60 years ago today, the authorities opened the ice on the entirely frozen over Lake Zurich. The public festival on the lake lasted for several weeks.
60 years ago today, the authorities opened the ice on the entirely frozen over Lake Zurich. The public festival on the lake lasted for several weeks.
19 comments
Must have been a sight to see. My dad was there as a kid and still sometimes mentions it. Quite the winter.
I was in the mountains on the weekend and having a small lake frozen is nothing unusual, but Lake Zurich? Would love to see that happen myself.
I come from a city in Canada where the big lakes freeze every year. When I was considering the move to Switzerland, I just looked at a world map and saw that Zurich was on the same latitude. “Wow, perfect! I can’t wait to skate that huge lake”. The reality was somewhat disappointing.
Sorry to say, I am glad it doesn’t happen anymore. Yes, it would be awesome, and I am old enough to have seen Lake Greifensee frozen (not so old to witnessed the above)
Todays problem is: Look at the picture above, now multiply it by 10. At least 10 times more people trying to access the lake, destroying the protected nature zones at the shores. I have seen what happen lake greifensee&pfäffikon. Masses of people, walking/skating into protected areas, leaving garbage everywhere.
Oh, I remember. I was a little younger than I am now, and it was fun. We could walk all across the lake. We talked about the “Seegfrörni” for years.
This is one of my dreams, to be able to skate on Zürisee. I know it’s never going to happen but I still dream about it.
My mother experienced it as a small child and it must have been awesome.
How cold does it need to be for the lake to freeze over?
At first I thought it was a picture of the Normandy landing…
My ganddad was in the army at that time. He was the secretary of an officer (Major I think). One night they went out on the frozen lake to burn military documents. Always loved that story as a child.
wow that is incredible ! Thanks for sharing, perhaps we will be doing such mass events in boats in a couple years
60 years from now Lake Zurich is boiling. Authorities allow the public to cook their pasta in the lake, as long as they don’t put salt in the water.
Is that a cable crossing the lake over there?
I remember the mid 80’s, when I was a little boy of 5 or 6, when we last were on a frozen Zürichsee.
Yeah, those were the days. And it’s likely never gonna happen again.
Just look outside, the grass gets greener and greener by the day. You can spot already spring flowers coming out.
What a shame not to be able to enjoy this.
I wonder what happened to the swans
That isn‘t much of a festival, is it? That‘s just people standing on a frozen bit of water. Might as well have used a picture of a few dozen ants.
does anyone know what exactly the cable above the lake is?
Not even remotely as close as this, but I remember I was in Neuchâtel back in 2012, when the lake was frozen at some points. We could walk over the lake, that was impressive (and extremely cold).
Interesting that same winter the Lac Leman did not freeze, I guess too much water