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Rivers and Life - Rhine

It,s an inspiration and a thing of beauty in itself, but the Rhine is also an industrial and economic force - it is the busiest waterway in the world. The Rhine flows from the Swiss mountains through Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany and France to the Netherlands. Its banks are densely populated and the population of the Rhine Basin is around 50 million. The history of the Rhine is the history of Europe,s divisions and also its unity. A pulsating artery that feeds the heart of Europe,s culture and economy, the Rhine has long been one of the world,s most important rivers. From its source in the Swiss Alps, it carries more industrial traffic than any other waterway. A hundred years from now, it could be a very different picture, as the glaciers melt and global warming threatens to transform the riverine landscape in the most dramatic way. Our journey introduces us to the huge range of people who live and make their living from the river, all along its route  and asks what might become of them as Europe,s economy changes and as the climate shifts. From Rotterdam, we travel up-river on one of the many transport barges, into Germanys industrial heartland. We visit some of the ancient castles and fortifications dotted along the length of the river. Our final stop is testament to the Rhine,s uncertain future, the ever-retreating Rheinwaldhorn Glacier.