Vorderrhein

Vorderrhein Anterior Rhine
Canton of Graubünden
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Lai Urlaun
• coordinates	46°37′34″N 8°41′04″E / 46.62611°N 8.68444°E / 46.62611; 8.68444
Reichenau
• coordinates	46°49′24″N 9°24′28″E / 46.82333°N 9.40778°E / 46.82333; 9.40778
• elevation	585 m (1,919 ft)
Length	76 km (47 mi)
Basin size	1,512 km2 (584 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	53.8 m3/s (1,900 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Rhine→ North Sea

The Vorderrhein (German:

.

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

.

The largest communities along the Vorderrhein are Disentis and Ilanz.

Course

The Vorderrhein flows mostly in an east-northeast direction, through the

, it joins the Hinterrhein to form the (Alpine) Rhine.

Headwaters

Some of the

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
• Lai da Tuma
  and the main head of the lake, about 71 kilometres (44 mi)
• The Aua da Val from the Val valley (70 km)
• Rein da Maighels (75 km) (tributary of the Rein da Curnera)
• Rein da Curnera (about 74 km)
• Rein da Nalps (about 71 km)
• canton of Ticino
  are known as the Reno di Medel, and also as the Froda (about 76 km)

Thus, the longer arms are not the source at Oberalppass, but further southeast. The longest headwater of the Vorderrhein (and thus the Rhine as a whole; see

.

The high point of the Vorderrhein's drainage basin is the

Piz Russein of the Tödi massif of the Glarus Alps at 3,613 metres (11,854 ft) above sea level. It starts with the creek Aua da Russein (lit.: "Water of the Russein").^[2]

Tourism

Thanks to its attractive scenery and some interesting passages, the Vorderrhein is a popular river for paddling and rafting, especially the section between Ilanz and Versam.

Along entire length of the Vorderrhein there is a narrow-gauge railway line: from

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 480 metres (1,575 ft) above the Rhine.

The Senda Sursilvana, a hiking trail, leads from the Oberalp Pass along the Vorderrhein in the direction of Chur.[3]

Gallery

• 
  Vorderrhein and

  PostAuto stop in Versam
• 
  Vorderrhein and Ruinaulta as seen from Zault Observation Deck in Bonaduz

Footnotes

1. ^ "Trial version of the Atlas of Switzerland with flashing rivers". Archived from the original on 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
2. ISBN 978-3-302-01193-6
   . Retrieved 2018-02-28 – via map.geo.admin.ch.
3. ^ Hiking Switzerland on the Senda Sursilvana in Graubünden

External links

• Natural Monument Ruinaulta
• flow description for water rides