Main-Danube Canal (Europa Canal)

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Geo: 49.2106, 11.1773

This 171km German canal (completed in 1992 at a cost of €2.3B) connects the Main and Danube Rivers over the Continental Divide/European Watershed. 16 locks raise and lower the waterway to a summit of 406m above sea level, the highest point on earth accessible by sea-going watercraft. These are the narrowest locks on the route and three of them each connect a height difference of 24.6m. In some sections the canal is an aquaduct, carrying the waterway over rivers and roads below. (I will try to get of photo of this)

The total length of our cruise is 1,812 km - 745km on the Danube, 171km on the Europa Canal, 380km on the Main, 495km on the Rhine and 20km on the final canals into Amsterdam.

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Photos

Eckersmuehlen Lock
Touching the slimy lock wall, just 20cm from the ship's rail.

Leerstetten Lock (full)
Last of the 25m locks.

Leerstetten Lock (empty)
A little claustrophia encountered

Leerstetten Lock opening
And off we go...

Comments

[Dwayne]

Reminds me of the helicopter carrier I sailed through the Panama Canal. In theory the ship was built to just fit, but try telling that to the lock operators in the control towers who had to make a hasty retreat as we took out parts of thei
r structure.How long does it take to fully raise or lower your cruise ship in the lock?

[robselclark]

The whole lock operation typically takes an hour or more. This deep lock took maybe 30 minutes to empty. On the Main R the 34 locks are mostly all under 5m height.