Rhine River

The Rhine is one of Europe's major rivers. The river starts in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps, passes across the Swiss-Liechtenstein, Swiss-Austrian, Swiss-German, and then Franco-German borders, then flows largely north through the German Rhineland and the Netherlands until emptying into the North Sea. With a length of around 1,230 km (760 mi) and an average discharge of about 2,900 m3/s (100,000 cu ft/s), it is the second-longest river in Central and Western Europe (after the Danube).

The Rhine and the Danube formed a large part of the Roman Empire's northern inland border, and the Rhine has long been a major navigable waterway for moving trade and supplies deep inland. Its importance as a waterway in the Holy Roman Empire is evidenced by the numerous castles and fortifications built along it. Cologne, Düsseldorf, Rotterdam, Strasbourg, and Basel are among the Rhine's largest and most important cities.

The Rhine River is also a symbol of German culture. In the nineteenth century, it was a significant emblem of German nationalism. The Rhine was the scene for Das Rheingold, the first opera of Richard Wagner's iconic three-part epic, Der Ring des Nibelungen (you may be familiar with the song "Ride of the Valkyries" from this epic-opera). The Rhine River is where the Rhinemaidens guard their gold hoard in Wagner's opera.

Length: 1230 km