Wild River Rhine | Free Documentary Nature

a river making its way through the heart of europe a journey past landscapes like no other revealing a wealth of natural treasures but this is more than one of europe's largest and oldest rivers steeped in ancient myths and legends it's one of the most romantic of all [Music] waterways [Music] for millennia the mighty river has witnessed the cycles of life and death and some dramatic changes along its banks somewhere high up in the swiss alps a tiny glacial lake gives rise to a mighty river the young rhine winds its way through steep canyons past the tiny alpine country of liechtenstein and into lake constance at the foot of the alps which provides drinking water to large parts of southern germany fed by the waters of one of europe's biggest lakes the rhine continues its turbulent journey gaining in strength and volume the 13th century mouse tower at bingham in germany marks the end of the upper rhine and the beginning of a landscape famous for its vineyards and many evil castles as it reaches the city of cologne the river enters the final leg of its journey deep within germany's industrial heartland there are pockets of flooded forest that once covered much of the river basin [Music] now slow and sluggish the river flows through holland flooding vast waves of land before finally emptying its waters into the north sea near the dutch port of rotterdam the tidal mudflats of the river delta are home to common seals they are happy both in the salty waters of the open ocean and the fresh water of the river mouth [Music] at its mouth the rhine empties 17 000 bathtubs of fresh water into the sea every second it's the end of its journey of over 1200 kilometers [Music] along with its waters the rhine deposits tons of fine sediment into the sea much is washed away with each tide but nonetheless over time the river delta creeps further and further into the north sea [Music] the delta was once an impenetrable network of waterways that provided a safe haven for wildlife even today it attracts thousands of water birds 150 000 migrants spend the winter months here and another 80 000 stopped to refuel on their journeys [Music] the rough is a long migrant from africa heading for its breeding sites in scandinavia the males have already donned their breeding plumage but it's been over 20 years since they last raised their young here in the river delta only small areas of the delta remain for wildlife most has been claimed for human activity the most northerly arm of the river flows out through europe's largest port rotterdam but since the earliest settlers made their home here they faced a constant battle with flood water to counter this age-old problem in the 18th century a group of windmills was built on the outskirts of the city pumping flood water from the fields into small canals feeding back into the river the 19 windmills of kinderdike were built not to grind corn but to drain water into the rhine the rhine is one of europe's oldest and most important trade routes the early romans used it to carry goods and armies for their military campaigns [Music] today huge barges travel its length making it one of the main arteries of industrial transport across the continent [Music] [Music] 170 kilometers inland the river runs along the german dutch border and is straddled by germany's longest suspension bridge the lush green pastures along the lower reaches of the rhine attract thousands of wild geese in the winter their calls fill the air in one of nature's great wildlife spectacles the birds have traveled over 6 000 kilometers from their arctic breeding grounds to winter here for the last stretch of their migration they have followed the course of the river to find the rich flood plains along the banks of the rhine [Applause] [Music] traveling upstream the landscape now changes smoking chimneys line the riverbanks as it enters germany's industrial heart the ruer valley the region's strategic position along this major waterway allowed it to grow rapidly in the 19th century and become europe's main industrial center this is germany's largest urban landscape and it stretches right to the city of cologne but even here there are small pockets of wilderness that give a glimpse of the earth's early history puddles form on the ancient river sediment deposited here centuries ago and they give rise to some of our planet's earliest life forms fairy shrimps the small crustaceans evolved some 500 million years ago and thrive in temporary pools of water that dry up again within days they swim upside down filtering tiny particles from the water [Music] the rhine has many geological treasures to offer too [Music] the world's tallest cold water giza at [Music] the build-up of carbon dioxide deep below the earth's surface forces the water to erupt out 60 meters high creating a unique natural spectacle the lower rhine ends at andernach but it's the middle line with its numerous castles and breathtaking landscapes that attracts most visitors marksburg castle was built in the 13th century [Music] it sits high above the river on a near inaccessible cliff it's the only castle on the middle line that was never destroyed and offers a unique insight into the life and splendor of the middle ages [Music] [Applause] the castle's striking architecture and dramatic position have made it the inspiration for many fairy tale castles