The Birs (French: ''Birse'') is a long river in Switzerland that flows through the
Jura region and ends as a tributary to the
Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
between
Basel
Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
and
Birsfelden. It is the most important river of the
Swiss Jura.
Course
The Birs has its source in a spring near the ''
Col de Pierre Pertuis'' at above sea level a little southwest of
Tavannes in the ''Jura bernois''. It starts as a proper river; the large amount of water is the product of an extended underground river system.
The Birs runs through wider valleys (Vallée de Tavannes) and narrow gorges. Near
Delémont, the capital of the canton of Jura, it joins the
Sorne and the
Scheulte. Between
Soyhières and
Liesberg, it leaves the French-speaking part of Switzerland, enters the canton of
Basel-Landschaft
Canton of Basel-Landschaft or Basel-Country, informally known as Baselland or Baselbiet (; ; ; ; ), is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of five districts and its capital city is Liestal. It is traditional ...
and receives the
Lützel from the left. In
Laufen it forms a waterfall, which was the source of power and of the name of the city.
At the gorge of
Angenstein, the river runs into the ''Birseck'', the lowland by
Aesch. Between Aesch and
Dornach, the Birs is rich in fresh-water crabs, the native species of which are now threatened by the American red crab. Earlier, the Birs was polluted and dammed, but it has largely been restored to its original state.
The ''
Reinacherheide'' is a wildlife preserve with 83 species of bird.
The mouth of the Birs was hardly settled until the 18th century. Today, the city of
Birsfelden stands there. The lower stretches of the Birs form the border between
Basel-Stadt
Canton of Basel-Stadt or Basel-City ( ; ; ; ) is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of three municipalities with Basel as the capital. It is traditionally considered a " half-canton", the other half being B ...
and Basel-Landschaft. In 2004, it was restored from a concrete canal to a more natural river. Beavers have even been sighted along the river. The Birs also forms the border between the cities of
Basel
Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
and
Birsfelden. It flows into the Rhine at ''Birskopf'' after .
See also
*
Birsköpfli
*
List of rivers of Switzerland
The following is a list of rivers of Switzerland (and tributaries thereof). Included rivers flow either entirely or partly through Switzerland or along its international borders. Swiss rivers belong to five drainage basins, i.e. of the Rhine, th ...
References
Birs in the ''Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz''
Picture gallery
Image:2010-09-05 Birsquelle bei Tavannes.jpg, The Birs Source south of Tavannes
Image:Birs.JPG, Headwaters of the Birs by Tavannes
Image:2010-09-05 Birs bei Court.jpg, The Birs south of Court
A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...
(Gorges de Court)
Image:Picswiss BE-97-02 Blick hin zur Klus von Moutier (Gorges de Moutier).jpg, Gorges de Moutier
Image:Birs bei Münchenstein.jpg, The restored Birs in Münchenstein
Image:Birs bei münchenstein (ebm).jpg, The Birs by the Elektra Birseck Münchenstein
Image:2009-09-13 birswasserfall.jpg, Birs waterfall in the '' Neue Welt'', Münchenstein
Image:Picswiss BL-52-03.jpg, The Birs by Birsfelden
File:London2007zurich img 5738.jpg, Aerial view of the Rhine, with Birs entering the Rhine
{{Authority control
Rivers of Switzerland
Rivers of the canton of Bern
Rivers of the canton of Jura
Rivers of Basel-Landschaft
Rivers of the canton of Solothurn
Rivers of Basel-Stadt
Rivers of the Jura