Main River

The Main (pronounced in German like the English word mine) is a river in Germany, 524 km (341 miles) long and one of the more significant tributaries of the Rhine river. It flows through the German states of Bavaria, Baden-Wurttenmberg (forming the border to Bavaria for some miles) and Hessen. Its catchment basin competes with the Danube for water; as a result, much of its boundaries are identical with those of the European Watershed.

The Main is formed near Kulmbach by the joining of its two headstreams, the Red Main and the White Main. The former rises from the Frankish Alb, 50 km in length, and runs through Creussen and Bayreuth. The latter's source is located in the mountains of the Fichtelgebirge; it is 41 km long. Major tributaries of the Main are the Regnitz, the Frankische Saale, the Tauber, and the Nidda River.

The largest city along the Main is Frankfurt am Main (ford of the Franks). After the junction of its headstreams, the Main passes the following towns and cities: Burgkunstadt, Lichtenfels, Staffelstein, Schweinfurt, Volkach, Kitzingen, Markbreit, Ochsenfurt, Wurzburg, Karlstadt, Gemunden, Lohr, Marktheidenfeld, Wertheim, Miltenberg, Obernburg, Aschaffenburg, Seligenstadt, Hanau, Offenbach, Frankfurt, Hattersheim, Florsheim, Russelsheim. By the time it flows into the Rhine opposite Mainz, it is a formidable river.

Extensive works have made the Main navigable for river shipping from its mouth at the Rhine, via the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal and the highly regulated Altmuhal river, all the way to the Danube. The river has been canalized with 34 large locks (300 m X 12 m) to allow vessels of so-called CEMT class V (110 m X 11.45 m) to navigate the total length of the river. The 16 locks in the adjacent Rhine-Main-Danube Canal are of the same dimensions as are the locks on the Danube.

The river's mouth is 384 km away from the junction with the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal. The winding course is the main reason for this considerable length; if the river were straight, it would be probably less than half its current length. Because the river is rather narrow for much of the upstream stretches, navigation with the larger vessels and push convoys that navigate it require great skill. The river has gained enormus importance as a vital part of European "Corridor VII", the inland waterway link from the North Sea to the Black Sea.

Locks on the busy Main