River Meuse - Definition and Overview

Maas
The Meuse(Maas) at Maastricht
Length	925 km
Elevation of the source	409 m
Average discharge	230 m³/s
Area watershed	36 000 km²
Origin	France
Mouth	Hollands Diep
Basin countries	France - Belgium - Netherlands

The Meuse (Dutch Maas) is a large European river rising in France, flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands, and draining into the North Sea. Its length is 900 km (560 miles).

The river rises in the Langres Plateau France and flows north past Sedan (the head of navigation) and Charleville-Mézières into Belgium. It is joined by the Sambre river at Namur. From Namur the Meuse winds eastward skirting the Ardennes, passes Liège, and turns north. Then it forms part of the Belgian-Dutch border, except that at Maastricht the border is more westward. Inside the Netherlands it continues north along Venlo, then turns westward.

In the Netherlands, it merges with the Rhine into an extensive delta, eventually flowing into the North Sea via the Nieuwe Waterweg and the Hollands Diep.

It splits near Heusden into the Afgedamde Maas on the right and the Bergse Maas on the left.

Railroad bridges (with nearest train station on the left and right bank):

• Netherlands:
  • between Blerick and Venlo
  • between Cuijk and Nijmegen Heyendaal
  • between Ravenstein and Wijchen
  • between 's-Hertogenbosch and Zaltbommel

There are also many road bridges and ca. 32 ferries.

Tributaries

The main tributaries of the river Meuse are listed below in downstream-upstream order, with the town where the tributary meets the river:

• • Dieze (near 's-Hertogenbosch)
    • Aa (in 's-Hertogenbosch)
    • Dommel (in 's-Hertogenbosch)
      • Gender (in Eindhoven)
  • Niers (in Gennep)
  • Swalm (in Swalmen)
  • Rur/Roer (in Roermond)
  • Geleenbeek (near Maasbracht)
  • Geul (near Meerssen)
  • Jeker/Geer (in Maastricht)
  • Voer/Fouron (in Eijsden)
  • Berwine (near Moelingen, part of Voeren)
  • Ourthe (in Liège)
    • Vesdre (near Liège)
    • Amblève (in Comblain-au-Pont)
      • Salm (in Trois-Ponts)
      • Warche (near Malmedy)
  • Hoyoux (in Huy)
  • Sambre (in Namur)
  • Bocq (in Yvoir)
  • Molignée (in Anhée)
  • Lesse (in Anseremme, part of Dinant)
  • Viroin (in Vireux-Molhain)
  • Semois/Semoy (in Monthermé)
  • Bar (near Dom-le-Mesnil)
  • Chiers (in Bazeilles)

The Meuse département, in northeast France is named after the river.