Sihl Valley
Encyclopedia
Sihl Valley is a river valley
and belongs to the Zimmerberg
-Sihltal region
located in the district of Horgen
in the canton of Zurich
, Switzerland
. Commonly Sihltal is used as the name of the lower Sihl valley, i.e. the area in the southwest of the city of Zürich
.
(ˈsiːl) is the name of a 68 km (42.3 mi) long river located in the cantons of Schwyz (SZ)
and Zürich (ZH)
. The valley compromises parts of the districts
of Einsiedeln (SZ) (upper Sihl valley), Horgen (ZH)
and Zürich
.
The area alongside Lake Zürich
had been formed as the left moraine
of the Ice Age
glacier, the bed of which is now the Lake Zürich and the valley of the Sihl river. Sihl valley is extensively wooded, but also cultivated and heavily populated in its lower parts. The Sihltal is a well-known recreation area and popular for hiking
and biking tours along Sihl river and in the surrounding hills.
in the canton of Schwyz, passes the 8.5 km (5.3 mi) long Sihlsee
near Einsiedeln, Sunnegg near Biberbrugg
and Schindellegi.
passing Hütten
and the rapid
called Sihlsprung situated in Schönenberg
, flowing through the valley between the Zimmerberg
and Albis
chains. Near Sihlbrugg
, the rivers passes the Sihlwald, the largest remaining deciduous
forest of the Swiss Plateau
, located between Sihlbrugg and Zürich-Leimbach
. The Sihl flows in Zürich
underneath Zürich Hauptbahnhof – parts of the train station are built below the Sihl – before joining the Limmat
river at Platzspitz park located at the Swiss National Museum
.
The break of the concrete dam
of the Sihlsee
could lead, according to studies, to an 8 m (26.2 ft) high flood
wave reaching the city of Zürich, the biggest city in Switzerland, within 1.5 hours (Leimbach), its inner city
(2 hours) and Zürich-Altstetten
within 3 hours.
-Sihltal" usually refers to the mountain, the area and plateau
between Kilchberg
–Richterswil
–Samstagern
on Lake Zürich
and the Shil valley. This region
includes the municipalities respectively villages of Adliswil
, Hirzel
, Horgen
, Hütten
, Kilchberg
, Langnau am Albis
, Oberrieden
, Richterswil
, Rüschlikon
, Samstagern
, Schönenberg
, Sihlbrugg
, Thalwil
and Wädenswil
.
are providing the local public transportation in the Sihl valley, in addition to the Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg
(LAF for short or commonly Felseneggbahn), an aerial tramway
connecting Adliswil
and Felsenegg
. Sihlbrugg
train station is a nodal point of the SBB-CFF-FFS
-Gotthardbahn
and Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (SZU) railways. Sihlbrugg Dorf (Sihlwald) is the terminal station of the Zürich S-Bahn
on the line S4
(SZU) and a stop on the line S21
to Zürich Hauptbahnhof (VBZ). Nearby the city of Zürich, additional bus lines are provided by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
. It is also important as terminal of the A4 motorway between Zug
and the canton of Zürich, and of five regional streets in the Sihltal to Zürich, Zug, Langnau am Albis and to Wädenswil (Hirzel Pass
).
River Valley
River Valley is the name of an urban planning area within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.The River Valley Planning Area is defined by the region bounded by Orchard Boulevard, Devonshire Road and Eber Road to the north, Oxley Rise and Mohamed Sultan Road to the east, Martin...
and belongs to the Zimmerberg
Zimmerberg
Zimmerberg is a mountain and a region located in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Its name bases on the Old High German word zimbar in the meaning of lumber.- Geography :...
-Sihltal region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
located in the district of Horgen
Horgen (district)
Horgen District is a district of Canton of Zürich in Switzerland. The district is located in the Zimmerberg and Sihl Valley region; its capital is the town of Horgen. The district consists of 12 municipalities and has a population of and an area of ....
in the canton of Zurich
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...
, 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....
. Commonly Sihltal is used as the name of the lower Sihl valley, i.e. the area in the southwest of the city of Zürich
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...
.
