Lake Biel
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Lake Biel |
Lake Biel (
German:
Bielersee,
French:
Lac de Bienne) is a
lake in the west of
Switzerland. Together with
Lake Murten and
Lake Neuchâtel, it is one of the three large lakes in the
Jura region of Switzerland. It lies approximately at .
The lake is 15 km long and up to 4.1 km wide. Its surface area is
39.3 km², the maximum depth 74 m. The lake is located at 429 metres above sea level.
Lake Biel has a catchment area of about
8305 km². Water remains in the lake for an average of 58 days. The river
Aar, the river
Zihl and
Twanbach are the main tributaries. The river Aar was redirected into the lake in
1878.
The largest settlement along the shores of Lake Biel is the city of
Biel/Bienne located on the northern end. The
Sankt-Petersinsel (island) attracts tourists, mainly families. The island is located near
Erlach.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau once lived on the island.
