Vorderrhein
Encyclopedia
The Vorderrhein is one of the two sources of the Rhine. Its catchment area
of 1512 square kilometres (583.8 sq mi) is located predominantly in the Canton of Graubünden (Switzerland
). The Vorderrhein is about 76 kilometres (47.2 mi) long, thus more than 5% longer than the Hinterrhein
(each measured to the farthest source). The Vorderrhein, however, has an average water flow of 53.8 m3/s, 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 the Rhine –is located to 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
.
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.
So the longer arms are not the source at Oberalppass, but further South East. The longest headwater front of the Vorderrhein (and thus the Rhine as a whole, see sources of the Rhine
), 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, to the West of the Lukmanier Pass
.
, especially the section between Ilanz
and Versam
.
Along entire length of the Vorderrhein there is a narrow-gauge railway line: from Chur
to Disentis there is a line 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's about 480 metres (1,575 ft) 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.
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 1512 square kilometres (583.8 sq mi) is located predominantly in the Canton of Graubünden (Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
). The Vorderrhein is about 76 kilometres (47.2 mi) long, thus more than 5% longer than the Hinterrhein
Hinterrhein (river)
The Hinterrhein is one of the initial tributaries of the Rhine in the Canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, flowing from the village Hinterrhein near the San Bernardino pass through the Rheinwald valley into a gorge called Roflaschlucht...
(each measured to the farthest source). The Vorderrhein, however, has an average water flow of 53.8 m3/s, which is less than the flow of the Hinterrhein. According to the Atlas of Switzerland of the Swiss Federal Office of Topography
Swisstopo
Swisstopo is the official name for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography , Switzerland's national mapping agency.The current pseudo-English name was made official in 2002...
, the source of the Vorderrhein – and the Rhine –is located to north of the Rein da Tuma
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 . Before they reach the lake, they flow through a plane and form small meanders...
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
Surselva (district)
Surselva District is an administrative district in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has an area of and has a population of ....
.
The largest communities along the Vorderrhein are Disentis and Ilanz
Ilanz
Ilanz is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Ilanz is first mentioned in 765 as Iliande. Ilanz became the capital of the newly formed Grey League in 1395. The Grey League was the second of Three Leagues which eventually formed canton Graubünden...
.
Course
The Vorderrhein flows mostly in an east-northeast direction, through the Surselva, a large 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 further west). Consequently, its the main tributaries, the Rein da Sumvitg, the GlennerGlenner
The Glenner is a Whitewater river in Graubünden. Glenner was also the name of a district in this area, which was annexed by Surselva District in 2001....
and the Rabiusa
Rabiusa
The Rabiusa is a 32 km long tributary of the Rhine. The river originates in the district Hinterrhein in the canton of Graubünden, in the mountains surrounding the Bärenhorn , where the old bridle path from Safien to Splügen crosses the Safierberg Pass...
all come from the south. In its lower course the Vorderrhein flows through the Flims Rockslide
Flims Rockslide
Flims Rockslide occurred some 10000 years ago. It is known as the biggest Landslide incident in the Alps and the biggest worldwide whose effects are still visible, moving some of rock, about 300 times that of the historic Swiss Goldau landslide. The town of Flims can be found at the line where...
, giving rise to the canyon country of the Ruinaulta
Ruinaulta
Ruinaulta is a canyon created by the Vorderrhein in the debris of the Flims Rockslide just upstream of its confluence with the Hinter Rhine at Reichenau, Eastern Switzerland. It is sometimes known as the Rhine Canyon, or Swiss Grand Canyon...
. Near Reichenau, it joins the Hinterrhein to form the (Alpine) Rhine.
Headwaters
Some of the tributaries 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
- Rein da TumaRein da TumaThe 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 . Before they reach the lake, they flow through a plane and form small meanders...
, including the Lai da Tuma and the main head of the lake (about 71 km) - The Aua da Val from the Val valley (70 km)
- Rein da MaighelsRein da MaighelsThe Rein da Maighels is one of the main tributaries of the Rhine and is a tributary to the Rein da Curnera. The firm Kraftwerke Vorderrhein AG has built a hydropower dam creating a reservoir, called the Lai da Curnera, into which both rivers now flow.The origin of the Rein da Maighels is the...
(75 km) (tributary of the Rein da Curnera) - Rein da CurneraRein da CurneraThe Rein da Curnera is a right tributary of the Anterior Rhine and one of the main tributaries of the Rhine . It is fed from multiple sources and glaciers at the southern end of the valley. The river is about 8 kilometers long and flows north through the Val Curnera...
(about 74 km) - Rein da Nalps (about 71 km)
- Rein da MedelRein da MedelThe Rein da Medel is the longest headwater of the Rhine. It is located in the Swiss cantons of Ticino and Graubünden and flows trough the valleys Val Cadlimo and Val Medel. Rein da Medel is the local Sursilvan, The Rein da Medel is the longest headwater of the Rhine. It is located in the Swiss...
, 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 South East. The longest headwater front of the Vorderrhein (and thus the Rhine as a whole, see sources of the Rhine
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 . The course of this river is not particularly representative, after about two kilometers, its water is diverted...
), 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, to the West of the Lukmanier Pass
Lukmanier Pass
Lukmanier Pass is a pass in the Swiss Alps.The road from Disentis/Mustér in the canton of Graubünden leads through the Val Medel across the pass to the Blenio valley and Biasca in the canton of Ticino.The Pass is kept opened during the winter.-See also:* List of highest paved roads in Europe*...
.
Tourism
Thanks to its attractive scenery and some interesting passage, the Vorderrhein is a popular river for paddling and raftingRafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
, especially the section between Ilanz
Ilanz
Ilanz is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Ilanz is first mentioned in 765 as Iliande. Ilanz became the capital of the newly formed Grey League in 1395. The Grey League was the second of Three Leagues which eventually formed canton Graubünden...
and Versam
Versam
Versam is a municipality in the district of Surselva in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland.-Geography:Versam has an area, , of . Of this area, 16.8% is used for agricultural purposes, while 70.6% is forested...
.
Along entire length of the Vorderrhein there is a narrow-gauge railway line: from Chur
Chur
Chur or Coire is the capital of the Swiss canton of Graubünden and lies in the northern part of the canton.-History:The name "chur" derives perhaps from the Celtic kora or koria, meaning "tribe", or from the Latin curia....
to Disentis there is a line of the Rhätische Bahn. From Disentis, the Furka-Oberalp line of the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn
The Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn is a narrow gauge railway in Switzerland. The track width is . It was created in 2003 through an amalgamation of Furka-Oberalp-Bahn and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn . The name comes from the Matterhorn and St...
runs to the Oberalp Pass
Oberalp Pass
Oberalp Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Graubünden and Uri between Disentis and Andermatt.-Winter closure:...
and on to Andermatt
Andermatt
Andermatt is a municipality in the canton of Uri in Switzerland.With Realp and Hospental, it is located in the Urseren valley, south of Altdorf.-Geography:...
. In the Ruinaulta area, the main road runs to the North of the river, and at its highest point, at Flims
Flims
Flims is a municipality in the district of Imboden in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The town of Flims is dominated by the Flimserstein which you can see from almost anywhere in the area....
, it's about 480 metres (1,575 ft) 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.