View source for Hinterrhein (river)

{{Short description|River in Switzerland}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2008}}
{{Infobox river
  | name              = {{lang|de|Hinterrhein}}
  | native_name       = {{native name list
                        |tag1=mis|name1=Ragn Posteriur|paren1=omit|postfix1=&nbsp;&nbsp;([[Sutsilvan]])
                        |tag2=mis|name2=Rein Posteriur|paren2=omit|postfix2=&nbsp;&nbsp;([[Sursilvan]])
                        |tag3=mis|name3=Rain Posteriur|paren3=omit|postfix3=&nbsp;&nbsp;([[Rumantsch Grischun]])
                        |tag4=de|name4=Hinterrhein
                        }}
  | name_other        = Posterior Rhine
  | image             = HINTERH.jpg
  | image_size        = 
  | image_caption     = The ''Hinterrhein'' southwest of [[Splügen]]
  | map               = Karte Alpenrhein.png
  | map_size          = 
  | map_alt           =
  | map_caption       = 
  | source1_location  = 
  | source1_coordinates= {{coord|46|29|55|N|9|3|45|E|name=Hinterrhein source}}
  | mouth_location    = 
  | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|46|49|24|N|9|24|28|E|name=Hinterrhein mouth|display=inline,title}}
  | subdivision_type1 = Country
  | subdivision_name1 = [[Switzerland]]
  | subdivision_type2 = [[Cantons of Switzerland|Canton]]
  | subdivision_name2 = [[Grisons]]
  | progression       = {{RRhine}}
  | length            = {{convert|64|km|mi|abbr=on}}
  | source1_elevation = {{convert|2400|m|ft|abbr=on}}
  | mouth_elevation   = {{convert|585|m|ft|abbr=on}}
  | discharge1_avg    = {{convert|59.6|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}<ref name=MQ>Hydrologischer Atlas der Schweiz 2002, Tab. 5.4 ''Natürliche Abflüsse 1961-1980'' (natural discharges) ([http://www.hydrologie.unibe.ch/hades/hades/tafel_54.html see map])</ref>
  | basin_size        = {{convert|1693|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
  | river_system      = Rhine
  | tributaries_left  =
  | tributaries_right = [[Ragn da Ferrera]], [[Albula (river)|Albula/Alvra]]
  | waterbodies       = [[Sufner See]]
}}
The '''Hinterrhein''' ({{IPA|de|ˈhɪntɐˌʁaɪn|lang|De-Hinterrhein.ogg}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Sutsilvan]]|Ragn Posteriur}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Sursilvan]]|Rein Posteriur}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Rumantsch Grischun]], [[Vallader]], and [[Puter]]|Rain Posteriur}}; {{langx|rm|label=[[Surmiran]]|Ragn posteriour}}; {{langx|it|Reno Posteriore}}), or '''Posterior Rhine''', is the right of the two initial [[tributaries]] of the [[Rhine]] (the other being the  ''[[Vorderrhein]]''). It is located in the [[Cantons of Switzerland|canton]] of [[Grisons]] ({{lang|de|Graubünden}}), [[Switzerland]]. One of its upper tributaries is {{lang|it|Reno di Lei}}, which is the outflow of [[Lago di Lei]] located in [[Lombardy]], Italy.

Although it is shorter in length, its [[discharge (hydrology)|volume]] is larger than that of the ''Vorderrhein'' at their [[confluence]] near [[Reichenau, Switzerland|Reichenau]], after which the river is called the [[Alpine Rhine]], which flows out into [[Lake Constance]] ({{lang|de|Bodensee}}).

