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The Vorderrhein (; ; ; ; ), or Anterior Rhine, is the left of the two initial tributary of the Rhine (the other being the Hinterrhein). It is longer than the Hinterrhein, but has a lower discharge than the latter at their confluence, which marks the beginning of the Alpine Rhine section.
The Vorderrhein and nearly all of its tributaries are located in the Switzerland canton of Grisons (Graubünden), with the largest communities along the river being Disentis and Ilanz. One of its upper tributaries, the Rein da Medel, rises in the canton of Ticino.
Vorderrhein was also the name of a judicial district that was created in 1851 with the reorganization of the judiciary of Graubünden. In 2001, it was annexed by the District Surselva.
The drainage basin of the Vorderrhein, measuring , is located mainly in the canton of Grisons (Graubünden), Switzerland. The Vorderrhein is about long, thus more than 5% longer than the Hinterrhein (each measured to the furthest source). The Vorderrhein, however, has an average water flow of , which is less than the flow of the Hinterrhein ().Hydrologischer Atlas der Schweiz 2002, Tab. 5.4 Natürliche Abflüsse 1961-1980 (natural discharges) ( see map )
According to the Atlas of Switzerland of the swisstopo, the source of the Vorderrhein—and thus of the Rhine—is located north of the Rein da Tuma and Lake Toma.
Thus, the longer arms are not the source at Oberalppass, but further southeast. The longest headwater of the Vorderrhein (and thus the Rhine as a whole; see sources of the Rhine), is the Reno di Medel, which rises on the border of the municipality Quinto TI in Ticino. In the uppermost part of its course, it runs in the Val Cadlimo, south of the geomorphological main Alpine ridge, west of the Lukmanier Pass.
The high point of the Vorderrhein's drainage basin is the Piz Russein of the Tödi massif of the Glarus Alps at above sea level. It starts with the creek Aua da Russein ().
Witenwasserenstock mountain is the triple divide of the drainage basins between the rivers Rhine, Rhône and Po.
Along entire length of the Vorderrhein, there are two narrow-gauge railway lines. The Reichenau-Tamins–Disentis/Mustér railway is served by the Rhätische Bahn between and . From Disentis, the Furka-Oberalp line, served by the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, runs over the Oberalp Pass to (canton of Uri) and onwards to (canton of Valais).
In the Ruinaulta area, the main road runs to the north of the river, and at its highest point, at Flims, it is about above the Rhine.
The Senda Sursilvana, a hiking trail, leads from the Oberalp Pass along the Vorderrhein in the direction of Chur.
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