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Rhinau is remarkable mainly for its two nature reserves, the Ile de Rhinau in France and the Taubergiessen in Germany. The exceptional wealth of fauna and flora is also to be found in the "rieds" and the alluvial forest. Those who are fond of romantic walks will love strolling along the banks of the Rhine.
The Rieds :
This is an atmospheric landscape of water meadows with a multitude of plants and animals. A great many artists, painters and photographers are drawn to the romantic mood created by the limitless range of tones and shades in and around the "Giessens", with their limpid waters and their wild vegetation, so far protected from the damaging effects of modern life.
The alluvial forest generates a very special atmosphere, with an alternating pattern of dense woodland, wetland areas, stagnant side-channels of the Rhine and places where the water table resurfaces. From it there emanates a very strong sense of natural beauty, blending with something timeless and ephemeral.
In these romantic landscapes, a large part of which has protected status, 230 species of birds have been counted. There are also highly interesting mammals (roe deer, wild boar, beaver, coypu etc.) as well as amphibians, reptiles and fish, in considerable numbers.
Among Rhinau’s remarkable features is its island, 10 kilometres long, between the Canal d’Alsace and the former course of the Rhine. The southern part of the island has been given the status of a nature reserve in order to protect the exceptional variety of fauna and flora.
It was in 1541, during one of the biggest floods the Rhine has ever known, that the "Taubergiessen" emerged, adding 997 hectares to Rhinau at a stroke and incidentally giving rise to friction and administrative hassle between France and Germany until a most appropriate solution was found. But it greatest richness lies in its natural environment, with unspoilt forest containing typical Rhineland species, game animals and so on...
The Rhine is 250 metres wide here, and a natural frontier. It always attracts people who likequiet surroundings, who come to contemplate the waters of the great river, with the reflections of the swans and other water birds riding the ripples caused by the barges.
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