Noble Caledonia river cruises on MS Johann Strauss
Destination information
Extracts from Insight Guide, Great River Journeys of Europe © Apa Publications
Rhine
Old Father Rhine, as the Germans Lovingly call it, is Europe’s most important commercial waterway, flowing for some 820 miles from source to estuary.
Together with Lake Constance, the Rhine forms a reservoir of drinking water for approximately 30 million Germans. It irrigates mile upon mile of vineyards. A cruise along the Rhine is rarely without something to draw the eye. Heavily laden barges chug their way north or south, pleasure cruisers ply the waters from one beauty spot to the next, and hikers, swimmers and cyclists enjoy the river’s banks and beaches. In parts there’s abundant birdlife to spot, spectacular castles to identify and bridges, statues and monuments all charting the river’s history.
The Main- Danube Canal
In 793, Charlemagne had the vision of establishing a navigable waterway between the Danube and the Main rivers, to be called the ‘Fossa Caroline’. Thousands of Charlemagne’s workers began to dig a navigable trench between the Rezeat and the Altmühl rivers. But the project failed due to incessant rain and the resulting ‘invasion’ of water. One section, now called the Karlsgraben, still exists today.
Charlemagne’s vision was finally realised on 25 September 1992, when the 170km (106 mile) Main-Danube Canal was finally opened, providing the means for larger craft up to 3,300 tons to navigate all the way from the North Sea to the Black Sea. The construction of the canal, linking the rivers Rhine, Main and Danube, is one of Europe’s largest transport-engineering projects.
Costing 4.7 billion German Marks to build, the canal runs through rural Bavaria and rises 406 metres via 16 locks with up to 24 metres lifting height. It was cleverly constructed to blend with the surrounding landscape and it looks more like a river than a canal. Some 75 milion marks were invested in nature reserves and conservation projects. The canal is 55 metres (180ft) wide by 4 metres (13ft) deep and flows into the Danube at Kelheim in Germany.
Danube
Europe’s second longest river after the Volga, the Danube flows through a range of scenery on the long journey from its source in the Black Forest to the vast Delta of the Black Sea, cutting through the wooded hills of Bavaria to the steep terraces and castles of the wine-growing country of Lower Austria, then on to the edge of the Hungarian Steppes and into the Balkans. The river has carved deep gorges across ancient mountain ranges, while in other places, meanders across broad marshy plains. Sightseeing opportunities are numerous, from medieval monasteries to castles, fabulous museums and unspoilt national parks.
River Genders - whether a river is known as he or she depends on its behaviour. Take the River Rhône for example – almost always referred to in the masculine because the waters can be turbulent, bothersome and rough at times. The Saône, on the other hand, is a gentler kind of river – more beautiful, more tranquil – and is thus referred to as ‘she’, as is the beautiful Blue Danube (although Napoleon described the Danube as the “king of the rivers of Europe”.
Extracts from Insight Guide Great River Journeys of Europe © Apa Publications
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