Parts of the Oudegracht follow the original flow of the river Rhine, but there is some disagreement on what parts. The northern part is most likely an early canal (app. 1000) connecting the Rhine section to the river Vecht.
The Oudegracht's path generally follows the ancient Rhine River route in some areas, although there is some debate about which specific segments. The northern portion is probably an early waterway (around 1000) that connects the Rhine segment to the Vecht River.