The Rhine river in France

The river Rhine touches France on a segment of exactly 200 km. Alsace, France being on the left bank, while Baden-Württemberg, Germany is on the right bank. The segment where the Rhine touches France is starting at Huningue and is ending at Lauterbourg.

Huningue is located at the border triangle F-D-CH (France, Germany, Switzerland) or "corner of the 3 frontiers" (French : le coin des 3 frontières, German : das Dreiländereck).

Lauterbourg is located at the most north-eastern point of France. The next important city on the German side is Karlsruhe.

A large part of the segment of the Rhine touching France has been rectified and canalized. Thus the original meanders and swampy areas have disappeared and the French-German border has been fixed. In earlier centuries the border has been rather imprecise, the bed of the river Rhine taking a width of 3 to 9 km with its numerous meanders.

Several hydroelectric power plants and one nuclear power plant have been built along this segment and the waterway has been rendered navigable. A large part of the original fauna and flora, specific to swampy areas have disappeared.