The Main () is the longest
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
of the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, source ...
. It rises as the
White Main in the
Fichtel Mountains of northeastern
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
and flows west through central
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
for to meet the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
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, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
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, source ...
below
Rüsselsheim,
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...
. The cities of
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
and
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
are close to the confluence.
The largest cities on the Main are
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
,
Offenbach am Main and
Würzburg. It is the longest river lying entirely in Germany (if the
Weser-
Werra are considered separate).
Geography
The Main flows through the north and north-west of the
state of
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
then across southern
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...
; against the latter it demarcates a third state,
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
, east and west of
Wertheim am Main, the northernmost town of that state.
The upper end of its
basin opposes that of the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
where the watershed is recognised by natural biologists, sea salinity studies (and hydrology science more broadly) as the
European Watershed.
The Main begins near
Kulmbach in
Franconia
Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch'').
The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper ...
at the joining of its two headstreams, the
Red Main (''Roter Main'') and the
White Main (''Weißer Main''). The Red Main originates in the
Franconian Jura mountain range, in length, and runs through
Creussen and
Bayreuth. The White Main originates in the mountains of the
Fichtelgebirge; it is long. In its upper and middle section, the Main runs through the valleys of the German Highlands. Its lower section crosses the Lower Main Lowlands (
Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin
The Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin is a subbasin of the Upper Rhine Graben southeast of Frankfurt am Main (Hesse, Bavaria, Germany).
Location
The Hanau-Seligenstadt Basin is located in the eastern part of the Lower Main lowlands. The river Main ...
and northern
Upper Rhine Plain) to
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
, where it discharges into the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, source ...
. Major tributaries of the Main are the
Regnitz, the
Franconian Saale, the
Tauber, and the
Nidda.
The name ''Main'' originates from
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
''Moenis'', ''Moenus'' or ''Menus''. It is not related to the name of the city
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
(Latin: ''Mogontiacum'' or ''Moguntiacum'').
Navigation
The Main is navigable for shipping from its mouth at the Rhine close to Mainz for to
Bamberg. Since 1992, the Main has been connected to the Danube via the
Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the highly regulated
Altmühl river. The Main has been canalized with 34 large locks () to allow
CEMT class
The Classification of European Inland Waterways is a set of standards for interoperability of large navigable waterways forming part of the Trans-European Inland Waterway network within Continental Europe and Russia. It was created by the European ...
V vessels () to navigate the total length of the river. The 16 locks in the adjacent Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the Danube itself are of the same dimensions.
Weirs and locks
There are 34 weirs and locks along the 380 km navigable portion of the Main, from the confluence with the Regnitz near Bamberg, to the Rhine.
* No.: Number of the lock (from upstream to downstream).
* Name: Name of the lock.
* Location: City or town where the lock is located.
* Year built: Year when the lock was put into operation (replacement dates are also listed where applicable).
* Main-km: Location on the Main, measured from the 0 km stone in Mainz-Kostheim. The reference point is the center of the lock or lock group.
* Distance between locks: length in km of impoundment (between adjacent locks).
* Altitude: height in meters above mean sea level of the upper water at normal levels.
* Height: Height of the dam in meters (the height of the Kostheim lock depends on the water level of the Rhine).
* Lock length: Usable length of the lock chamber in meters.
* Lock width: Usable width of the lock chamber in meters.
Hydroelectric power generation
Most of the weirs or dams along the Main also have turbines for power generation.
* No.: Number of the dam/weir (from upstream to downstream).
* Name: Name of the dam/weir.
* Height: Height of the dam/weir in meters (the height of the Kostheim dam depends on the water level of the Rhine).
* Power: Maximum power generation capacity in megawatts.
* Turbines: Type and number of turbines.
* Operator: Operator of the hydroelectric plant.
Tributaries
Tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drain ...
from source to mouth:
Left
*
Regnitz
*
Tauber
*
Mümling
The Mümling is a river of Hesse and Bavaria, Germany. It is long and lends its name to the Mümlingtal (Mümling valley) in Odenwald. In Bavaria it is sometimes called Mömling in official documents. It is a left tributary of the Main.
Etymol ...
Right
*
Rodach (Main)
Rodach is a river of Bavaria, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Main, which it joins near Hochstadt am Main. Its largest tributaries are the Wilde Rodach, Haßlach and Steinach.
See also
*List of rivers of Bavaria
A list of rivers of ...
*
Itz
*
Franconian Saale
*
Aschaff
The Aschaff (in its uppermost course: ''Kleinaschaff'') is a river in the northern Spessart in Bavaria, Germany.
