Thur, Obere (Mühlau - Schwarzenbach)
Kayak spot · Switzerland
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
53Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 3 kn gusting 8, Air 11 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Mon 2 · 47 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Tue 3 · 47 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 49 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 50 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 51 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 58 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 3 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 146, fair
- Mon 247, fair
- Tue 347, fair
- Wed 449, fair
- Thu 550, fair
- Fri 651, fair
- Sat 759, fair
- Sun 858, fair
- Mon 943, poor
- Tue 1068, good
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIits hardest rapid III
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 46, fair | 10 kn | 22kn | 6°C | 0.8 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 47, fair | 8 kn | 15kn | 5°C | 0.3 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 47, fair | 8 kn | 18kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 49, fair | 7 kn | 17kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 50, fair | 4 kn | 10kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 51, fair | 1 kn | 7kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 59, fair | 3 kn | 8kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 58, fair | 3 kn | 7kn | 9°C | 3 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 43, poor | 3 kn | 10kn | 10°C | 23.4 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 68, good | 0 kn | 7kn | 15°C | 2.4 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Thur, Obere (Mühlau - Schwarzenbach) on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Thur, Obere (Mühlau - Schwarzenbach)
A river section on the Thur, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade II, its hardest rapid III, on the international scale. Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 22 km away. For grade III paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Bazenheid.
- River Thur
- Grade Grade II, its hardest rapid III, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 22 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,760–US$3,250 each
about US$1,760–US$3,250 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to ZRH, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$489–US$1,020 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$94–US$154 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$462–US$764 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$449–US$831 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$261–US$482 |
| Total | about US$1,760–US$3,250 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Bazenheid
1 min by car · 2 places to stay
about US$174/nightcountry average
About Bazenheid its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$174 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 14h 30m
About 14h 30m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ZRH, direct, then 1h by road
Flights ORD → ZRH on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Bazenheid · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Bazenheid · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits