The geography of Switzerland encompasses the geographical features of Switzerland, a mountainous and landlocked country located in Western and Central Europe. Switzerland's natural landscape is marked by its numerous lakes and mountains. It is surrounded by 5 countries: Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, France to the west, Italy to the south and Germany to the north. Switzerland has a maximum north–south length of 220 kilometres (140 mi) and an east–west length of about 350 kilometres (220 mi).
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zürich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or Zürichsee can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the Seedamm at Rapperswil, whilst the part upstream of Rapperswil may be called the Obersee or Upper Lake.
The canton of St. Gallen or St Gall is a canton of Switzerland. The capital is St. Gallen.
St. Gallen is a Swiss city and the capital of the canton of St. Gallen. It evolved from the hermitage of Saint Gall, founded in the 7th century. Today, it is a large urban agglomeration and represents the center of eastern Switzerland. Its economy consists mainly of the service sector. The city is home to the University of St. Gallen, one of the best business schools in Europe.
The Walensee, also known as Lake Walen or Lake Walenstadt from Walenstadt, is one of the larger lakes in Switzerland, with about two thirds of its area in the Canton of St. Gallen and about one third in the Canton of Glarus. Other towns and villages at the lake include Weesen, Quinten, Quarten, and Murg.
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface area, and is partly flat but mostly hilly. The average height is between 400 metres (1,300 ft) and 700 metres (2,300 ft) AMSL. It is by far the most densely populated region of Switzerland, the center of economy and important transportation.
Pfäfers is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The villages Pfäfers, St. Margrethenberg, Vadura, Valens, Vasön and Vättis belong to the municipality.
Quarten is a municipality in the Wahlkreis (constituency) of Sarganserland, in the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, above Lake Walensee. Besides Quarten itself, the municipality includes the settlements of Oberterzen, Unterterzen, Quinten, Mols, Murg, and parts of Tannenbodenalp.
The Sarganserland is a constituency (Wahlkreis) of the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, with a population of 36,892.
The Rapperswil Seedamm is the partially artificial causeway and bridge at the most narrow area of Lake Zurich, between Hurden (SZ) and Rapperswil (SG). The Seedamm carries a road and a railway across the lake, with the railway being used by the S5 and S40 lines of the S-Bahn Zürich and by the Südostbahn Voralpen Express.
Heilig Hüsli is a bridge chapel in Rapperswil, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Holzbrücke Rapperswil-Hurden is a wooden pedestrian bridge between the city of Rapperswil and the village of Hurden crossing the upper Lake Zürich (Obersee) in Switzerland. The prehistoric timber piles discovered to the west of the Seedamm date back to 1523 BC. The island settlement Technikum is a prehistoric pile-dwelling settlement which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps. The first wooden footbridge led across Lake Zürich, followed by several reconstructions at least until the late 2nd century AD when the Roman Empire built a 6 metres (20 ft) wide wooden bridge. Between 1358 and 1360, Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, built a 'new' wooden bridge across the lake that was used until 1878. On 6 April 2001, the reconstructed wooden footbridge was opened, being the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland.
The Alpstein are a subgroup of the Appenzell Alps in Switzerland. The Alpstein massif is in Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and St. Gallen.
Flumserberg is a resort area in the Swiss Alps, located in the canton of St. Gallen. It is composed of several villages at elevations between 1,160 and 1,344 metres above sea level. The resort sits on a terrace overlooking the Walensee, above Flums in the Sarganserland region. Flumserberg mainly belongs to the municipality of Flums, with a small part belonging to the municipality of Quarten.
Mount Zion Abbey is a Premonstratensian nuns' abbey in the municipality of Gommiswald in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. It is designated as part of the Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites.
Schwanau is an island in Lake Lauerz, located in the canton of Schwyz in Central Switzerland. It is occupied by a ruined castle, the Burgruine Schwanau, a chapel and a restaurant. Administratively the island lies within the municipality of Lauerz, but it is owned by the canton of Schwyz.
The Obersee is the smaller of the two parts of Zürichsee in the cantons of St. Gallen and Schwyz in Switzerland.
Buechberg is an elongated molasse hill in the Swiss cantons of Schwyz and St. Gallen on Obersee lakeshore.
Lindenhof in Rapperswil is a moraine hill and a public square being the historic center of Rapperswil, Switzerland.
