Oude Rijn

The Oude Rijn is a branch of the Rhine delta within the Dutch provinces of Utrecht and South Holland. Its present day length is 52 kilometres. In Roman times, it become the principle Rhine department, forming the northern border of the Roman Empire. In medieval times, it changed into used for river shipping and there is a towpath along huge sections of the river, many parts of that have been upgraded to roads over time. The river silted up in the course of the Middle Ages and had lost all of its significance with the aid of the 17th century.

The town of Utrecht turned into based at a ford close to the fork of river Kromme Rijn into the Vecht to the north, and the Oude Rijn to the west. Of the original fork, little stays these days and both Vecht and Rijn start from the town moat. For the first few kilometres of its path, the river is channelised and called Leidse Rijn. It turns into the Oude Rijn after the railway bridge close to Harmelen. Then it flows westward through Woerden in which first the river Lange Linschoten branches off to the south after which the Oude Rijn forms part of the town moats.