Greifensee is a small lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in the canton of Zürich

Canton of Zürich

The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...

 in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

.

Geography

Lake Greifen (German: Greifensee) is located 11 km (6.8 mi) to the northeast of the city of Zurich

Zürich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

, separated by the Pfannenstiel

Pfannenstiel (Zürich)

Pfannenstiel is a wooded mountain respectively a region overlooking the Lake Zürich and Zürcher Oberland in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :...

 from Lake Zürich

Lake Zurich

Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....

. As the second largest lake in the canton of Zurich (Lake Zurich

Lake Zurich

Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....

 being the largest), it is about 6 km (3.7 mi) long and 1.6 km (0.994196378639691 mi) at the widest point, with a maximum depth of 32 m (105 ft). The Aabach

Aabach (Greifensee)

The Ustermer Aa or Aabach is a river in the Canton of Zürich, Switzerland. The river, which has a length of 11,2 km, flows from the Pfäffikersee to the Greifensee through the deep Aatal .- References :...

 is the main supplying river.

Points of interest

A boat connects small towns along the edge of the lake, Maur

Maur, Switzerland

Maur is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Maur has an area of . Of this area, 52.6% is used for agricultural purposes, while 26.9% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 20.2% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...

, Niederuster

Uster

Uster is a city and capital of the district Uster in the Swiss Canton of Zürich.It is the third largest city in the Canton of Zürich, with over 30,000 inhabitants, and is one of the twenty largest cities in Switzerland...

, Fällanden

Fällanden

Fällanden is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland, and belongs to the Glatt Valley .-Geography:...

, Mönchaltorf

Mönchaltorf

Mönchaltorf is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- History :Mönchaltorf is first mentioned in 741 as Villa Altorf. In 872 it was mentioned as Altorf monachorum. It also holds the record for the longest Apfel Strudel.-Geography:Mönchaltorf has an area of...

 and the town Greifensee

Greifensee, Zurich

Greifensee is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Settlements in Greifensee date back in 4000 B.C.. In 1975, a Neolithic stilt house village located on the northern shore of the Lake Greifen area called Böschen was discovered by recreational divers...

 with its charming Altstadt

Altstadt

Altstadt is the German language word for "old town", meaning "historical city centre within the city wall", in contrast to a Neustadt built outside later....

 and Greifensee castle.

Greifensee is the scene of the Greifensee-Lauf, a semi-marathon around the lake held every year.

Greifensee is a popular recreation area, too, for hiking

Hiking

Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 as well the streets around there are used by inline skating

Inline skating

Inline skating is a recreational sport practiced widely internationally. Inline skates typically have 2 to 5 polyurethane wheels, arranged in a single line. The in-line design allows for greater speed than roller skates and better maneuverability...

 fans. There are well maintained bicycle roads all around the lake as well as on the banks of Aabach.

Nature

The lakeside is under UNESCO protection

Environmental protection

Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...

, and buildings are not allowed, resulting in reed bed

Reed bed

Reed beds are natural habitats found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions andestuaries. Reed beds are part of a succession from young reed colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground...

 and a rich fauna

Fauna

Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...

 and flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

: Around 400 plant species in the lake and 19 species in its tributaries. The nature reserves are important for the birds breeding there including more than 120 migratory species.

External links

• Schifffahrts-Genossenschaft Greifensee: Boat schedules
• Waterlevels at Greifensee
  Greifensee, Zurich
  Greifensee is a municipality in the district of Uster in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Settlements in Greifensee date back in 4000 B.C.. In 1975, a Neolithic stilt house village located on the northern shore of the Lake Greifen area called Böschen was discovered by recreational divers...