{{Short description|Lake in St. Gallen, Switzerland}} {{Infobox body of water | name = Schwendisee | image = Saentis reflection in the Schwendisee (danielkuehler).jpg | caption = Schwendisee and Alpstein | image_bathymetry = | caption_bathymetry = | location = {{Plainlist| * Wildhaus-Alt St. Johann * Canton of St. Gallen }} | coords = {{coord|47.187|N|9.331|E|type:waterbody_region:CH-SG|display=inline,title}} | type = | inflow = | outflow = Seebach | catchment = | basin_countries = Switzerland | length = | width = | area = {{convert|3.3|ha|abbr=on}} | depth = | max-depth = {{convert|9.7|m|abbr=on}} | volume = | residence_time = | shore = | elevation = {{convert|1159|m|abbr=on}} | frozen = | islands = | sections = | cities = | reference = <ref name="Gilli"/> | pushpin_map=Canton of St. Gallen#Switzerland#Alps | pushpin_label_position= bottom | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 16 }} '''Schwendisee''' is a small lake above Wildhaus on the slopes of the Churfirsten, in Toggenburg, Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland. Besides the main lake ({{lang|de|Vorderer Schwendisee}}, {{lit|Anterior Lake Schwendi}}), there is a smaller lake nearby ({{lang|de|Hinterer Schwendisee}}, {{lit|Posterior Lake Schwendi}}). Together they are referred to as the {{lang|de|Schwendiseen}} in German.
==Name== Schwendisee is a combination of two words - ‘Schwendi’ and ‘see’, where Schwandi refers to the glacier that melted about 1,400 years ago to form the lakes, and ‘see’ translates to 'lake' in English.
==Description== The elevation of the lake is about {{convert|1150|m}} above sea level. It is about {{cvt|250|m}} long and {{cvt|150|m}} wide. Sediment cores from the lakes have been studied and provide a record of the climate of the last 600 years.<ref name="Gilli">{{cite journal |first1=Adrian |last1=Gilli |first2=Flavio |last2=Anselmetti |first3=Daniel |last3=Aritzgegui |first4=Judith |last4=McKenzie |title=A 600-year sedimentary record of flood events from two sub-alpine in lakes (Schwendiseen, Northeastern Switzerland) |journal=Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae |issn=0012-9402 |year=2003 |others=Supplement 1 |pages=49–58 |url=https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-0348-7992-7_7}}</ref>
Schwendisee is nestled in moorland where the waterbody is divided into the Vorderer Schwendisee and the Hinterer Schwendisee separated by strip of forest. The larger Vorderer Schwendisee is open to visitors for fishing, swimming and hiking (it is located on the {{lang|de|Klangweg}}, {{lit|Sound Trail}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://klangwelt.ch/en/locations/sound-trail |title=Sound Trail Toggenburg |website=www.klangwelt.ch |access-date=18 October 2025}}</ref> A broadwalk extends to the middle of the lake to allow visitors to enter the water. Both lakes are surrounded by dense reeds and marshes and also have small creeks feeding the flora.
Visitors can find barbeque facilities at either side of the lake and the Hotel Seegüetli on the northern end of the lake. The lakes can be reached from Wildhaus on foot or using the chair lift to Oberdorf.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/wildhaus-gamserrugg-toggenburg/lift-operator/ |title=Lift operator Wildhaus – Gamserrugg (Toggenburg) |website=www.skiresort.info |access-date=18 October 2025}}</ref> {{wide image|2008-10-12 Schwendisee 02.jpg|1000px|Vorderer Schwendisee (Säntis and Altmann in the background)||none}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commonscat-inline}} * [https://www.hikr.org/dir/Schwendiseen_32751/ Schwendisee on Hikr]
Category:Lakes of the canton of St. Gallen Category:Lakes of Switzerland LSchwendisee Category:Toggenburg
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