the ruins of other less well-known castles provide homes for some unusual residents a family of eagle owls high up on a window ledge they can raise their chicks in safety but they have to share the castle tower with a kestrel which has its own young to feed the human visitors that arrive each weekend don't seem to trouble the animal residence [Music] indeed the morsels of food left behind may be a welcome attraction for some [Music] up in the eagle nest it's also dinner time the female tears up scraps of meat to feed her hungry chicks [Music] neighborly disputes a part of daily life in the castle the kestrel never seems to tire of launching mock attacks of the owls the hills and forests bordering the rhine provide ideal hunting grounds for eagle elves as dusk falls both parents set off in search of prey they're after small mammals that come out after dark [Music] all night the adults fly to and fro bringing food back to the nest inside the castle tiny intruders are breaking into the kitchen [Music] the male owl has brought a wood mouse back for the young chicks unlike the female who tears up the food into small pieces he offers the mouse whole the chick seems unsure how to deal with it the goblins in the basement have followed the tempting smells from the kitchen even the bar of soap isn't safe [Music] they are edible dormice squirrel-like creatures that hide in nooks and crannies during the day [Music] under cover of darkness they raid the kitchen stores [Music] inside the castle walls the dormice are safe from eagle owls the young outlets are mostly fed on hedgehogs rats and crows at two weeks old they are now able to help themselves to the food stores on the window ledge but when mother returns to the nest they happily accept a little helping hand nature's nighttime world often remains hidden from our eyes whilst we are asleep the creatures of the darkness emerge [Music] the rafters in a church tower suddenly come to life with the wing beats of phantoms of the night [Music] their greater mousey at bats one of europe's largest species the females gather here in roosts each year to raise their young the mild climate along the rhine offers a rich supply of insect food and mothers can leave their babies in the large communal nursery when they go off to feed whilst most of germany's bat populations are on the decline the greater mauseid is still faring well this is in no small part thanks to the many ruse sites in the churches and castles along the rhine [Applause] the steep slopes of the riverbank soak up the sun and the dark slate ground holds the warmth long into the night even the river itself acts as a storage heater and gives the middle rhine a microclimate warmer than its surroundings the large volume of water flowing through the river keeps the temperatures mild almost mediterranean and not surprisingly it attracts some more unusual wildlife the dry sunny slopes are home to a colonizer from the south the western green lizard with the arrival of spring it emerges from hibernation this large lizard needs large insect prey of which there is plenty along this stretch of river but green lizards are rare in germany their main home is in the warmer climes of france and italy the dry screen slopes are also perfect habitat for the rock bunting which is already busy raising its young the green lizards likewise have no time to waste in the safety of the brambles they can get on with the business of mating the male holds on to the female's tail to ensure he has her attention his throat has turned bright blue for the breeding season it seems his advances have been met with approval [Music] for over two millennia the rhine has been a major transport route from the alps to the sea it flows through the heart of europe linking six countries and different cultures it's seen civilizations come and go witness changes to the surrounding landscape and redrawn its own path numerous times [Music] it's earned its place as one of the greatest cultural and historical rivers in the world the middle rhine is also known to produce some of the world's best wines and nestled among the vine clad slopes mouse castle and the neighboring cat's castle or cat castle in german it's early evening and a tiny shrew has emerged from the castle walls looking for a meal other shrews are also appearing from their daytime hideouts thereafter worms and small insects but shrews are fiercely territorial and a rival will not be tolerated there can only be one winner as the sun sinks below the horizon other nocturnal creatures make an appearance the chirping sounds of crickets fills the night air they are hardly bigger than a centimeter in size but their loud calls echo from one vineyard to another creating a natural orchestra along the riverbank halfway between source and mouth the river becomes narrower and deeper than elsewhere legend has it that many a ship run aground here its sailors distracted by a beautiful singing mermaid the lorelai in truth it was likely to be the strong currents and jagged rocks that were to blame these days traveling up the rhine is no longer a hazard but it's nonetheless still an adventure full of surprising discoveries [Music] felts graffenstein castle on a small island in the middle of the river marks the end of the middle rhine in wiesbaden is the first landmark along the upper rhine it's one of many places on this stretch of river that