The Importance of the Central Rhine Valley
For 2000 years, the Rhine was the most important traffic channel between northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Not just for the trading of goods and merchandise, but also for the exchange of technical, artistic and cultural experiences and knowledge. The Rhine Valley had become a tourist attraction as early as the 19th century, and has remained so ever since. In 2002, the stretch between Bingen and Koblenz was declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by Unesco.
The Central Rhine Valley owes its appeal to its unique location between sheer cliffs, steep vineyards, green forests, castles, picturesque villages, and imposing Middle Age buildings.
The Rhine is fed by three source rivers in Switzerland that flow into Lake Constance. At the lake’s most westerly corner, the river flows out and on to Basel and then northwards. Its total length is 1,230 kilometres, and together with the River Maas in Holland it forms an extended delta that flows into the North Sea.
Situated in the heart of Europe, this area mirrors like no other the history of the western world.
The Rhine is also known as Germany’s ‘river of destiny’, because for more than 2000 years it has repeatedly been an area of conflict and war. Only after World War 2 and a lasting peace between France and Germany did it become the foundation for European union.
The Romans settled the area between the first century BC until around 400 AD. They built bridges and streets, forts and the limes (fortifications) that formed the border towards the south-east. They fostered river traffic on the Rhine, viticulture and farming.