It is a right tributary of the Main and is long. It begins at the Aschaffquelle near Waldaschaff. Loosely translated the name Asch ...
*
Kahl
*
Kinzig
*
Nidda
File:Mainfest Frankfurt.jpg, The Main in Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
at night
Image:Offenbach 4.jpg, Main in Offenbach am Main
Image:Mainspitze fg01.JPG, Confluence into the Rhine at Mainz-Kostheim
Mainz-Kostheim is a district administered by the city of Wiesbaden, Germany. Its population is 14,381 (). Mainz-Kostheim was formerly a district of the city of Mainz, until the public administration by the city of Wiesbaden was decided on 10 Aug ...
Ports and municipalities
Around Frankfurt are several large inland ports. Because the river is rather narrow on many of the upper reaches, navigation with larger vessels and push convoys requires great skill.
The largest cities along the Main are
Frankfurt am Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...
,
Offenbach am Main and
Würzburg. The Main also passes the following towns:
Burgkunstadt,
Lichtenfels,
Bad Staffelstein
Bad Staffelstein is a small town in the Bavarian Administrative Region of Upper Franconia in Germany. It has around 10,000 inhabitants.
Bad Staffelstein is known for several landmarks, such as the Basilica of the Vierzehnheiligen designed by B ...
,
Eltmann
Eltmann () is a town of 5256 inhabitants (in the Haßberge district of Lower Franconia, in Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the south bank of the Main river, west of Bamberg. It comprises the town proper, and its outlying districts, Dippach, Eschen ...
,
Haßfurt
Haßfurt (; English: Hassfurt) is a town in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the Haßberge district. It is situated on the river Main, 20 km east of Schweinfurt and 30 km northwest of Bamberg. In 1852, Ludwig's Western Railway reached the ...
,
Schweinfurt,
Volkach,
Kitzingen
Kitzingen () is a town in the German state of Bavaria, capital of the district Kitzingen. It is part of the Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants. Surrounded by vineyards, Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer ...
,
Marktbreit
Marktbreit am Main () is a town in the district of Kitzingen in the Regierungsbezirk Unterfranken in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated at the most southern point of the Main river. Marktbreit is the birthplace of Alois Alzheimer who first identi ...
,
Ochsenfurt,
Karlstadt,
Gemünden,
Lohr,
Marktheidenfeld,
Wertheim,
Miltenberg,
Obernburg,
Erlenbach/Main,
Aschaffenburg,
Seligenstadt,
Hainburg,
Hanau,
Hattersheim,
Flörsheim, and
Rüsselsheim.
The river has gained enormous importance as a vital part of European "
Corridor VII", the inland waterway link from
the North Sea to the
Black Sea.
Main line
In a historical and political sense, the Main line is referred to as the northern border of
Southern Germany, with its predominantly
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
population. The river roughly marked the southern border of the
North German Federation
The North German Confederation (german: Norddeutscher Bund) was initially a German military alliance established in August 1866 under the leadership of the Kingdom of Prussia, which was transformed in the subsequent year into a confederated st ...
, established in 1867 under
Prussian leadership as the predecessor of the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
.
The river course also corresponds with the
Speyer line isogloss between
Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
and
Upper German dialects, sometimes mocked as ''
Weißwurstäquator''.
Recreation
The
Main-Radweg is a major German bicycle path alongside the river. Approximately , it is the first long-distance instance awarded 5 stars by the General German Bicycle Club (
ADFC) in 2008. It starts from
Creußen or
Bischofsgrün
Bischofsgrün is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany.
Bischofsgrün is situated within the Fichtelgebirge mountain range between the range's two largest mountains; Schneeberg (1051 m) and the Ochsenkopf (1024 m). T ...
and ends in
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
.
Sights
*
Roman camp at Marktbreit
Notes and references
;Footnotes
;Citations
Bibliography
* Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (ed.), Main und Meer - Porträt eines Flusses. Exhibition Catalogue to the Bayerische Landesausstellung 2013 (German). WBG. .
External links
''Main River''Website on the River Main by the Tourist Board of Franconia.
*
*
*
Water levels of Bavarian riversMain CyclewayHistorical map of the Main confluence at Steinenhausenfrom ''BayernAtlas''
{{Authority control
Rivers of Hesse
Rivers of Bavaria
Rivers of Baden-Württemberg
Geography of Frankfurt
Federal waterways in Germany
Rivers of Germany