Switzerland

1 region · 5 sites · down to 89 m

In Switzerland you dive cold karst springs in the Alps and their foothills: by Lake Thun, on the Walensee and in Ticino. These are serious full cave dives with water at 6–8 °C and strongly varying flow. Access differs per spring.

Map

Cave Fill station

Not to be missed

Bätterich (Bätterichquelle) →
A karst spring on Lake Thun to 80 m, at its best in winter and late summer.
Gelber Brunnen →
A second spring in the Thun area to 68 m, easy to combine with the Bätterich.
Sorgente Bossi (Böss) →
A sidemount spring in Ticino to 89 m that reacts slowly to rain and can be dived almost all year.
Rinquelle →
A sidemount spring above the Walensee by the Seerenbach falls, practically only in winter at low flow.

Regions

SwitzerlandScattered, cold and deep karst springs: the Bätterich and Gelber Brunnen at Lake Thun (to -80 m), the Sorgente Bossi in Ticino (S1 to -89 m, registration only) and the Rinquelle above the Walensee (winter dives at low flow) — plus the Saint-Léonard underground lake, which is not open to divers.5 sites · down to 89 m

Good to know

For the Sorgente Bossi you register online and need approval from Underwater Training CMAS.CH: Full Cave minimum, dive medical, search-and-recovery insurance, booking and key pick-up.
Many Swiss karst springs are captured for drinking water. You may not dive in protection zone S1 around a capture; for any unfamiliar spring, ask the canton or municipality first.
The water is cold (Bätterich 6–8 °C, Rinquelle 6 °C): drysuit and heating. The Rinquelle cave may only be entered by cave divers.
The Lac souterrain de Saint-Léonard is a show cave and not open to divers. Compressors at the Sorgente Bossi are banned.

Tips for safe and enjoyable diving

Don't dive the Bätterich during the spring snowmelt: currents are dangerous then.
Gas: at Lake Thun, Dive Center Thunersee in Hilterfingen; in eastern Switzerland, Tiefenstein in Horn and Divepad in Urdorf (trimix, O₂, helium). For Ticino, ask about fills when you book the Sorgente Bossi.
Emergency: call 112 or Rega 1414 and say 'Tauchunfall'. In a cave accident Rega alerts Spéléo-Secours Suisse, which has its own cave-diving rescue team.
Chambers: Geneva (24/7), Basel and a mobile emergency chamber in Mendrisio, close to the Sorgente Bossi. Rega decides where you go.
Rest day: the Beatushöhlen close to the Bätterich, a boat tour on the Lac souterrain de Saint-Léonard, or the walk to the Seerenbach falls and the Rinquelle from Betlis.

Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.

News

No recent news found about the caves in this region.

Searched automatically, last on 5 Oct 2026.

Fill stations

Dive Center Thunersee (Hilterfingen)
Hübelistrasse 1, 3652 Hilterfingen, Switzerland
In the shop: air, nitrox, trimix, O₂ and argon (per the SSI listing). Outdoor fill station: air or nitrox 36% to 200 bar.
Wed–Fri 16–20 h, Sat 8–16 h; closed Mon, Tue and Sun. Other times by phone appointment.
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Tiefenstein UnterwasserWelten (Horn, Bodensee)
Seestrasse 19, 9326 Horn, Switzerland
Air, nitrox 32, trimix 18/45, O₂ (Divox), helium and argon; 230 and 300 bar
Tue–Fri 10–12 and 13:30–18:30, Sat 8–16; closed Mon; outside hours by appointment. 24 h outdoor stations: air and EAN32, one also trimix 18/45 (top-up card, CHF 50 deposit).
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Tauchschule Divepad.ch (Urdorf)
Urdorf (ZH), Switzerland — street address: ask
Air, O₂, helium, trimix 18/45 (premix) and argon
24/7, access via app (with a subscription)
Website ↗Navigate ↗

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