Neckar River Cruise



Tuesday 27 August 2005

Pat and I took a relaxing three hour cruise along the Neckar River - a major tributary of the River Rhine, which it joins at Mannheim. Rising in the Black Forest, it flows through a steep valley in the Odenwald hills and passes through Tubingen, Nurtingen, Esslingen, Stuttgart, and Heidelberg. The total length of the Neckar from its source near Villingen-Schwenningen to the Rhine is 367 km. The Neckar is navigable for cargo ships up to the river port of Plochingen, about 200 km upstream from Mannheim.


Pat and I would visit Mannheim in the afternoon on our way to Frankfurt.

The ships in Heidelberg generally make four trips a day. On this day, we arrived for the 10:15 cruise at 9:25 am. Just as we arrived, they announced that there was enough people to set sail at 9:30, an unscheduled voyage. Bon Voyage ... We met a woman from Ohio, at the ticket booth, who ran to get her family, waiting in a car nearby. I am not certain if they made the trip in time, but I doubt it. Parking is generally in parking garages below ground, marked with blue signs with a white letter 'P' on them and arrows giving directions. There were 13 parking garages in the city, at various locations, making it easy to park and sightsee, shop, eat or just hang out with friends.

On the boat we sat outside, just below the captain, in the front, the bow on the journey upriver so we could take pictures and enjoy the countryside. On the way back to Heidelberg we sat inside at a table, where food or beverages were served, though we only drank bottled water.


Setting sail ...

The captain sits in the small room at the top. Waving good-bye


On both sides of the river one can find, historic homes, Medieval Castles, tents and RV's and friendly people waving to us along the way. One could spend weeks exploring the beauty of this area. I guess that can be said for any place that speaks of ancient times and civilizations. Some people explore these areas as part of past / parallel connections in which they are experiencing simultaneously. A connection is felt at the soul level, which may of value to their spiritual awakening at this time. Being on water escalates that process.

Today, some of the castles in Germany, as in other parts of Europe, are hotels or spas, some are still occupied by descendents of the original families, while many are ruins. Castles often have a fairytale or romantic quality about them, that bring us to a place of higher consciousness and remembrance, perhaps of love and romance.







To move into deeper water, you wait as they flood the levee and open the gates.



The levee will lower on one side, to your left


Then fill on the other side.





Gates opening


Sailing out to sea



The Castles



This castle is still occupied by descendants of the original builders.






Mannheim, Stuttgart, and Frankfurt Adventures




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