The Old Rhine (German: Altrhein or Alter Rhein) is an ancient Rhine river in the German municipality of Kleef, which runs from Griethausen to the Bijlandsch Canal. It is also called Griethauser Altrhein. The Old Rhine is about eight kilometers long.
The Ancient Rhine originated after the Saale glacier and became abandoned with the construction of the Bijlandsch Canal (between 1773 and 1776).
At Wardhausen (at km 5.6), the Spoykanaal, which connects the Kleef with the Rhine, ends in the Old Rhine.
Upstream of Griethausen, the watercourse is a wetering that flows southwards along Kellen and eastwards along Riswick and originates in several streams and drainages between Warbeyen, Huisberden and Klomp.
Near Griethausen (at km 7,5) is a railway station of the former railway line Zevenaar - Kleef over Oude Rijn, an industrial monument. The bridge of one hundred meters long is the oldest preserved steel railway bridge in Germany. The bridge was built between 1863 and 1865. The bridge was part of a railway link from Zevenaar via Elten naar Kleef. The trains were placed between Welle and Spyck with a ferry crossing the Rhine. The total length of the bridge including the land section is 565 meters. 51° 50′ NB, 6° 7′ OL
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