Le Rhin
1842 travel guide by Victor Hugo
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Le Rhin (French pronunciation: [lə ʁɛ̃], lit. The Rhine) is an 1842 travel guide written by Victor Hugo. Subtitled lettres à un ami (letters to a friend), it takes the form of letters describing the sights and landmarks of a journey along the Rhine and relating local legends. It concludes with a long political essay depicting a new European order, united by a Franco-German alliance.[1][2]
The book was based on journeys Hugo took in 1838, 1839, and 1840, and the letters he wrote during those journeys.[2][3] He edited and expanded the letters for publication, drawing on works of history, travel guides, and sagas and legends, and added the long conclusion.[2]
The first edition contains twenty-five letters covering the journey through Champagne and Belgium to Aachen, and from Cologne to Mainz, as well as the conclusion. The second edition contains a further fourteen letters covering the journey from Frankfurt to Lausanne.[2][3]
