Walensee
| Walensee | |
|---|---|
| Lake Walen Lake Walenstadt | |
Aerial view from the east | |
Map | |
| Location | St. Gallen, Glarus |
| Coordinates | 47°7′N 9°12′E / 47.117°N 9.200°E |
| Primary inflows | Linth (Escherkanal), Seez, Murgbach |
| Primary outflows | Linth canal |
| Basin countries | Switzerland |
| Surface area | 24.19 km2 (9.34 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 104.7 m (344 ft) |
| Max. depth | 151 m (495 ft) |
| Water volume | 2.5 km3 (2,000,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Residence time | 1.45 years |
| Surface elevation | 419 m (1,375 ft) |
| Islands | Schnittlauchinsel |
| Settlements | Walenstadt, Weesen, Quinten, Quarten, Murg |
Lake Walen, also known as Lake Walenstadt or Walensee (German pronunciation: [ˈvaːln̩ˌzeː] ⓘ), is one of the larger lakes in Switzerland. Located in the east of the country, about two thirds of its area are in the canton of St. Gallen and about one third in the canton of Glarus.
Its name means 'Lake of the Walhaz' (German: See der Welschen), since in the early Middle Ages Lake Walen formed the linguistic border between the Alemanni, who settled in the west, and the Romansh people, the Walhaz (Welschen), in the east.