A fascinating exploration of the rich and varied cultural worlds shaped by the Rhine, the Rhone and the Po

Three of Europe’s greatest rivers share the same geological cradle: one fertile patch of Alpine ice in the jagged heights of central Switzerland. Coursing down through the peaks, the Rhine, the Rhone and the Po gave birth to three different European cultures – French, German and Italian – as they flowed across the continent.

These extraordinary waterways have shaped the landscape, carving out the valleys in which early humans settled. Their pathways have influenced the pattern of Europe’s towns and cities, laid the foundation for its economies and created an intricate network of transport, trade and agriculture. From the Romanesque buttresses and vines of Provence to the Wagnerian music of the Rhine and the spiritual and artistic miracles of Lombardy, the heart of Western Europe – its languages, religion, philosophy, science, politics and art – has been nourished by these waters.

Setting off in the dramatic mountain landscape where this story begins, Three Rivers traces the rivers’ journeys from their increasingly fragile glacial sources, exploring their remarkable impact on Europe’s diverse cultural history as they stream towards the sea.