Rhine River (Ilanz to Reichenau)

Location: Graubunden in Eastern Switzerland

The Switzerland portion of the Rhine River is located in eastern Switzerland in the canton of Graubunden.

Level of Difficulty: Class III-IV / Beginner

The Rhine River in Switzerland is rated Class III-IV. The river’s class IV rapids are beginner Class IV, making them suitable for the more adventurous beginner. Minimum age is usually somewhere around 12 years old.

The Canyon: Folded Granite Walls, Towering Pillars of Sand, Evergreen Trees

Scenery InfoIn Switzerland, the Rhine River flows through a place called Ruinaulta, which is nicknamed the “Swiss Grand Canyon.” The nickname stems more from the canyon’s size than from any resemblance to the sandstone walls of America’s Grand Canyon. Instead, the Rhein River in Switzerland cut its deep canyon relatively recently, after landslides 9000 years ago demolished the river’s original course. Because of this history, the river winds past dramatic folds in granite walls, sheer cliffs hundreds of meters high, and towering pillars of sand. The water is a light aqua blue, which together with the white canyon walls contrasts beautifully against the thick evergreen trees that cover the more gently sloped hills of the canyon.

Season: May through October

Whitewater rafting trips are available on the Rhine River in Switzerland from May through October.