In the picturesque depths of the Oberseetal, above the pretty village of Näfels in the idyllic Swiss canton of Glarus, a body of water shimmers with bewitching beauty: the Obersee. Like a sparkling jewel, it stands proudly at 983 metres above sea level, surrounded by majestic peaks such as the Bärensoolspitz, the Brünnelistock and the Rautispitz. The lovely lake is fed by the rushing Sulzbach, to which it owes its freshness and clarity. A remarkable phenomenon, however, is that the Obersee has no visible outlet, as if it wanted to preserve its mystical aura and only let the initiated in on its magical secret.
But since 2012, waterweed has been standing in the way of this idyllic lake. Like an army that has appeared out of nowhere, the invasive Nuttall's waterweed plant from North America has spread inexorably and mercilessly displaced the native stoneworts (Characeae). A shadow has fallen over the once pristine body of water, the sight of which is now marred by a green, impenetrable carpet of narrow-leaved waterweed.
Adders on Bergli
A young traveling student once went up to Bergli and sought shelter in a hut. Of modest means, he begged the dairyman to grant him a small meal as a reward for God. But the dairyman proved to be a tough fellow and rudely told him that he would meet him at the church festival to show him what he thought of such requests. Disappointed and hurt, the student continued on to the Krauchtal and wondered whether he would come away empty-handed there too.
But as fate would have it, he was generously entertained in the Krauchtal, with Schotten, Ziger and delicious food, until he could no longer bear it. The friendly residents even offered him a place to stay overnight. In the evening they all sat together around the campfire, laughing and telling stories. The student admired the beauty of the valley and praised it highly. But then the dairyman reported on the terrible plagues that plagued the cattle and the people - adders that bite the cattle and suck the milk out of the cows.
But the student remained silent and thought about the herdsman's words. The next morning he climbed a hill and began to mutter powerful incantations. He struck a ring and banished the adders from the Krauchtal to Bergli, so that no more snakes could be found in the valley. Fate took an unexpected turn and the student had freed the Krauchtal from the plague with his magic.
Access
There are parking spaces in front of the lake. From Näfels it takes just over an hour to get to the lake. The hike around the lake takes about an hour, unless the water is high.
