 Regions of Alsace :
Rhine region
A natural border between Alsace and the German region of Baden-Wurtenberg, the Rhine River has been, since the Romans, a major trade route between the two countries and more importantly between Eastern and Western Europe.
Since 1840, the Rhine has undergone modifications and development so to protect certain populations from floods, to expand the agriculture in the area and to give a boost to commercial river navigation.
The Rhine, like all mighty rivers, is not easy to tame due to the different phases of work and development between the cities of Lauterbourg and Bâle since 1840. From 1842 to 1876 as shown on the blueprints of the German engineer Colonel Tulla, the meanders are cut, branches are filled in, and dikes are built in order to condense the Rhine’s flow. In turn, all these modifications shorten the river by about twenty kilometers, but bring about a rise in the river’s swiftness, terrible erosion and difficulties in navigating.
Places of interest :
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Starting in 1907 and continuing till 1950, jetties are constructed in the riverbed from Lauterbourg to Bâle so to calm the current and stabilize the erosion.
Since 1924, the ports of Strasbourg and Bâle have been key players in the trade commerce on the Rhine. Thanks to the Versailles Treaty in 1919, René Koechlin's dreams for a canal parallel to the Rhine are carried out; and from 1928 to 1959 France builds the "Grand Canal d’Alsace".
The Rhine offers, of course, a large palette of river cruises (lien sur page croisières individuelles de alsace accueil).
The treasures of the Ried Region, the beauty of the Hardt Forest and the growing number of natural reserves along the Rhine will enchant any visitor. Maybe Alsace's industry doesn't interest the typical visitor at first glance, but its impressive structures (dams, locks... ) eventually attract many eyes.
For more information on the Rhine River, click here.
Adaptation and Translation:
Sarah BROSSART-TARDIVON
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