resounds with the calls of exotic birds rose-ringed parakeets have made their homes in the old trees competition for the best nest holes is fierce the tropical parrots are descendants of escaped cage birds but are doing surprisingly well here over six thousand now live within the rhine valley and their numbers are ever increasing just beyond wiesbaden the rhine is joined by one of its largest tributaries the river mine further upstream another fork in the river this is an old loop that was disconnected from the mainstream some 200 years ago to reduce its flow on either side are large tracts of floodplain forest protected as a nature reserve today the forests are a haven for wildlife wild boar thrive here in the undisturbed woods going about their business in broad daylight these wet forests seasonally flooded by rising river levels have all but disappeared from central europe they provide a unique habitat for animals that need moist soil and boggy swamps kingfishers find a plentiful supply of fish in the network of shallow pools and streams other more common woodland birds take pleasure in a daily bath so the swampy forests act as a natural flood barrier mopping up much of the overflow from the rhine [Music] sometimes the water is two or three meters deep creating a flooded world that harks back to primeval times [Music] so [Music] the floodplain forest is also renowned for an unusual spring flower the alpine squil [Music] within days the forest floor is covered in a carpet of starry blue flowers heralding the arrival of spring as the sun's rays start to warm the forest floor they trigger a fresh burst of life [Music] the lovely orange brown caps of the velvet shank mushroom grow out of stumps of rotting wood [Music] the glorious caps are highly prized as a culinary ingredient and they're not the only early spring mushrooms that are out [Music] the small bank vol however shows little interest in the elf cup mushrooms outside his burrow it's after another treat the seeds of an ash tree we still don't know why elf cups are such a striking red color but we do know how they work the tiny parabolic reflectors collect the sun's rays and trigger the release of millions of tiny spores into the air these are carried off by the wind to become the next generation of elf cup mushrooms the entire floodplain of the upper rhine was once covered in swampy forests today only fragments of this lush habitat remain dense green undergrowth and lyanna's with whip-like tendrils it's much like a tropical rainforest the dense vegetation lets through little light so some plants climb to reach the sun they wrap themselves around larger trees using them as support to head upwards up in the canopy the clematis can finally open its flowers to attract insect pollinators the water lily has a similar strategy for making itself seen it raises its yellow blooms above the water while the main plant grows submerged beneath although the waters here are poor in nutrients they still support some big fish large predators such as the pike it's an ambush hunter that remains motionless in the water waiting for smaller fish like the pollard [Music] [Music] [Music] willow trees are a typical inhabitant of the flooded forest six weeks after they've come into bloom the catkins break open to release their fluffy white seeds the small woolly bundles are eagerly collected by nesting birds a pendulum tit is putting the finishing touches to his nest it's taken him nearly a month to build each male makes a number of these complex apartments to impress the females the finished nests are so strong and warm they were once used by local children as house shoes south of the flooded forest on the french side of the rhine the landscape is a very different one the rolling hills are prime fruit and wine growing country thanks to the fertile volcanic soil the kaiserstall hills are known to be one of the warmest regions in germany with mild winters and hot summers 20 million years ago streams of hot lava would have flowed down the hillsides today they are mostly covered in vineyards some of the oldest in europe a praying mantis it's looking for a meal this immigrant from the south is well camouflaged it's armed and dangerous and has a voracious appetite the front legs are formidable weapons the insect has little chance of escape the warm summer temperatures and plentiful supply of food have triggered the instinct to mate but for a mantis it's not as easy as it looks mating carries its own hazards the male has latched on to the female and is carefully depositing his sperm inside her it's a process that can take hours the consummation of their marriage is quickly followed by his funeral she's eaten him alive the sunny kaiserstall hills not only harbor exotic animals but also exotic wines riesling silvana and various kinds of burgundy it's said that in a wine you can taste the land where the grapes are grown and nowhere is this truer than in the rhine valley [Music] the journey upstream continues along the french german border and into switzerland [Music] the river's course now runs steeper and is interspersed at regular intervals with locks and weirs to control the water levels [Music] as it flows past the city of basel the river makes a kink the so-called rhine and the waterfront is home to one of its most famous residents who has built himself a riverside mansion the beaver hunted to near