The tributaries of the Rhine in Rhineland-Palatinate

The most important river in Rhineland-Palatinate is, of course, the Rhine, sometimes also called “Father Rhine.” Together with its tributaries, it has shaped unique landscapes here. One of these tributaries is the Nahe. It rises in Saarland near the small village of Selbach and flows into the Rhine at Bingen. It is 125 km long, flowing at times through gentle rolling hills and at others through deep, narrow gorges. Near Bad Münster, we find the Rotenfels cliff. It is 202 meters high and 1,200 meters long, making it the largest sheer cliff in Germany north of the Alps. Grapes have been grown along the Nahe for many centuries. The town of Bad Kreuznach is at the heart of the wine-growing region.

The Moselle is the Rhine’s longest tributary. It rises in France, in the southern Vosges, and flows through Luxembourg and the German states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate. The Moselle is 544 km long and joins the Rhine at Koblenz. Large ships can travel as far as France, where canals also connect them to the French rivers Rhône and Meuse.

The Moselle separates the Eifel and Hunsrück regions. The major cities of Metz (France), Trier and Koblenz lie along its banks. Its longest tributaries are the Saar, the Sauer and the Meurthe (France). Many tourists appreciate the beautiful Moselle landscape, especially the fine wines produced here since Roman times, some on very steep slopes. At the Moselle’s confluence with the Rhine stands the “German Corner.” A large equestrian statue of Emperor Wilhelm I was erected here in 1897. After a war with France, the German Empire was founded in 1871, and Wilhelm, who had until then been King of Prussia, was crowned emperor. Today, alongside the 14 m-high equestrian statue, there are also three sections of the wall that once divided Berlin.

The Lahn is 245 km long. It flows on the right-hand side of the Rhine through the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. It rises in the Rothaar Mountains and joins the Rhine at Lahnstein. Grapes are also grown along the Lahn. This river was never important for shipping. Although there were attempts to improve the river or even turn it into a canal, in the end only some stretches were straightened, fitted with locks and deepened. In the past, small quantities of iron ore and stone from the limestone quarries near Steede were transported along the river. Today, the Lahn is mainly used by leisure and excursion boats.

The Wied is also a right-bank tributary of the Rhine. It is 102 km long and rises in the Westerwald near the village of Linden. It flows into the Rhine near the town of Neuwied. Large ships cannot travel on the Wied, but in summer you can see many canoes on the river. Walkers and cyclists enjoy the beautiful landscape shaped by this river. The town of Neuwied at its mouth is relatively new; it was founded in 1653. After the Thirty Years’ War, people settled here because the ruling count at the time promised they would be free to practise their religion.

The Ahr is a left-bank tributary of the Rhine. It is 85 km long and flows through the German states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. Its source is in the Eifel, in the town of Blankenheim, in the vaulted cellar of an old half-timbered house. It joins the Rhine near Remagen. Before that, it flows through the “Golden Mile,” an area with very fertile soil. Red wine is the main crop in the Ahr Valley. There is also a huge underground bunker here. In the event of war, the federal government was meant to shelter there, 25 km from Bonn, when Bonn was still the capital of the former Federal Republic of Germany. 

In July 2021, the area around the Ahr experienced extremely heavy rainfall. In just a few hours, the river became a raging torrent, bringing death and destruction.