Ahr

Ahr
In the valley of the Ahr
The river Ahr
EtymologyOld High German aha ("water")
Location
CountryGermany
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationBlankenheim, Northern Eifel, North Rhine-Westfalia, Germany
 • coordinates50°26′17″N 6°38′58″E / 50.438°N 6.6494°E / 50.438; 6.6494
 • elevation470 m (1,540 ft)
MouthRhine
 • location
Remagen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
 • coordinates
50°33′34″N 7°16′37″E / 50.55944°N 7.27694°E / 50.55944; 7.27694
 • elevation
58 m (190 ft)
Length89 km (55 mi)
Basin size900 km2 (350 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • average8.9 m3/s (310 cu ft/s)
Basin features
ProgressionRhineNorth Sea

Ahr (German pronunciation: [ˈaːɐ̯]) is a river in Germany, a left tributary of the Rhine. Its source is at an elevation of approximately 470 metres (1,540 ft) above sea level in Blankenheim in the Eifel, in the cellar of a timber-frame house near the castle of Blankenheim. After 18 kilometres (11 mi) it crosses from North Rhine-Westphalia into Rhineland-Palatinate.

The Ahr flows through Ahr valley or Ahrtal, passing through the towns of Schuld, Altenahr and Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. Between Remagen and Sinzig (south of Bonn), at about 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level, it flows into the Rhine. The length is roughly 89 kilometres (55 mi), of which 68 kilometres (42 mi) is within Rhineland-Palatinate. The Ahr has a gradient of 0.4 percent in its lower course, and 0.4 to 0.8 percent in its upper course.

Source of Ahr in Blankenheim

The Ahr and its tributaries are a main drainage system of the eastern Eifel. The watershed is approximately 900 square kilometres (350 sq mi).