Oude Rijn (Utrecht and South Holland)

In ancient times, it was the lower part of the main River Rhine, which forked at the Betuwe into a northern branch, the Rhine, and a southern branch, the Waal. The Oude Rijn was then much wider than it is now, and tidal. During the Roman occupation, the river formed part of the northern border of the Empire. In medieval times, the River Lek became the main outlet for the Rhine, and the Oude Rijn silted up. The river was still important as a drain for the surrounding lowlands, for the clay industry, and as a transport and trade route. Ships were towed by horse and human power, using a towpath along large sections of the river, many parts of which have since been upgraded to roads or cycle paths.

Description

The city of Utrecht was founded at a ford near the fork of the Kromme Rijn into the Vecht to the north and the Oude Rijn to the west. Of the original fork, little remains today, and both Vecht and Rijn start from the city moat. For the first few kilometres of its course, the river is channelised and known as the Leidse Rijn (Leiden Rhine). It becomes the Oude Rijn after the railway bridge near Harmelen (municipality Woerden). Then it flows westward through Woerden where first the Lange Linschoten branches off to the south and then the Oude Rijn forms part of the city moats.

After Woerden, the River Grecht branches off to the north and the Oude Rijn continues through the towns of Nieuwerbrug, Bodegraven, and Zwammerdam. Here the Meije stream empties into the Oude Rijn. In Alphen aan den Rijn, the Aar Canal joins the river and the Gouwe branches off to the south. It then flows through Koudekerk aan den Rijn and Hazerswoude-Rijndijk.

After Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk and Leiderdorp, where the short River Does ends, the Oude Rijn flows through Leiden. The Rhine-Schie Canal and the Zijl stream begin here. The Nieuwe Rijn ("New Rhine") is a short branch that, together with the Oude Rijn, forms part of Leiden's moat system; the two branches merge in the city's centre.

The stream Korte Vliet discharges into the Oude Rijn and it continues through Valkenburg and Rijnsburg to Katwijk. At Katwijk aan den Rijn the Oegstgeesterkanaal merges with the Oude Rijn. From here the river has been straightened into a canal (called the Uitwateringkanaal); it empties into the North Sea through a pumping station, preventing high tides inland and silting up of the river mouth.