At over 1000 kilometres in length, the Rhine is the longest river primarily within
Germany. It is here that the Rhine encounters some of its main tributaries, such as the
Neckar, the
Main and later the
Moselle, which contributes an average discharge of over 300 cubic meters per second.
Between
Bingen and
Bonn, the
Middle Rhine flows through the
Rhine Gorge, a formation created by erosion, which happened at about the same rate as an
uplift in the region, leaving the river at about its original level, and the surrounding lands raised. This gorge is quite deep, and is the stretch of the river known for its many
castles and
vineyards. It is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site (2002) and known as "the romantic Rhine" with more than 40 castles and fortresses from the
Middle Ages (see links) and many lovely wine villages.
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