Where the Rhines Meet: A Hydrological Walk Around Reichenau
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About the Tour
About the Tour
Reichenau has long played an important role in connecting the North and South of Switzerland.
On this walking tour, you’ll discover how the Vorderrhein and the Hinterrhein rivers flow together to form the Alpine Rhine. This triangle of three historic bridges leading over the confluence in Reichenau is definitely worth a visit.
Our tour starts in the center of the village next to the World Water Library, an interactive center with an exhibition and books on water. From there, you’ll pass the castle of Reichenau and cross the three historic bridges while learning about their long history. You’ll hear about the relevance of the rivers in the past and the present, as well as the opportunities and challenges they may bring in the future.
The tour ends back at the World Water Library, where you can spend time exploring the exhibits, or enjoy the rest of the peaceful village of Reichenau and its nature.
On this 40-minute tour, you’ll have a chance to:
- Enjoy amazing views of clear water while discovering the ecosystem along the riverside
- Learn how hydrologists make use of data collected by citizen scientists on a mobile app
- Walk across sandbanks and understand how meanders of rivers are formed
- Get to know the history of Reichenau and the importance of the rivers for the region
- Look for traces of beavers, which have made a comeback after being extinct in Switzerland
- Hear the advantages and challenges of hydropower production
- Discover the history of the Rhaetian Railway and its UNESCO World Heritage
This tour introduces you to the confluence of the rivers in Reichenau and is fun for first-time visitors as well as water enthusiasts. There are many beautiful locations where you can take a break along the way.
If you want to learn more about water in Switzerland, you might be interested in these excursions and courses:
- World Water Library
- CrowdWater App
- TectonicArena Sardona
- VoiceMap Tour in Zurich
- VoiceMap Tour in Baden
- VoiceMap Tour in Bern
- Actionbound Excursion «Water in Zurich». More information on the excursion can be found here
- Actionbound Excursion «Water in Baden. More information on the excursion can be found here.
- Actionbound Bike excursion «Jura Water Correction»
- Online course (MOOC) «Water in Switzerland»
- Online course (MOOC) «CrowdWater»
Credits: Meret Vogler, Franziska Clerc-Schwarzenbach, Vera Linder, Jan Seibert, Ernst Bromeis, Ilja van Meerveld
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
We are the hydrology and climate group of the University of Zurich. Our main research interest is catchment hydrology and climate impacts on water resources. We do experimental field studies as well as hydrological modelling for our research. In our teaching, we give lectures and seminars, we go on field trips, and do hands-on exercises.
Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 22
Conclusion: First Rhine Bridge
We are now crossing the first Rhine bridge. You already heard that at the end of the 14th century, a first bridge was constructed here and became an important connection between the North and South of Switzerlan... Read More
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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World Water Library
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Schloss Reichenau
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Vorderrhein
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Hinterrhein
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Rheinbrücke
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationReichenauerstrasse 59, 7015 Reichenau GR, Switzerland
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Total distance2km
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Final locationE43, 7013 Domat/Ems, Switzerland
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Distance back to start location156.84m
Directions to Starting Point
This tour starts near the entrance of the World Water Library, which is located next to the Castle of Reichenau.
By public transport: Take the train to the train station of Reichenau-Tamins and follow the main street towards the village of Reichenau for about five minutes. After crossing the bridge over the Alpine Rhein, you reach the World Water Library on your right-hand side. Another option is to take the bus to the Adler station in Reichenau-Tamins, which is just 100 meters from the starting point of the tour.
By car: You can either park your car at the train station and walk five minutes to the starting point of our tour or look for one of the public parking lots near the Castle of Reichenau.
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Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
We recommend visiting the World Water Library before or after this tour.
https://www.weltwasserbibliothek.ch/en/startseite-english/
If you would like to take a break in a restaurant, we recommend the “Bahnhöfli” at the train station.
To further explore the area, you can take a short train ride to Trin (6 minutes) or Versam (12 minutes). Both places are especially beautiful in the summer and a great spot to enjoy a meal directly by the Rhine.
Best time of day
It is recommended to do the tour during daytime, to have a better view and find the small paths easily. Make sure that you don’t do the tour during or after a period of heavy rainfall, as the pathway along the shore could be flooded.
Precautions
Please be careful around the rivers, especially when walking along the riverside or exploring the sandbanks. Take care when crossing bridges and streets. Don’t forget to take sunscreen or an umbrella with you, depending on the weather conditions. You can download the CrowdWater app beforehand if you don’t have an internet connection during the tour and would like to participate in the citizen science project. You can find the link and more information in the tour description. Insurance is the participant's responsibility.
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