==Course==
[[File:Rhein-Karte2.png|thumb|left|270px|upright=1.2|<u>'''Sections of the Rhine:'''</u> {{legend|#ff7474|[[Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta]]}} {{legend|#ff8c35|[[Lower Rhine]]}} {{legend|#ffff27|[[Middle Rhine]]}} {{legend|#82b143|[[Upper Rhine]]}} {{legend|#4abbb7|[[High Rhine]]}} {{legend|#2d7cea|[[Lake Constance]] (''[[Untersee (Lake Constance)|Untersee]]'', ''[[Seerhein]]'', ''[[Obersee (Lake Constance)|Obersee]]'')}} {{legend|#ba7eff|[[Alpine Rhine]], ''[[Vorderrhein]]'', '''''Hinterrhein'''''}} {{legend|#ffffff|[[Sources of the Rhine|Rhine sources]]}}]]

Flowing from the village [[Hinterrhein, Switzerland|Hinterrhein]] near the [[San Bernardino Pass]] through the [[Rheinwald]] valley, the river flows into a gorge called [[Rofla Gorge]] ({{lang|de|Roflaschlucht}}). In this gorge, an equal-sized tributary, the [[Avers Rhine]], adds waters from the deep [[Val Ferrera]] and the very remote [[alpine pasture|alp]] of [[Avers]] and its side valley [[Lago di Lei|Valle di Lei]], located on [[Italy|Italian]] territory. Below the Rofla Gorge, the valley widens into a section called [[Schams]]. The ''Hinterrhein'' then reaches [[Andeer]], before passing through another gorge, the [[Viamala]], before arriving at [[Thusis]]. Now, another tributary of slightly bigger volume reaches the ''Hinterrhein'', the [[Albula (river)|Albula]], coming from the [[Albula Pass]], which is also the name of a [[Albula Railway|railway line]] that has become a [[UNESCO world heritage]]. The two main tributaries of the Albula are the [[Landwasser]], flowing through [[Davos]], and the [[Gelgia (river)|Gelgia]] from the [[Julier pass]] area. 

After passing [[Rothenbrunnen]] through a valley called [[Domleschg (valley)|Domleschg]] (a valley with an incredible number of castles, showing the importance of transit in the area) the ''Hinterrhein'' is again left alone from civilisation in the [[floodplain]] ''Isla Bella'' near [[Rhäzüns]], before it joins the [[Anterior Rhine]] ({{lang|de|Vorderrhein}}) at [[Reichenau, Switzerland|Reichenau]], near [[Bonaduz]].

The [[drainage basin]] of the ''Hinterrhein'' lies mostly within the canton of Grisons, with one tributary, the {{lang|it|Reno di Lei}} rising in Lombardy, Italy ([[Province of Sondrio|Sondrio]]). The nearby [[Lunghin Pass]] is the [[triple divide]] between the rivers [[Rhine]], [[Danube]] and [[Po (river)|Po]].

==Significance==
To learn about the importance of travel along the Hinterrhein, a multiday trekking route is signposted along the river from Thusis to [[Splügen]], where it turns south to [[Splügen Pass]], a historically important transit route to Italy.<ref>[http://en.graubuenden.ch/hiking-switzerland/trekking/50-via-spluga-thusis-chiavenna.html Hiking Switzerland on historical Via Spluga along Hinterrhein] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706233800/http://en.graubuenden.ch/hiking-switzerland/trekking/50-via-spluga-thusis-chiavenna.html |date=2011-07-06 }}</ref> Nowadays there is no traffic across the Splügen pass in winter, whereas the route across its age-old rival, the [[San Bernardino Pass]], was given a long [[San Bernardino (road tunnel)|road tunnel]] in 1967 that made it possible to keep the road open all year.<ref>[http://www.strassen.gr.ch/sites/dokumentation/offen.html Road closures on passes in Graubünden]</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of rivers of Switzerland]]

==References ==
{{Commons category|Hinterrhein}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Rhine Tributaries}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rivers of Switzerland]]
[[Category:Hinterrhein basin| ]]
[[Category:Rivers of Graubünden]]
[[Category:Andeer]]
[[Category:Rheinwald]]
[[Category:Schams]]
[[Category:Sufers]]
[[Category:Zillis-Reischen]]
[[Category:Rongellen]]
[[Category:Sils im Domleschg]]
[[Category:Thusis]]
[[Category:Fürstenau, Switzerland]]
[[Category:Cazis]]
[[Category:Domleschg]]
[[Category:Rothenbrunnen]]
[[Category:Rhäzüns]]
[[Category:Domat/Ems]]
[[Category:Bonaduz]]
[[Category:Tamins]]


{{Graubünden-geo-stub}}
{{Switzerland-river-stub}}