The Erlenbach is a 34.2 km long, left tributary of the Michelsbach in the German state of

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...

Course

The Erlenbach rises in the South Palatine

Wasgau The Wasgau (, ) is a France, Franco-Germany, German Mountain range, hill range in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the French departments of France, departments of Bas-Rhin and Moselle (department), Moselle. It is formed from the south ...

region, the southern part of the

Palatine Forest The Palatinate Forest (; ), sometimes also called the Palatine Forest, is a low-mountain region in southwestern Germany, located in the Palatinate in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The forest is a designated nature park () covering 1,771&n ...

, in the municipality of

Birkenhördt Birkenhördt is a municipality in the Südliche Weinstraße district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, and is an officially recognized tourist resort. Geography Birkenhördt lies in the Wasgau, which is composed of the southern part of the Pa ...

. It flows eastwards and leaves the Palatine Forest near

Bad Bergzabern Bad Bergzabern () is a municipality in the Südliche Weinstraße district, on the German Wine Route in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated near the border with France, on the south-eastern edge of the Palatinate forest, approximately s ...

, where it breaks through the Forest's its eastern perimeter, the Haardt. Next it flows through Kapellen-Drusweiler,

Oberhausen Oberhausen (, ) is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen ( ). The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Rout ...

, Barbelroth and Winden, before forming the boundary between

Kandel Kandel () is a town in the Germersheim (district), Germersheim district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France and approximately 18 km north-west of Karlsruhe, and 15 km south-east of Landau. Kandel is twinned wi ...

and Erlenbach, then

Hatzenbühl Hatzenbühl is a municipality in the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the nor ...

. After it passes Rheinzabern and Neupotz, it unites in

Leimersheim Leimersheim is a municipality in the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. History In the early 18th century, there were two Jewish families living in Leimersheim, and by the early 19th century, there were ten families. By 1 ...

with the Otterbach, coming from the right, to empty into the Michelsbach. The Michelsbach consists of several former Old Rhine loops and discharges into the Rhine itself at Sondernheim after running parallel to the Rhine for 10 km.

References

{{Reflist Rivers of Rhineland-Palatinate South Palatinate Anterior Palatinate Rivers and lakes of the Palatinate Forest Rivers of Germany