The Vorderrhein (
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
; English: ''Anterior Rhine'';
Sursilvan: ;
Sutsilvan: ''Ragn Anteriur'';
Rumantsch Grischun
Romansh (; sometimes also spelled Romansch and Rumantsch; Sursilvan: ; Vallader, Surmiran, and Rumantsch Grischun: ; Putèr: ; Sutsilvan: , , ; Jauer: ) is a Gallo-Romance language spoken predominantly in the Swiss canton of the ...
,
Vallader
Vallader (Vallader, Sursilvan, Puter, Surmiran, and Rumantsch Grischun: ''vallader'' ; Sutsilvan: ') is a variety of the Romansh language spoken in the Lower Engadine valley (''Engiadina Bassa'') of southeast Switzerland, between Martina ...
, and
Puter: ''Rain Anteriur'';
Surmiran
Surmiran (Surmiran, Vallader, Sutsilvan, Rumantsch Grischun: ''surmiran''; Puter: ''surmiraun'') is a dialect of the Romansh language
Romansh (; sometimes also spelled Romansch and Rumantsch; Sursilvan: ; Vallader, Surmiran, and Rum ...
: ''Ragn anteriour'') is one of the two sources of the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
. Its
catchment area
In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...
of is located predominantly in the
canton of Graubünden
The Grisons () or Graubünden,Names include:
*german: (Kanton) Graubünden ;
* Romansh:
** rm, label=Sursilvan, (Cantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Vallader, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Puter, (Chantun) Grischun
** rm, label= Surmiran, (Can ...
(
Switzerland). The Vorderrhein is about long, thus more than 5% longer than the
Hinterrhein/Rein Posteriur (each measured to the farthest source). The Vorderrhein, however, has an average water flow of , which is less than the flow of the Hinterrhein. According to the Atlas of Switzerland of the
Swiss Federal Office of Topography
Swisstopo is the official name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography (in German: ''Bundesamt für Landestopografie''; French: ''Office fédéral de topographie''; Italian: ''Ufficio federale di topografia''; Romansh: ''Uffizi federal da ...
, the source of the Vorderrhein—and thus of the Rhine—is located north of the
Rein da Tuma
The Rein da Tuma is a river in Switzerland, in the Canton of Graubünden. It rises east of the Rossbodenstock with two or three mountain streams, that flow across the Tuma Alp into the Lake Toma (German: ''Tomasee'', Romansh: ''Lai da Tuma'') ...
and
Lake Toma
The Tomasee ( rm, Lai da Tuma or ) is a lake at the northern face of Piz Badus, above the village of Tschamut in Grisons, Switzerland. Its surface area is .
It is the source of the Anterior Rhine and is deemed to be the official source of the Rh ...
.
''Vorderrhein'' was also the name of a judicial district that was created in 1851 with the reorganization of the judiciary of Graubünden. In 2001, it was annexed by the
District Surselva.
The largest communities along the Vorderrhein are
Disentis
Disentis (German) or Mustér (, Romansh), with its official name Disentis/Mustér is a village and a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
The skiing and summer tourism resort high up in the Rhine valley is the ...
and
Ilanz
Ilanz ( rm, Glion) is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The former municipality of Ilanz was congruent with the town of Ilanz. On 1 January 1978, the former municipality of Strada merged into ...
.
Course
The Vorderrhein flows mostly in an east-northeast direction, through the
Surselva, a large
longitudinal valley
A longitudinal valley is an elongated valley found between two almost-parallel mountain chains in geologically young fold mountains, such as the Alps, Carpathians, Andes, or the highlands of Central Asia. They are often occupied and shaped by a ...
. Its north side is steep, with short valleys, the southern side, however, is divided by some long valleys (similar to the situation in the
canton of Valais further west). Consequently, its main tributaries, the Rein da Sumvitg, the
Glenner
, image = Glenner Mai09.jpg
, image_caption = Glogn/Glenner above Ilanz
, progression =
, length =
, source1_location = Alp Scharboda, Piz Terri
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation ...
and the
Rabiusa
The Rabiusa ( rm, Rabiosa, i.e. "Raging", in the local German dialect ,Swiss Idiotikon, vol. VI, col. 996, articl''Rin''(meaning 1b) i.e. "Rhine") is a 32 km long tributary of the Rhine. The river originates in the district Hinterrhein in ...
all come from the south. In its lower course the Vorderrhein flows through the
Flims Rockslide, giving rise to the canyon country of the
Ruinaulta. Near
Reichenau, it joins the Hinterrhein to form the (Alpine) Rhine.
Headwaters
Some of the
tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...
of the Vorderrhein are almost as long as the main branch. In downstream order, they are (measuring their length from their respective sources to the confluence with Hinterrhein at Reichenau):
* Two unnamed streams originating in the ''Puozas'' and ''Milez'' areas near the
Oberalppass
Oberalp Pass ( rm, Alpsu or ''Cuolm d'Ursera''; german: Oberalppass) (2044 meters above sea level) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis/Mustér and Andermatt.
Winter closure ...
* ''
Rein da Tuma
The Rein da Tuma is a river in Switzerland, in the Canton of Graubünden. It rises east of the Rossbodenstock with two or three mountain streams, that flow across the Tuma Alp into the Lake Toma (German: ''Tomasee'', Romansh: ''Lai da Tuma'') ...
