Basel Water Level — Rhine
Official gauge: Basel-Rheinhalle · km 164.3 · Rhine
497cm
↓ −4 cm in 24h · ↑ +6 cm in 7 days
Upper Rhine, start of most itineraries
30-day average 493 cm · range 475–517 cm
Last 30 days
Free for media use with credit to RiverCruise.ai.
Official reference values (WSV)
Published by the Wasserstrassen- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes. Republished unchanged.
| Mean low water (MNW) | not available |
|---|---|
| Mean water (MW) | not available |
| Mean high water (MHW) | not available |
| Low-water navigation reference (GlW) | 501 cm |
| Maintained fairway depth at GlW (TuGLW) | not available |
| Highest navigable level (HSW) | 820 cm |
| Record low (NNW)date not available | not available |
| Record high (HHW)date not available | not available |
| Gauge zero (above sea level) | 240.00 m |
Our archive, recorded every 30 minutes since 18 Jul 2026
Measured by us from the live gauge feed.
| Today | 497 cm |
|---|---|
| 30-day average | 493 cm |
| 30-day low | 475 cm |
| 30-day high | 517 cm |
Where the Basel gauge sits
Basel is a gauge on the Rhine, at river kilometre 164.3. The official station is Basel-Rheinhalle, at 47.5595, 7.6167.
TODO(editorial): which stretch of river the Basel gauge measures
Compare it with the rest of the river on the Rhine gauge overview.
How to read the Basel gauge
A gauge reading is a height at this one point, not a depth of water under a ship. Every reference mark below belongs to Basel alone, so a number here cannot be compared with a number from another gauge.
- GlW, the low-water navigation reference: 501 cm. The level the maintained fairway depth on this stretch is quoted against.
- MNW, mean low water: not available.
- MW, mean water: not available.
- MHW, mean high water: not available.
- Record low (NNW): not available, date not available.
Where a mark reads “not available”, the operator does not publish it for this gauge and we do not estimate it.
Why Basel matters for river cruising
TODO(editorial): why the Basel gauge matters for river cruising
Itineraries that pass this point
TODO(editorial): which cruise itineraries pass Basel
Background on how levels affect European sailings is in our river cruise water levels guide.
What today's status band means at Basel
The reading is under the usual range but above the low-water navigation reference. Levels in this band are common and are watched rather than acted on.
This page publishes measured water levels only. It is not a forecast and not a statement about any sailing: only your cruise line can tell you about your sailing.
Source: PEGELONLINE · measured · this page always shows live conditions and is safe to share.
LET US WATCH THE RIVERS FOR YOU
Reading gauges is the easy part — knowing what a given level means for your specific ship, cabin and sailing date is where experience matters. Our specialists monitor conditions for clients every day and help you choose lines built to handle changing water.
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