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 Sursilvan (; also ''romontsch sursilvan'' ; Sursilvan, Vallader, Surmiran, Sutsilvan, and Rumantsch Grischun: ''sursilvan''; Puter: ''sursilvaun'') is a group of dialects of the Romansh language spoken in the Swiss district of Surselva. It is ...

: ;

Sutsilvan 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 Gr ...

: ''Ragn Anteriur''; Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader, and Puter: ''Rain Anteriur''; Surmiran: ''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= , source ...

. 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 (

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

). 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, the source of the Vorderrhein—and thus of the Rhine—is located north of the Rein da Tuma and Lake Toma. ''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 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 Surselva Region is one of the eleven administrative districts in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It was created on 1 January 2017 as part of a reorganization of the canton.longitudinal valley. 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 Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 ...

further west). Consequently, its main tributaries, the Rein da Sumvitg, the Glenner and the Rabiusa 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 drain ...

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 T ...

* '' Rein 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'' (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. Th ...

'' (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 t ...

'', the upper reaches in the

canton of Ticino Ticino (), sometimes Tessin (), officially the Republic and Canton of Ticino or less formally the Canton of Ticino,, informally ''Canton Ticino'' ; lmo, Canton Tesin ; german: Kanton Tessin ; french: Canton du Tessin ; rm, Chantun dal Tessin . ...

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 riv ...

''), 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 Piz may refer to: * Piz Gloria, a mountain-top restaurant in Switzerland * Piz Buin, a mountain * Piz Dolf, a mountain * Piz Segnas, a mountain * Piz Buin (brand), a suncream brand * Piz (river) The Piz (russian: Пизь) is a right tributary ...

of the Tödi massif of the Glarus Alps 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 ...

and rafting, especially the section between

and Versam. Along entire length of the Vorderrhein there is a narrow-gauge railway line: from Chur to Disentis there is a

line Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Art ...

of the Rhätische Bahn. From Disentis, the Furka-Oberalp line of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn runs to the Oberalp Pass and on to Andermatt. In the Ruinaulta area, the main road runs to the North of the river, and at its highest point, at Flims, 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