13 European Rivers And Waterways For Travel

The Main River: Germany

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The Main River (pronounced "mine") in Germany is the longest river that lies entirely in Germany. It flows west and joins the Rhine River near Mainz. The Main River is 327 miles long, but only 246 miles are open to traffic, and this navigable section of the river has 34 locks. The Main River cruise ports of call are Bamberg, Wurzburg, Wertheim, and Miltenberg. Each of these towns features interesting history, walking tours, and picturesque streets and architecture. 

Most river cruise travelers primarily see the Main River as a link between the Rhine and Danube Rivers. However, ships could not sail from the North Sea to the Black Sea until the Main-Danube Canal was completed in 1992, and it took 32 years of construction. Ships pass through 16 locks on the 106-mile transit of the canal. The Main-Danube Canal starts near the Danube River near Regensburg and travels north by Nuremberg to Bamberg. River cruise ships often feature day-long tours of Nuremberg while their ship passes through several of the locks, saving time for everyone.

 

The locks of the Main-Danube Canal (and elsewhere on the Danube and Main Rivers) are important to cruise travelers because the size of the locks dictates the size of river ships. Anyone who wonders why a river ship is so narrow will understand when they see the size of the locks. The low bridges over these same rivers control the height of the river ships.