west-southwestern course. From here on the Fils runs approximately westward in a constantly increasing distance from the step edge of the Alb to its left, which is why from now on the left and right tributaries become more similar in length and catchment area. In the now wide valley follow Salach, Eislingen with the Krumm from the right, the second largest tributary of the Fils, and the left Weilerbach, then Göppingen, Faurndau with the Marbach. (right), Uhingen with the Blaubach (right), the Butzbach (left) and the Nassach (right). The third last village at the river is Ebersbach an der Fils, where the name-giving Ebersbach flows in from the right as well as the following Kirnbach shortly before the community and district border to Reichenbach an der Fils. In this place Reichenbach and Lützelbach flow in from the right and finally the Talbach from the opposite side. Thereupon the Fils reaches Plochingen, where it flows at 248.3 m after about 63 kilometres and almost 377 metres of altitude below its source from the right into the left curve of the Neckar there; it thus has a mean bottom gradient of about 6°. ‰. Its catchment area covers about 707 km². It is the fifth largest Neckar tributary by length and the fourth largest by catchment area. Catchment area The 707 km² catchment area of the Fils is divided into a somewhat smaller southern part in the Swabian Alb and a somewhat larger northern part in the Alb foothills. At first, the river runs approximately east-northeast until its turning point from Geislingen through the Mittlere Kuppenalb and towards the end also has an inflow from the Albuch and Härtsfeld in the east. From Geislingen it turns slowly westwards and flows through the three subspaces Filsalbvorberge, Notzinger Platte and Schlierbacher Platte of the Middle Alb foothills, whereby then the right tributaries first drain the Rehgebirge of the Eastern Alb foothills and then the southern part of the Schurwaldes in the Swabian Keuper-Lias Land. A tiny gusset near the mouth near Plochingen lies in the Nürtinger-Esslinger Neckar Valley, a part of the Filder. Tributaries From Sourcce to Mussle, Tributaries longer then 5 km: Hohlbach, (left), 7,41 km Hartel, (left), 5,86 km Fischbach, (left), 5,177 km Rohrbach, (left), 5,228 km Eyb, (right), 12,786 km Lauter, (right), 16,36 km Schweinbach, (left), 6,423 km Krumm, (right), 12,619 km Weilerbach, (left), 9,473 km Heubach, (left), 10,946 km Marbach,