Our (; , ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. It is a left-hand tributary of the Sauer/Sûre. Its length is , and it drains a basin of .
The source lies in the High Fens in southeastern Belgium, near Manderfeld. The river flows southwards along the German–Belgian border, then from Ouren onward along the German–Luxembourg border. The historic town of Vianden lies on the Our. It empties into the Sauer near Wallendorf.
Course The river rises in the eastern Ardennes and western Eifel on Belgian soil. Its source near Losheimergraben lies northeast of the Eichelsberg mountain (653 m) at 643 m, near the B 265. Just a few hundred metres away is the source of the River Kyll. The Our initially follows the B 265, also the Belgian–German border. From the tripoint by the Europa Monument between Ouren (Belgium), Sevenig (Germany), and Lieler (Luxembourg), it runs almost entirely on the German–Luxembourg border until Wallendorf. It generally meanders from north to south.
For the section along the German–Luxembourg border, the Our is a jointly managed condominium (the "Joint German–Luxembourg Sovereign Area"). Unilateral sovereignty begins only at the respective shore. In the upper reaches between Germany and Belgium, the border lies on the thalweg.
Tributaries – Location of confluences measured from source – Ihrenbach (left, at km 21, length 15.9 km) Braunlauf (right, at km 23, length 15.4 km) Ulf (right, near km 30, length 17.8 km) Irsen (left, near km 67, length 35.5 km)
A comprehensive list including smaller tributaries is at the German Wikipedia.
Villages on the Our The town of Vianden, one of the main tourist destinations in Luxembourg, lies on the Our. The Our Valley Route is a circular touring route through Belgium and northern Luxembourg.
Other villages include:
Roth an der Our Ouren Sevenig Dahnen Dasburg Rodershausen Untereisenbach Stolzembourg Bettel Gentingen Ammeldingen an der Our Schönberg Wallendorf Grüfflingen (near St. Vith) Auel
Usage The Our is impounded north of Vianden by the Our Dam, forming the lower basin of the Vianden Pumped Storage Plant.
Gallery
See also Our Natural Park
References
Further reading Leonard Palzkill: Ourtal ohne Grenzen. Neuerburg, 2006, .
External links
Our Nature Park – tourism, ecology and events in northern Luxembourg
Hochwassermeldezentrum Rheinland-Pfalz