Rhine and Rhone

Large European rivers have their source in the Swiss Alps. That is why Switzerland is also called the water tower of Europe. The water from Switzerland flows into different seas. More than 5 percent of Europe's drinking water reserves are in Switzerland. Switzerland uses the water of its rivers and lakes to produce a lot of electricity in hydroelectric power stations.

The Rhine has its source in Graubünden. It flows through Lake Constance, then to Basel and on through Germany and the Netherlands. There it flows into the North Sea. From Basel onwards the Rhine is navigable. The Rhine ports are important for Switzerland's trade.

The Rhone has its source at the Rhone Glacier in Valais. It flows through Lake Geneva and then south through France. It flows into the Mediterranean. Other rivers take other routes: the Inn from the Engadine flows via the Danube into the Black Sea, the Ticino via the Po into the Adriatic.

Memory aid: Rhine to the north into the North Sea, Rhone to the south into the Mediterranean.