Alter Rhein in the context of "Lake Constance"

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⭐ Core Definition: Alter Rhein

The Alter Rhein (German pronunciation: [ˈaltɐ ˈʁaɪ̯n] ; German for Old Rhine) is the old river bed of the Alpine Rhine in St. Gallen and Vorarlberg in the Alpine Rhine Valley, which was cut off when the Rhine was straightened during the 20th century. These cut-off arms have become valuable recreational areas and a nature reserve.

In 1900, the short-cut at Fussach was completed, linking the natural course of the Rhine just upstream of Höchst and St. Margrethen directly to a new outflow into Lake Constance. The old river course downstream of this point, via Rheineck to Altenrhein on the shore of Lake Constance, became known as the Alter Rhein and continues to form the border between Austria and Switzerland. The arm is navigable from the lake to Rheineck, and is used by the Swiss shipping services (Schweizerische Bodensee-Schifffahrt [de]) on the lake to reach landing stages adjacent to Rheineck railway station.

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👉 Alter Rhein in the context of Lake Constance

Lake Constance (German: Bodensee, pronounced [ˈboːdn̩zeː] ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (Obersee), Lower Lake Constance (Untersee), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (lit. 'Rhine of the lake(s)'). These waterbodies lie within the Lake Constance Basin (Bodenseebecken) in the Alpine Foreland through which the Rhine flows. The nearby Mindelsee is not considered part of Lake Constance.The lake is situated where Germany, Switzerland, and Austria meet. Its shorelines lie in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria; the Swiss cantons of St. Gallen, Thurgau, and Schaffhausen; and the Austrian state of Vorarlberg. The actual locations of the country borders within the lake are disputed, with Austria, Germany and Switzerland all holding different opinions on the matter.

The Alpine Rhine forms, in its original course (Alter Rhein), the Austro-Swiss border and flows into the lake from the south. The High Rhine flows westbound out of the lake and forms (with the exception of the Canton of Schaffhausen, Rafzerfeld and Basel-Stadt) the German-Swiss border as far as to the city of Basel. The Leiblach forms the Austria–Germany border east of the lake.

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Alter Rhein in the context of Austria–Switzerland border

The border between the modern states of Austria and Switzerland is divided into two parts, separated by the Principality of Liechtenstein, with a total length of 180 km (110 mi). The longer, southern stretch runs across the Grison Alps and the shorter one following mostly the Alpine Rhine (which was straightened), except near Diepoldsau and between Lustenau and Lake Constance, where it follows the Old Rhine bed. The border continues northward to the Austrian-Swiss-German tripoint located within Upper Lake Constance.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Austria–Switzerland border ← Lake Constance
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Alpine Rhine → Canton of St. Gallen → Vorarlberg → Alpine Rhine Valley → Höchst, Austria → St. Margrethen → Lake Constance → Rheineck → Altenrhein → Austria → Switzerland → Rheineck railway station →