Lake Neuchatel

The largest lake, which is entirely located on the territory of Switzerland, is Neuchatel. It is smaller than Geneva or Constance, but this makes the lake no less picturesque and valuable in natural, agricultural and recreational senses.

The reservoir is located in a beautiful area famous for its vineyards, mild climate and rich forests. Its coastline is divided between the four cantons of Switzerland — Neuchatel, which gave the lake its name, as well as Fribourg, Vaud and Bern. The low Jura mountain range surrounding its basin creates a microclimate suitable for cultivating various crops. Agriculture is flourishing on the slopes of the coastal hills of Lake Neuchatel, and from their peaks there is a wonderful view of the entire reservoir, as well as two nearby lakes, Bilskoye and Murtenskoye. Lac de Neuchatel is connected to Lake Biel by the Cille River, and to Lake Murten by the Broix River. These picturesque canal rivers can be used to swim from one reservoir to another and then to a third.

The length is 38.3 km.
The maximum width is 8.2 km, the average is much less.
The area reaches 218.3 km2.
The maximum depth is 152 m.
The average depth is 64.2 m.
The volume of water is 13.77 km3.
The height above sea level is 429 m.

Tourists come to Lake Neuchatel in order to swim in the warm waters (this is the difference between the reservoir and other lakes in the region formed in places where the glacier was melting), as well as to make small excursions to the surrounding towns and villages, where the sights of Ancient Rome and the Middle Ages remain. Some travelers stay for a long time in hotels in the thermal resort of Yverdon-les-Bains, famous for its sulfur and magnesium springs. In general, on boats cruising on the lake, you can make excursions to three reservoirs — Neuchatelsky, Bilsky and Murtensky — even in a day or two. You can walk along specially prepared trails laid out among fragrant meadows, and cycling along the Mittelland highway will be easy to cover much longer distances.

On the southern coast of the reservoir is the town of Estavie, where tourists come to immerse themselves in the medieval atmosphere. The border of the Grand Karisaye National Reserve is located nearby. It is the largest in the Confederation. Rare birds and animals live here in reed beds and alluvial forests. This is a quiet protected area in which more than a thousand plant species and about ten thousand representatives of the Swiss fauna are protected. You can see all this natural diversity, observe birds and animals in their natural habitat at the Champ Pitte Nature Conservation Center. From May to October, both ornithologists and ordinary tourists come here, preferring a secluded vacation to noisy resort entertainment.

The northern shore of the lake, unlike the southern one, is not so secluded. It is here, in the midst of emerald mountain forests and vineyards, that the main settlements are located, headed by Neuchatel. The main stations of the railway, which runs along the entire left coast of the reservoir, are also concentrated in the north and northwest.

If the shores of the reservoir have been explored with Swiss meticulousness to the last square centimeter, then the bottom of the lake still serves as a source of amazing discoveries. For example, just a few years ago, scientists discovered huge craters under the waters of the Neuchatel reservoir, which made it possible to judge that karst voids are located under the lake, communicating with underground springs. A well 60 meters deep was discovered under one of these craters. It is assumed that in the entire history of the reservoir, there have been at least four large eruptions from these craters.

Back in the 1960s, on the shores of Lake Neuchatel, as well as most of the reservoirs of Switzerland, there were signs saying "Swimming is prohibited." Half a century later, huge freshwater reservoirs have become almost standards of purity. This is the result of well-coordinated and purposeful work on the restoration of reservoirs by the authorities, businesses and public organizations.

The experience of the Swiss Confederation, which ranks first among European countries in terms of the cleanliness of rivers and lakes, can be useful to any lake region. The results that the Swiss have achieved in the field of water purification are impressive: the length of water treatment plants in a small mountainous country alone is equal to the length of three terrestrial equators. Absolutely all households (97% in 2005) have sewage treatment plants that prevent dirty wastewater from entering the country's rivers and lakes. It took many years and a lot of money (about 50 billion francs) to achieve such results, but the work was worth it. Now scientists face a new challenge that is planned to be solved in the next 20 years: micro-pollutants. Hormones, pesticides, and even narcotic substances are present in small quantities in the water samples of some reservoirs. And this is a new challenge for those who care about nature and the health of the nation.