The Aare and its riverbanks

Water shapes life on Freihofstrasse at every turn. In only three minutes on foot you stand directly on the bank of the Aare, which here flows in that unmistakable, luminous turquoise fed by the glaciers of the Jungfrau region. The historic timber-covered sluice bridges — the Obere and the Untere Wehr — which regulate the water level between the lakes, are far more than functional structures: they are living monuments and a popular meeting place.

For residents of Freihofstrasse 18 the river becomes a natural place of calm. Early in the morning the running route follows the shaded Aare promenade downstream towards the nature reserve; on warm summer afternoons you cool your feet in the clear water after work, or watch from a riverside bench as the river surfers try the standing wave at the weir. The steady, soothing rush of the Aare is the sound of this neighbourhood — a constant reminder of how close unspoilt nature is.