The 527 kilometre-long river (Maa, Mää, Mee in dialect) is the longest right tributary of the Rhine. It originates from a confluence of the source rivers Weißer Main (Fichtelgebirge) and Roter Main (Frankische Alb) in Bavaria-Germany. The Main flows in a large W-shape between the towns of Aschaffenburg and Schweinfurt through the wine-growing region of Franconia. All the vineyards are planted on south-facing valley slopes on the banks of the Main or in side valleys of its tributaries (Franconian Saale, Kinzig, Nidda, Regnitz, Tauber).

After flowing through the metropolitan areas of Würzburg and Frankfurt am Main, it flows into the Rhine opposite the historic centre of Mainz between Ginsheim-Gustavsburg and the Wiesbaden district of Mainz-Kostheim. The course of the Main forms two striking geometric landscapes in Lower Franconia, namely the Main triangle and the Main quadrangle, which also gave their names to two Franconian wine-growing regions.
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