Nims (river)

The Nims is a 61-kilometre-long (38 mi), left-hand tributary of the River Prüm in the South Eifel region of the Eifel Mountains. It runs through the county of Bitburg-Prüm in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Nims
The Nims near Schönecken in February 2004
Course of the Nims
Location
Country	Germany
State	Rhineland-Palatinate
Reference no.	DE: 26288
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	In the Eifel southeast of Weinsheim
• coordinates	50°13′16″N 6°29′28″E
• elevation	ca. 512 m above sea level (NHN)
Mouth
• location	Near Irrel into the Prüm
• coordinates	49°50′41″N 6°28′04″E
• elevation	ca. 169 m above sea level (NHN)
Length	61.43 km [1]
Basin size	297.702 km2 (114.943 sq mi) [1]
Discharge
• location	[2] an der Mündung
• average	3.17 m³/s
Basin features
Progression	Prüm→ Sauer→ Moselle→ Rhine→ North Sea
Landmarks	Small towns: Bitburg
The Nims near Giesdorf, 2015 aerial photograph Bridge saint, John of Nepomuk, above the Nims in Seffern

Geography

Course

The Nims rises in Weinsheim, east of the town of Prüm, in the Eifel mountains. It then flows in a southerly direction through a valley of the same, passing the villages of Schönecken and Seffern, and the western suburbs of Bitburg. The Nims joins the Prüm below Irrel.

Settlements

The Nims passes through or by the following settlements:

Rommersheim Giesdorf Schönecken Nimsreuland Lasel Nimshuscheid (mill)

Seffern Bickendorf Nattenheim (mill) Rittersdorf Bitburg (Stahl) Birtlingen

Messerich Wolsfeld Alsdorf (Eifel) Niederweis Irrel

Tributaries

Main article: de:Liste der Nebenflüsse der Nims

The longest tributaries of the Nims are:

• Ehlenzbach
• Balesfelder Bach

Tributaries over six kilometres long

The left-hand tributaries are in dark blue, the right-hand ones on light blue, all shown in downstream order.

History

One of the oldest records of the river refer to it under the name of Nimisa and date to the year 798 or 799 ("31st year of the reign of Charlemagne").^[3]

Transport

The route of the old Nims-Sauer Valley railway [de; nl] ran through the southern section of the Nims valley from Messerich to Irrel. The line is now closed and has been partially lifted.

Between Bickendorf and Seffern the 781-metre-long (2,562 ft) Nims Viaduct on the Federal Motorway 60 crosses the valley of the Nims.

Flora and fauna

The Nims river is known for the Eifel mountain trout, which thrives due to the low pH value and cold water. ^{[A 1]}

See also

• List of rivers of Rhineland-Palatinate

Footnotes

1. In 1959 the US President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, tasted this delicacy at the Königshof hotel during his visit to Bonn.