In common
SihlSihl
The Sihl is a river of Switzerland. It rises at Drusberg in the Canton of Schwyz. It passes through the Sihlsee near Einsiedeln, and then enters the Canton of Zurich, flowing through the Sihl valley at the foot of the Albis, passing the Sihlwald, the largest remaining deciduous forest of the Swiss...
(ˈsiːl) is the name of a 68 km (42.3 mi) long river located in the cantons of Schwyz (SZ)
Canton of Schwyz
Schwyz is a canton in central Switzerland between the Alps in the south, Lake Lucerne in the east and Lake Zurich in the north, centered around and named after the town of Schwyz....
and Zürich (ZH)
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...
. The valley compromises parts of the districts
Districts of Switzerland
In contrast to centrally organised states, in the federally constituted Switzerland each canton iscompletely free to decide its own internal organisation. Therefore there exists a variety of structures and terminology for the subnational entities between canton and municipality, loosely termed...
of Einsiedeln (SZ) (upper Sihl valley), Horgen (ZH)
Horgen (district)
Horgen District is a district of Canton of Zürich in Switzerland. The district is located in the Zimmerberg and Sihl Valley region; its capital is the town of Horgen. The district consists of 12 municipalities and has a population of and an area of ....
and Zürich
Zürich (district)
Zurich District is a district of the Swiss canton of Zurich in Switzerland.- History :In 1814, the former district of Zurich has been established including the municipalities – «Landgemeinden des Bezirks Zürich» – surrounding the old city of Zurich, the so-called Altstadt...
.
The area alongside 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 ....
had been formed as the left moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
of the Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
glacier, the bed of which is now the Lake Zürich and the valley of the Sihl river. Sihl valley is extensively wooded, but also cultivated and heavily populated in its lower parts. The Sihltal is a well-known recreation area and popular 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...
and biking tours along Sihl river and in the surrounding hills.
Upper Sihl valley
Sihl river rises at Drusberg near Hoch-YbrigHoch-Ybrig
Hoch-Ybrig is a skiing and hiking area in Canton of Schwyz in Switzerland .Hoch-Ybrig is dominated by the mountain range Forstberg - Druesberg - Twäriberg...
in the canton of Schwyz, passes the 8.5 km (5.3 mi) long Sihlsee
Sihlsee
The Sihlsee is an artificial lake near Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland.- Geography :...
near Einsiedeln, Sunnegg near Biberbrugg
Biberbrugg
Biberbrugg is a village in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. Biberbrugg is shared by the municipalities of Einsiedeln in the district of Einsiedeln and Feusisberg in the district of Höfe.- History :...
and Schindellegi.
Lower Sihl valley
Now it enters the canton of Zurich, nearby SamstagernSamstagern
Samstagern is a village in the municipality Richterswil in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. Hüttnersee is located in the village.- Demographics :...
passing Hütten
Hütten, Switzerland
Hütten is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Hütten has an area of . Of this area, 52.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 36.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 5.5% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
and the rapid
Rapid
A rapid is a section of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. A rapid is a hydrological feature between a run and a cascade. A rapid is characterised by the river becoming shallower and having some rocks exposed above the...
called Sihlsprung situated in Schönenberg
Schönenberg
Schönenberg is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Schönenberg has an area of . Of this area, 77.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 11.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 9.2% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
, flowing through the valley between the Zimmerberg
Zimmerberg
Zimmerberg is a mountain and a region located in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Its name bases on the Old High German word zimbar in the meaning of lumber.- Geography :...
and Albis
Albis
The Albis is a chain of hills in the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, stretching for some 19 km from Sihlbrugg in the south to Waldegg near Zurich in the north. The chain forms, among others, the border between the Affoltern and Horgen districts. The best known point is Uetliberg at 870 m,...
chains. Near Sihlbrugg
Sihlbrugg
Sihlbrugg is a village and important transportation node between the cantons of Zug and Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :Sihlbrugg is located in the Sihl Valley between the Albis chain and the Zimmerberg region serving as watershed between the Sihl and Lorze rivers...
, the rivers passes the Sihlwald, the largest remaining deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest of the Swiss Plateau
Swiss plateau
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau constitutes one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland alongside the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface...
