Plage du Rhin, Kehl (Rhine Riverbank)

The Rhine riverbank at Kehl is a leisure area along the German side of the Rhine, accessible from the French city of Strasbourg via tram line D, sitting approximately 4 kilometres from Strasbourg city centre at the Franco-German border in the Grand Est region. The area forms part of the Kehl Auenpark, a linear green space running along the Rhine floodplain in Baden-Württemberg, and is one of the most easily reached riverside recreation sites for visitors in the greater Strasbourg area. The shore here is not a sandy beach in the traditional sense but rather a stretch of grassy riverbank interspersed with gravel and coarse sand sections, gently sloping to the water's edge. The Rhine at this point flows swiftly — currents make open-water swimming dangerous and it is not recommended; the attraction lies instead in the riverside atmosphere: broad lawns for sunbathing, cycling paths running north and south along the floodplain, BBQ zones with fixed grills, and direct views of the Strasbourg skyline and the European Parliament building across the water. The area draws a mixed crowd of young adults, families, cyclists, and cross-border day-trippers from Alsace. Cafés and food stands within the Kehl Auenpark are open in summer. A network of cycling paths connects the Kehl waterfront to the Jardin des Deux Rives, the cross-border garden shared between Strasbourg and Kehl, and to the main Strasbourg cycling network via the Pont de l'Europe. Public transport access is unusually convenient: tram line D runs from Strasbourg's central Homme de Fer stop to Kehl Rathaus in around 10 minutes, crossing the Pont de l'Europe into Germany. The Auenpark riverbank is a further 500 metres walk or cycle from the tram stop. Parking is available in Kehl near the Auenpark, though most visitors arrive by tram or bicycle. Dogs on leads are generally permitted throughout the park area.