AOL Web Search

Rhine River, German Rhein, French Rhin, Dutch Rijn, Celtic Renos, Latin Rhenus, river and waterway of western Europe, culturally and historically one of the great rivers of the continent and among the most important arteries of industrial transport in the world.

When the Western Roman Empire disintegrated, the Rhine was crossed along its entire length by Germanic tribes (406 ce ), and the river formed the central backbone first of the kingdom of the Franks and then of the Carolingian empire.

The Rhine River is Europe’s 12th longest river and the longest in Western and Central Europe, covering a distance of 1,230 kilometers from its source in Switzerland to its mouth in the Netherlands. It discharges an average of 2,900 cubic meters of water per second and a maximum of 13,000 cubic meters per second.

Term. The Rhine Province (green) as of 1830 superimposed on modern borders. Historically, the Rhinelands [1] refers (physically speaking) to a loosely defined region embracing the land on the banks of the Rhine in Central Europe, which were settled by Ripuarian and Salian Franks and became part of Frankish Austrasia.

The Rhine is grammatically male in Latin, French, German and Dutch, and personified as a male river deity (Rhenus Pater or "Father Rhine") in art. The Rhine has both connected and divided Europeans through the centuries. For the Roman Empire, it became part of the Limes Germanicus; Roman rule of land north of the Rhine was short. Since then it ...

Rhine River Cruises. Raise a glass of Riesling to our acclaimed Rhine River cruises through Switzerland, Germany and The Netherlands. See how the Rhine, Main and Moselle river systems unfold to create a spellbinding display of storybook villages, Dutch windmills, German vineyards and Gothic cities.

At 1230km (764 miles) long, the Rhine River is second only to the Danube for the title of longest river in Europe. As for the most romantic, in Germany, nothing beats the Rhine, inspiration for many an epic poem or novel. There are many adorable towns and villages nestled in the twists and turns of the River as it makes its way from the Swiss ...

Rhine: Glide through countries rich in history and spellbinding beauty. River: Explore fairytale castles and vineyards along the riverbanks. Cruise ship: Cruise and discover the sights, sounds and flavours of Europe. River cruise: Stretch your legs and explore the stunning riverside towns.