Klöntalersee, Reservoir in Glarus, Switzerland
Klöntalersee is a reservoir in the Canton of Glarus that stretches over 5 kilometers through the valley and measures nearly 50 meters at its deepest point. The water surface mirrors the surrounding mountain slopes and changes color depending on light and weather.
The dam was completed in 1908 and made this site Switzerland's first hydroelectric facility to harness a natural body of water for electricity. The project significantly enlarged the volume of the original lake and reshaped the valley.
The name of this body of water comes from Klöntal, the valley it fills and whose shape it follows today. The shores draw walkers who stroll along the flat sections or rest at the pebble beaches.
Trains from Zurich to Glarus bring visitors close, from where buses 72 or 504 run several times daily to the valley. The stops lie within walking distance of the shores, and wide paths make access straightforward.
The elevation of around 850 meters (2,790 feet) and the depth create conditions where divers train under ice in winter. This practice draws small groups who dive in the cold and use the particular visibility beneath the ice cover.
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