thanks, Joe!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Joe for your kind comment, glad to hear that you liked these pictures and surprised and a bit awed that you actually save them! That #4 is a neat spot on the rather narrow channel of the Rhine river which connects the Upper and Lower sections of Lake Constance, quite a pretty area, with some historic houses.