In 1447, the Emperor Frederick III granted the privilege of free navigation on the Limmat and on the Rhine to Zurich.

[7] Today, the Limmat is navigable for much of its length by small craft only, with many of the hydroelectric power plants incorporating boat lifts.

The traditional boat type used on the river is the weidling, a flat-bottomed vessel that is usually 10 metres (33 ft) long.

[8][9] The uppermost stretch of the river through the centre of Zurich is navigable by rather larger vessels, albeit limited by low bridges.

As well as being part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, the settlement is also listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as a Class object.