Needle Weir, Lucerne
The "Nadelwehr" or "needle weir" regulates the outflow of the river Reuss from Lake Lucerne. The wooden slats are raised or lowered individually by hand. The barrier was built in 1860, when steam navigation started on the lake. Before then, the water was channelled over the city's mills. Lucerne become a powerful city in the Middle Ages thanks to its control of lake transport.
© swissworld.org
Please note our conditions of use.