The Emme () is a

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. It rises in the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

between the peaks of

Hohgant The Hohgant is a mountain of the Emmental Alps, located south of the Emmental in the canton of Bern. The main summit has an elevation of 2,197 metres above sea level and is distinguished by the name ''Furggengütsch''. Several caves (F1 and K2 n ...

and

Augstmatthorn The Augstmatthorn is a mountain of the Emmental Alps, overlooking Lake Brienz in the Bernese Oberland. The largely forested land from the top of the mountain southwards to the lake has been identified by BirdLife International as a 15,900 ha Impo ...

in the

canton of Bern The canton of Bern, or Berne (; ; ; ), is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. Its capital city, Bern, is also the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland. The bear is the heraldic symbol of the c ...

. The Emme is long and flows through the

Emmental The Emmental (, ) is a valley in west-central Switzerland, forming part of the canton of Bern. It is a hilly landscape comprising the basins of the rivers Emme and Ilfis. The region is mostly devoted to farming, particularly dairy farming. The ...

and between

Zuchwil Zuchwil () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Wasseramt (district), Wasseramt in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Solothurn (canton), Solothurn in Switzerland. History Zuchwil is first mentioned in 1052 as ''Z ...

and

Luterbach Luterbach is a municipality in the district of Wasseramt in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. History Luterbach is first mentioned in 1052 as ''lutere Bach'', though this identification is disputed. In 1319 it was mentioned as ''ville Lut ...

into the

Aare The Aare () or Aar () is the main tributary of the High Rhine (its discharge even exceeds that of the latter at their confluence) and the longest river that both rises and ends entirely within Switzerland. Its total length from its source to i ...

. The drainage area is . The average discharge at the mouth is approximately . The maximum discharge can be up to . The Emme is known for its sudden variations in water discharge. The narration ''Die Wassernot im Emmental'' (''The Water Crisis in the Emmen Valley'') by

Jeremias Gotthelf Albert Bitzius (4 October 179722 October 1854) was a Swiss novelist, best known by his pen name of Jeremias Gotthelf. Biography Bitzius was born at Murten, where his father was pastor. The Bitzius family had once belonged to the Bernese patric ...

impressively describes a very large and destructive, and therefore well-known, flood which occurred August 13, 1837. This and other floods led to the building of numerous canals and dams in the 19th century. The tributaries of the Emme are the Ilfis and the Limpach.

See also