Geography
Zurich is situated at 408 m (1,339 ft) above sea level on the lower (northern) end of Lake Zurich (Zürichsee) about 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of the Alps, nestling between the wooded hills on the west and east side. The Old Town stretches on both sides of the Limmat River, which flows from the lake, running northwards at first and then gradually turning into a curve to the west. The geographic (and historic) centre of the city is the Lindenhof, a small natural hill on the west bank of the Limmat, about 700 m (2,300 ft) north of where the river issues from Lake Zurich. Today the incorporated city stretches somewhat beyond the natural hydrographic confines of the hills and includes some districts to the northeast in the Glatt Valley (German: Glattal) and to the north in the Limmat Valley (German: Limmattal). The boundaries of the older city are easy to recognize by the Schanzengraben canal. This artificial watercourses has been used for the construction of the third fortress in the 17th and 18th centuries.
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