Kromme Rijn

Kromme Rijn Crooked Rhine
Location of Kromme Rijn in dark blue.
Location
Country	Netherlands
Province	Utrecht
Physical characteristics
Source	Nederrijn
• location	Wijk bij Duurstede,Utrecht
• coordinates	51°58′15″N5°21′06″E
Mouth	Leidse Rijn
• location	Utrecht,Utrecht
• coordinates	52°04′52.5″N5°07′31″E
Length	28 km (17 mi)

TheKromme Rijn(Dutch pronunciation:[ˈkrɔməˈrɛin]) ( "Crooked Rhine", for itsmany bends) is a river in the centralNetherlands.

InRomantimes, this northernmost branch of theRhinedeltawas the main distributary of this major European river. Along its banks the Romans built their frontiercastellapart of theLimes Germanicus.

Since theMiddle Ages,however, the stream lost its importance as it silted up, and eventually it is nearly cut off from theNederrijn-Lekmain artery. Yet it retained the name "Rhine".

The Kromme Rijn splits off the Nederrijn-Lek main artery at the old town ofWijk bij Duurstede(calledDorestadin the early medieval period), after which it twists and turns through theprovinceofUtrecht,past the towns ofCothen,Werkhoven,OdijkandBunnik,and ends in themoatof the city ofUtrecht.

Originally, the city of Utrecht was built by the Romans at afordnear the place where the Kromme Rijn forks into riversVecht(north) andLeidse Rijn(west); the last stretch within thecity walls,however, waschannelisedto form theOudegrachtcanal.Rivers Leidse Rijn and Vecht extend from the city moat and are the continuation of the Kromme Rijn.

Satellite image of the central part of theRhine–Meuse–Scheldt deltashowing the city of Utrecht and its surroundings, including the Kromme Rijn branch (b), which forks from the Nederrijn-Lek main artery at Wijk bij Duurstede (just outside this image, to the east of the rightmost number2).

The Kromme Rijn in Utrecht