extinction across europe it's now making a gradual comeback the riverbank provides plenty of food and the leaves and bark of the willow tree are a particular favorite after more than a hundred years beavers are breeding along the rhine once again it's one of conservation's great success stories the entrance to the beaver lodge is only accessible from the water inside the lodge it's safe and warm here the adults can raise their young sheltered from the outside world female has returned to the lodge and woken the family it's time for a communal cleaning session to keep the fur in good condition but luxury lodges sometimes attract squatters a brown rat has also moved into the comfortable accommodation the young beavers are hungry and trying to gain their mother's attention [Music] they feed off her milk for the first three months and like all babies can be quite demanding it's the male's turn to have a break from child care duties he's heading for a willow tree that the pair felled a few days ago it will provide them with ample food for several weeks in 1979 four beavers were released on the banks of the rhine in germany today beavers are breeding successfully in the wild again raising hundreds of youngsters each year their large lodges are also a familiar sight along the river once more further upstream a man-made construction in the middle of the river rhino abbey a benedictine monastery [Music] just beyond the abbey the moving water gives way to turbulent rapids it's the perfect habitat for a river specialist the dipper the thrush light bird is an underwater hunter searching for small insects between the stones on the riverbed it returns to feed its waiting youngster [Applause] 50 meters higher and the rapids turn into a spectacular cascade the rhine falls near schaffhausen are the biggest waterfalls in mainland europe [Music] the waterfalls form a natural barrier for ships and other transport from here the river's life becomes a very different one 30 kilometers upstream and the rhine opens into the waters of lake constance this huge water body straddles three countries switzerland germany and austria at the other end a man-made dam channels the rhines glacial waters far into the lake the water from the mountains carries huge amounts of debris and deposits 3 million cubic meters of sediment into the lake each year slowly filling it up it's thought that in eighteen thousand years lake constance is likely to have disappeared upstream from the lake the river has been straightened to reduce the risk of flooding here too it leaves a trail of sediments from the mountains all along its course vaduz castle is the royal residence of the prince of liechtenstein the smallest country on the banks of the rhine it's little more than half a mountain valley flanked by the river on one side and the high mountains of the alps on the other this is the home of the alpine ibex a large mountain goat with backward curving horns the black alpine salamander also lives up the steep slopes ibex were once widespread throughout the alps but by the 19th century they'd been hunted close to extinction only a single population of some 50 to 60 animals survived the ibex that live here today are descendants of animals that were reintroduced about 100 years ago the swiss town of tammins sits on the confluence of two alpine streams which join together to form the river rhine [Music] these high alpine streams have a very different nature they are wild and untamed carving their way through some of the most spectacular mountain gorges [Music] towering above the river are jagged limestone cliffs and forests of pine [Music] up here the young river is still a bubbling carefree stream untamed by man the clear waters nonetheless conceal some unusual creatures [Music] a strange black fish with a large mouth a male bullhead [Music] schools of grayling also thrive in the cold fresh water the bull head is guarding his nest containing the eggs from several females he will stay close by until they hatch in a month or so above their heads the occasional noisy passers-by [Music] every suitable rock has been claimed by a breeding bull head the male fans the eggs with his fins to ensure a steady supply of oxygenated water his attentive care will ensure that most of them will hatch [Music] the journey to the source of the rind is nearing its end high up in the swiss alps numerous small streams race down the mountainsides and join forces to become the young [Music] rhine the snow-covered peaks of the ober-el pass 2 345 meters above sea level conceal the source of the rhine [Music] lake toma nestled into the side of the mountain covered in thick snow and ice for much of the year this is where the rhine is born the small lake is fed by rain and snow and glacial melt water these drops of water join forces to become the first incarnation of one of europe's greatest rivers [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

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Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Nature, Wild River Rhine, Rhine, River Rhine, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Wildlife Documentary 2021, The Rhine, Germany, Wild Germany, Wildlife Germany, Die Wacht am Rhein, Rhein, rhine falls largest waterfall in europe, Rhine Falls

Id: lCa4soKWu-A

Length: 52min 35sec (3155 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 20 2021