The Rench is an eastern tributary of the
Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
in the
Ortenau
The Ortenau (), originally called Mortenau, is a historic region in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the right bank of the river Rhine, stretching from the Upper Rhine Plain to the foothill zone of the Black F ...
in
Central Baden,
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 north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It rises on the southern edge of the
Northern Black Forest
The Northern Black Forest () refers to the northern third of the Black Forest in Germany or, less commonly today, to the northern half of this mountain region.
Geography
The Northern Black Forest is bounded in the north by a line from Karlsruh ...
at
Kniebis near
Bad Griesbach im Schwarzwald. The source farthest from the mouth is that of the ''Schöngrundbächle'' which rises at a height of around in the parish of
Zuflucht. After flowing through its steep mountainside ''
klinge'' it is joined by other streams to form, first, the Old (''Alter''), then the Wild Rench (''Wilder Rench''), which first becomes the Rench below Bad Griesbach. The Rench runs in a prominent southerly arc through the
Central Black Forest and crosses the hilly region of Ortenau with its orchards and vineyards before breaking out into the Rhine Plain. After just under 57 km it, together with the
Mühlbach,
confluences with the Rhine at 314.7 km between
Helmlingen (
Rheinau) and
Lichtenau.
The upper Rench valley around
Bad Peterstal-Griesbach initially cuts into the forested
bunter sandstone plateau before entering a more open, very steep rugged valley, near the town of
Oppenau
Oppenau () is a city located in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It has a population of 4,700 inhabitants.
Geography
Oppenau is situated in the Rench valley in the Black Forest. The nearest major cities are Offenburg and Freudenstadt.
...
. There it is joined from the east by the
Lierbach, well known for the
All Saints Waterfalls
The All Saints Waterfalls () are located in the Black Forest on the territory of the town of Oppenau in the German state of Baden-Württemberg at an elevation of about . The Lierbach stream, also called the Grindenbach, cascades, as a natural ...
.
In
Lautenbach the valley abruptly broadens into the
Foothill Zone with the town of
Oberkirch at the foot of the vineyards and the little town of
Renchen.
The
B 28 federal road, long an important route through the Black Forest, runs through the Rench valley linking the
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
area with the upper
Neckar
The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar ...
region. It climbs steeply above Bad Griesbach in hairpin bends to the
Alexanderschanze (968 m). The
Rench Valley Railway starts at
Appenweier
Appenweier () is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany in the district of Ortenau.
Geography
Appenweier consists of the main municipal Appenweier (4,075 inhabitants), Urloffen (4,301 inhabitants), kn ...
and runs as far as
Bad Griesbach. It has also contributed to the development of the thermal baths in the Rench valley, which had already been established in the 16th century in Bad Griesbach, but which soon extended to Bad Antogast near Oppenau (especially for the nobility), Bad Peterstal and Bad Freiersbach (today part of Bad Peterstal-Griesbach).
The "Rench Flood Canal" was built between 1936 and 1953 at the
Acher Rench Correction to divert floodwaters. It branches off the Rench at
Erlach, picks up the
Acher Canal at Rheinau and merges with the actual Rench at
Memprechtshofen.
Gallery
File:Rench river in Oppenau.JPG, The Rench in Oppenau
File:Rench Helmlingen 2.jpg, The Rench near Helmlingen at low water
File:Rench Helmlingen.jpg, The Rench in riparian woods near Helmlingen
File:Renchmündung.jpg, Confluence of the Rench and the Rhine
See also
*
Rench Valley Trail
*
Rench Valley Railway
*
Rench (name)
References
External links
* "LUBW-BRSWEB":
* , especially the map sections and layers
** the
Landesanstalt für Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Württemberg (LUBW)
*** "LUBW-FG10": Rivers, 1:10,000 scale
*** "LUBW-SG10": Lakes and reservoirs, 1:10,000 scale
*** "LUBW-GEZG": Catchments
Map of the Rench from source to mouthat
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap (abbreviated OSM) is a free, Open Database License, open geographic database, map database updated and maintained by a community of volunteers via open collaboration. Contributors collect data from surveying, surveys, trace from Ae ...
{{Authority control
Rivers of Baden-Württemberg
Rivers of the Black Forest
Rivers of Germany