Kander (Switzerland)

Kander
River
The Kander in the Gasterntal
Country	Switzerland
State	Bern
Tributaries
- left	Entschlige, Simme
- right	Öschibach, Chiene, Suld
Source
- location	Kander Neve, Switzerland
- elevation	2,301 m (7,549 ft)
- coordinates	46°27′53″N 07°45′54″E / 46.46472°N 7.76500°E / 46.46472; 7.76500
Mouth
- location	Lake Thun, Switzerland
- elevation	558 m (1,831 ft)
- coordinates	46°43′02″N 07°38′22″E / 46.71722°N 7.63944°E / 46.71722; 7.63944Coordinates: 46°43′02″N 07°38′22″E / 46.71722°N 7.63944°E / 46.71722; 7.63944
Length	44 km (27 mi)

The Kander is a river in Switzerland. It is 44 kilometres (27 mi) long and has a watershed of 1,126 square kilometres (435 sq mi). Originally a tributary of the Aare, with a confluence downstream of the city of Thun, since 1714 it flows into Lake Thun upstream of the city.

The drainage water from the Kander Neve (glacier) in the middle of the Bernese Alps at an altitude of 2,301 m (7,549 ft) flows through the Gasteretal westward. 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Kandersteg it turns to north into the larger Kandertal. After 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) it converges in Frutigen with the Entschlige from the left, its second major tributary. The Entschligental with Adelboden at its south end, runs more or less parallel to the Kandertal before they converge into the Frutigtal. Continuing northwards, the Frutigtal makes a long bend to the west in order to get around the Niesen. Between Spiez and Reutingen it converges with the Simme from the left, its major tributary, and turns to the north again and flows into the Lake of Thun after a break through a hill, which used to prevent it flowing into the lake until 1714. Here the river crosses the A6 motorway.

The source of the Kander is fed from the Kanderfirn glacier in the Blüemlisalp massif. Initially the river in an easterly direction, until it turns sharply north just south of the village of Kandersteg. This section of the valley is known as the Gastertal.

In Kandersteg, the Öschibach, a tributary stream that drains the Oeschinensee, joins the Kander. The river then runs north through Kandergrund as far as Frutigen, where it is joined by another tributary, the Engstlige.