, located between Sihlbrugg and Zürich-Leimbach
Leimbach (Zürich)
Leimbach is a quarter in the district 2 in Zurich. It is located in the lower Sihl Valley .It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zurich in 1893...
. The Sihl flows in Zürich
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...
underneath Zürich Hauptbahnhof – parts of the train station are built below the Sihl – before joining the Limmat
Limmat
The Limmat is a river in Switzerland. It is the continuation of the Linth river, known as Limmat from the point of effluence from Lake Zurich, in the city of Zurich. From Zurich it flows in a northwesterly direction, after 35 km reaching the river Aare...
river at Platzspitz park located at the Swiss National Museum
Swiss National Museum
The Swiss National Museum — part of the Musée Suisse Group, itself affiliated with the Federal Office of Culture — is one of the most important art museums of cultural history in Europe and the world...
.
The break of the concrete dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
of the Sihlsee
Sihlsee
The Sihlsee is an artificial lake near Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland.- Geography :...
could lead, according to studies, to an 8 m (26.2 ft) high flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
wave reaching the city of Zürich, the biggest city in Switzerland, within 1.5 hours (Leimbach), its inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
(2 hours) and Zürich-Altstetten
Altstetten (Zürich)
Altstetten is a quarter in the district 9 in Zurich.It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zurich in 1934 together with Albisrieden.The quarter has a population of 28,278 distributed on an area of 7.47 km²....
within 3 hours.
Zimmerberg-Sihltal region
The term "Region ZimmerbergZimmerberg
Zimmerberg is a mountain and a region located in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. Its name bases on the Old High German word zimbar in the meaning of lumber.- Geography :...
-Sihltal" usually refers to the mountain, the area and plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
between Kilchberg
Kilchberg, Zurich
Kilchberg is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.Its coat of arms features a sky-blue shield with a trillium.Kilchberg is also the site of a regional cemetery.-History:...
–Richterswil
Richterswil
Richterswil is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Richterswil is first mentioned in 1265 as Richtliswile.During the 17th Century, a series of peasant revolts broke out across Switzerland...
–Samstagern
Samstagern
Samstagern is a village in the municipality Richterswil in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. Hüttnersee is located in the village.- Demographics :...
on 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 ....
and the Shil valley. This region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
includes the municipalities respectively villages of Adliswil
Adliswil
Adliswil is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Adliswil is first mentioned in 1050 as Adelenswile. In the second half of the 12th Century it was mentioned as Adololdiswile and in 1248 as Adeloswile.Under the Helvetic Republic, the hamlet of...
, Hirzel
Hirzel
Hirzel is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Hirzel has an area of . Of this area, 68.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.5% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 9.3% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
, Horgen
Horgen
Horgen is a village in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.It is one of the larger towns along the south bank of the Lake of Zurich.- History :Horgen is also the type-site of Switzerland's middle Neolithic archaeological culture...
, Hütten
Hütten, Switzerland
Hütten is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Hütten has an area of . Of this area, 52.9% is used for agricultural purposes, while 36.7% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 5.5% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
, Kilchberg
Kilchberg, Zurich
Kilchberg is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.Its coat of arms features a sky-blue shield with a trillium.Kilchberg is also the site of a regional cemetery.-History:...
, Langnau am Albis
Langnau am Albis
Langnau am Albis is a city in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Langnau am Albis is first mentioned between 1101 and 1150 as Langenow . Between 1133 and 1167 it was mentioned as Langenouw.-Geography:Langnau am Albis has an area of...
, Oberrieden
Oberrieden
Oberrieden is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. It is one of the towns along the south shore of Lake Zurich.-Geography:...
, Richterswil
Richterswil
Richterswil is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Richterswil is first mentioned in 1265 as Richtliswile.During the 17th Century, a series of peasant revolts broke out across Switzerland...
, Rüschlikon
Rüschlikon
Rüschlikon is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. It is located on the west shore of Lake Zurich.- Coat of arms :Its coat of arms features a white shield with a seerose, a red flower with a yellow center....
, Samstagern
Samstagern
Samstagern is a village in the municipality Richterswil in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland. Hüttnersee is located in the village.- Demographics :...