'', including the
Lai da Tuma and the main head of the lake, about
* The ''Aua da Val'' from the ''Val'' valley (70 km)
* ''
Rein da Maighels
The Rein da Maighels (german: Maighelserrhein) is one of the main tributaries of the Rhine (see Sources of the Rhine) and is a tributary to the Rein da Curnera. The firm ''Kraftwerke Vorderrhein AG'' has built a hydropower dam creating a reserv ...
'' (75 km) (tributary of the Rein da Curnera)
* ''
Rein da Curnera
The Rein da Curnera (in german: Curnerarhein) is a right tributary of the Anterior Rhine and one of the main tributaries of the Rhine (see Sources of the Rhine). It is fed from multiple sources and glaciers at the southern end of the valley. The ...
'' (about 74 km)
* ''Rein da Nalps'' (about 71 km)
* ''
Rein da Medel
The Rein da Medel ( it, Reno di Medel; german: Medelser Rhein) is the longest headwater of the Rhine. It is located in the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Graubünden and flows through the valleys Val Cadlimo and Val Medel. ''Rein da Medel'' is th ...
'', the upper reaches in the
canton of Ticino are known as ''Reno di Medel'', and also as ''Froda'' (about 76 km)
So the longer arms are not the source at Oberalppass, but further southeast. The longest headwater front of the Vorderrhein (and thus the Rhine as a whole, see ''
sources of the Rhine
Lake Toma in the Swiss canton of Graubünden is generally regarded as the Source of the Rhine. Its outflow is called Rein da Tuma and after a few kilometers, it forms the '' Vorderrhein/Rein Anteriur'' ( en, Anterior Rhine). The course of this ri ...
''), is the ''Reno di Medel'', which rises on the border of the municipality
Quinto in Ticino. In the uppermost part of its course, it runs in the Val Cadlimo, south of the geomorphological main Alpine ridge, west of the
Lukmanier Pass.
The culminating point of the Anterior Rhine's drainage basin is the
Piz Russein of the Tödi massif of the
Glarus Alps
The Glarus Alps (german: Glarner Alpen) are a mountain range in central Switzerland. They are bordered by the Uri Alps and the Schwyz Alps to the west, the Lepontine Alps to the south, the Appenzell Alps to the northeast. The eastern part of ...
at above sea level. It starts with the creek ''Aua da Russein'' (lit.: "Water of the Russein").
Tourism
Thanks to its attractive scenery and some interesting passage, the Vorderrhein is a popular river for
paddling
Paddling with regard to watercraft is the act of manually propelling a boat using a paddle. The paddle, which consists of one or two blades joined to a shaft, is also used to steer the vessel. The paddle is not connected to the boat (unlike in r ...
and
rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
, especially the section between
Ilanz
Ilanz ( rm, Glion) is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The former municipality of Ilanz was congruent with the town of Ilanz. On 1 January 1978, the former municipality of Strada merged into ...
and
Versam
Versam is a former municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. The municipalities of Valendas, Versam, Safien and Tenna merged on 1 January 2013 into the new municipality of Safiental. .
Along entire length of the Vorderrhein there is a narrow-gauge railway line: from
Chur
, neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Churwalden, Tschiertschen-Praden, Domat/Ems, Felsberg, Malix, Trimmis, Untervaz, Pfäfers
, twintowns = Bad Homburg (Germany), Cabourg (France), Mayrhofen (Austria), Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxe ...
to
Disentis
Disentis (German) or Mustér (, Romansh), with its official name Disentis/Mustér is a village and a municipality in the Surselva Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.
The skiing and summer tourism resort high up in the Rhine valley is the ...
there is a
line of the
Rhätische Bahn
The Rhaetian Railway (german: Rhätische Bahn; it, Ferrovia retica; rm, Viafier retica), abbreviated RhB, is a Swiss transport company that owns the largest network of all private railway operators in Switzerland. Headquartered in Chur, the Rh ...
. From Disentis, the
Furka-Oberalp line of the
Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn
The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn is a narrow gauge railway line and a railway company (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn AG, MGB) in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka Oberalp Bahn (FO) and BVZ Zermatt- ...
runs to the
Oberalp Pass
Oberalp Pass ( rm, Alpsu or ''Cuolm d'Ursera''; german: Oberalppass) (2044 meters above sea level) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis/Mustér and Andermatt.
Winter closure
...
and on to
Andermatt
Andermatt ( rm, ) is a mountain village and municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland. At an elevation of above sea level, Andermatt is located at the center of the Saint-Gotthard Massif and the historical center cross of north-south and e ...
. In the Ruinaulta area, the main road runs to the North of the river, and at its highest point, at
Flims
Flims ( rm, Flem) is a municipality in the Imboden Region in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which one can see from almost anywhere in the area.
Flims consists of the village of Flims (called ...
, it is about above the Rhine.
The ''Senda Sursilvana'', a hiking trail along the young Rhine River lead from the Oberalp Pass along the Vorderrhein in the direction of Chur.
Hiking Switzerland on the Senda Sursilvana in Graubünden
/ref>
Footnotes
External links
Natural Monument Ruinaulta
flow description for water rides
{{Rhine Tributaries
Rhine