, Schönenberg
Schönenberg
Schönenberg is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-Geography:Schönenberg has an area of . Of this area, 77.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 11.3% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 9.2% is settled and the remainder is non-productive...
, Sihlbrugg
Sihlbrugg
Sihlbrugg is a village and important transportation node between the cantons of Zug and Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :Sihlbrugg is located in the Sihl Valley between the Albis chain and the Zimmerberg region serving as watershed between the Sihl and Lorze rivers...
, Thalwil
Thalwil
Thalwil is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. As of 2010 its population was of 17,189.-History:...
and Wädenswil
Wädenswil
-References:...
.
Transportation
The lower Sihl valley has an excellent local transportation network: Zimmerberg bus line (Zimmerbergbus) and Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (SZU)Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn
The Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn – commonly abbreviated to SZU – is a railway company and transport network in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland...
are providing the local public transportation in the Sihl valley, in addition to the Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg
Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg
Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg is an aerial tramway in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. Its name is commonly abbreviated to LAF; the tramway usually is called Felseneggbahn....
(LAF for short or commonly Felseneggbahn), an aerial tramway
Aerial tramway
An aerial tramway , cable car , ropeway or aerial tram is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion...
connecting Adliswil
Adliswil
Adliswil is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.-History:Adliswil is first mentioned in 1050 as Adelenswile. In the second half of the 12th Century it was mentioned as Adololdiswile and in 1248 as Adeloswile.Under the Helvetic Republic, the hamlet of...
and Felsenegg
Felsenegg
Felsenegg is a vantage point in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :Felsenegg is located some to the southwest of the city of Zürich on the Albis chain, between the municipalities of Stallikon and Adliswil. The hilltop station of Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg aerial tramway is...
. Sihlbrugg
Sihlbrugg
Sihlbrugg is a village and important transportation node between the cantons of Zug and Zürich in Switzerland.- Geography :Sihlbrugg is located in the Sihl Valley between the Albis chain and the Zimmerberg region serving as watershed between the Sihl and Lorze rivers...
train station is a nodal point of the SBB-CFF-FFS
SBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
-Gotthardbahn
Gotthardbahn
Gotthardbahn was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee to Chiasso . Nowadays this term usually does not refer to that company, but to the railway line itself...
and Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn (SZU) railways. Sihlbrugg Dorf (Sihlwald) is the terminal station of the Zürich S-Bahn
Zürich S-Bahn
The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been incrementally expanded to cover the ZVV area, which comprises the entire canton of Zurich and portions of neighboring cantons The Zurich S-Bahn system is a network of rapid transit rail lines that has been...
on the line S4
S4 (ZVV)
The S4 is a regional railway line of the Zurich S-Bahn on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, in the canton of Zürich, Switzerland.- Route :The line runs from Zürich Hauptbahnhof to Langnau-Gattikon and Sihlwald...
(SZU) and a stop on the line S21
S21 (ZVV)
The S21 is a regional railway line of the S-Bahn Zürich on the Zürcher Verkehrsverbund , Zürich transportation network, and is one of the network's lines connecting the cantons of Zürich and Zug.- Route :...
to Zürich Hauptbahnhof (VBZ). Nearby the city of Zürich, additional bus lines are provided by the Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich is a public transport operator in the Swiss city of Zurich, and is wholly owned by the city. Previously known as the Städtische Strassenbahn Zürich , the organisation was founded in 1896 and adopted its current name in 1950...
. It is also important as terminal of the A4 motorway between Zug
Zug
Zug , is a German-speaking city in Switzerland. The name ‘Zug’ originates from fishing vocabulary; in the Middle Ages it referred to the right to ‘pull up’ fishing nets and hence to the right to fish.The city of Zug is located in the Canton of Zug and is its capital...
and the canton of Zürich, and of five regional streets in the Sihltal to Zürich, Zug, Langnau am Albis and to Wädenswil (Hirzel Pass
Hirzel Pass
Hirzel Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps between the cantons of Zürich and Zug in Switzerland. It connects Wädenswil and Sihlbrugg, and the summit is in the municipality of Hirzel.-References:...
).