The lower course of the Neckar meanders along the picturesque Castle Road. It begins in Mannheim and leads to Heilbronn before branching off. The old walls on the slopes form a wonderful backdrop. Later, vineyards increasingly join the route. The navigable section, which is around 200 kilometres long, ends at Plochingen. Until then, there are 27 locks to master, which are of course orientated towards commercial shipping. Idyllic villages alternate with tourist strongholds such as Heidelberg, Heilbronn and Stuttgart, providing plenty of variety as you navigate the waterway. The first part of the exploration leads to Haßmersheim at kilometre 87.
If you are not travelling by trailer boat or using one of the few charter offers, turn off from the Rhine into the Neckar at Mannheim. Slip possibilities ( www.slipanlage.info/slipanlagen/Neckar/f/ ), so the varied little river can also be explored in stages. At kilometre 3, the historic paddle steamer "Mainz" from 1929 is the first attraction, but it is currently closed. This fine piece of equipment needs to be completely renovated. Funding was unclear for a long time. In November 2020, the green light was given for support from the federal government, which ensures that it will remain in Mannheim. Pleasure boat moorings were also planned. When this will happen is written in the stars. The first opportunity for a stop will be in Ladenburg at kilometre 13, which is steeped in history. 3,000 years ago, the Celts could already be found here, and the Romans considered it a provincial town. Pleasure craft can moor here at the distinctive landing stage if they do not obstruct the passenger boats, which rarely stop here. Be sure to check the timetable on the notice board or contact the provider Weisse Flotte Heidelberg ( www.weisseflottehd.de ) for the current mooring times. It's well worth a visit, as the town not only has a picturesque old town with historic half-timbered architecture and numerous gastronomic temptations, but also the Dr Carl Benz Automobile Museum ( www.automuseum-ladenburg.de ) is also an attractive destination for fans of automotive technology at the former home of the Benz family.
Need more information? You can find the first part of our "Neckar" district portrait with a service section and many more pictures in BOOTE issue 04/2021 from 17 March 2021 at newsstands or online in the Delius Klasing Shop.
Just eleven kilometres further on in Heidelberg, the extremely comfortable swimming jetties of the clubs on the right bank in front of the Theodor-Heuß Bridge await visitors. The MBC Heidelberg ( www.mbc-heidelberg.de ) and the MYC Heidelberg ( www.myc-heidelberg.de ) usually have places for guest travellers if you book in advance. At least one overnight stay should be planned here, as Heidelberg is one of the pearls on the Neckar. The old town is just a short walk from the jetties. Life is usually bustling in the winding little alleyways. Shops alternate with restaurants. Tourists dominate the scene. The path to the medieval castle directly above the centre can be mastered in a quarter of an hour. A visit to the ruins is also worthwhile for the beautiful view over the city and the Neckar. Those looking for more peace and quiet can walk through the medieval bridge gate over the Karl Theodor Bridge, better known as the Old Bridge, which has been crossing the river in its current version since 1788. Here, the Schlangenweg leads to the famous Philosophenweg with a beautiful view of the Neckar, the Old Town and the castle. A highlight in the city is the castle illumination, which takes place three times a year. The dates for 2021 are 5 June, 10 July and 4 September. The beautiful backdrop is transformed into a sea of lights with fireworks. If you can plan ahead, you should reserve a berth well in advance. It's a special experience from the boat.
After leaving the tourist magnet of Heidelberg, the Neckar becomes noticeably quieter. Steep slopes and small villages pass the boat tourists by. Small clubs and some towns offer opportunities for a stop. Behind the Heidelberg lock in Schlierbach, another jetty belonging to the MBC Heidelberg awaits with guest facilities. Soon you will pass the Neckargemünder Wassersportverein 1983 e.V., which operates its small harbour in the branching Elsenz. Only members are allowed to enter the harbour. After the next but one bend comes Neckarsteinach, which boasts four castles, all of which were built between 1100 and 1230. In addition to the ruins of the Schwalbennest and Hinterburg castles, there is also the inhabited Mittelburg and Vorderburg castles. The only mooring option directly below the mouth of the Steinach must be approached carefully, as there is a dangerous ledge here. There is a quiet anchorage in the upper water of the weir. From the Dilsberg campsite ( www.camping-dilsberg.de ), where pleasure craft of up to five metres can moor, there is a good view of the idyll. Just five kilometres away, the watersports club Neckarhäuserhof 1983 e.V. ( www.wsf-neckarhaeuserhof.de ) with jetties and sanitary facilities. After a few bends, the Hirschhorn Neckar bend with Hirschhorn Castle from the 13th century appears on the horizon. People settled here 6000 years ago. At the entrance to the town there is a large caravan park with a slip ramp and jetty, where trailers can also be parked. You can lie down on the sheet pile wall near the historic town centre in front of the castle. It is not far to the small centre with its restaurants. After passing through the locks, you reach Eberbach at kilometre 57. You can moor and spend the night on the paved bank. It is often quite crowded here in summer. The boats are then moored in packs against the wall. The town has an attractive old town centre with half-timbered architecture and many restaurants. Above the town are the ruins of three castles from the 12th and 13th centuries, which can be easily reached after a short hike.
The next port of call is Zwingenberg. The Motor-Yacht-Club Neckar e.V. has excellent moorings with guest pontoons and full service. There is also a campsite. There is also an excellent view of Zwingenberg Castle ( www.schloss-zwingenberg.de ), which is inhabited by Prince Ludwig von Baden. In addition to guided tours, regular castle festivals are organised in the summer months ( www.schlossfestspiele-zwingenberg.de ) take place. Beautiful hikes are also possible, for example to the famous Wolfsschlucht gorge or to the Krösselbach ceramics workshop ( www.kroesselbach.de ) near the Rockenau lock. Bicycles can be hired from the harbour master. The town with some catering facilities can be reached on foot via a bridge.
Need more information? You can find the first part of our "Neckar" district portrait with a service section and many more pictures in BOOTE issue 04/2021 from 17 March 2021 at newsstands or online in the Delius Klasing Shop.
At kilometre 75, Neckar captains pass Waldcamping Germania ( https://campingplatz-waldcamping-germania.business.site/ ) and Fortuna Camping ( www.fortuna-camping.de ) in Binau on the opposite bank. Waldcamping Germania is more suitable as a destination for long-term campers with smaller pleasure craft. Fortuna Camping, on the other hand, has a larger guest jetty and complete infrastructure with its own swimming pool and restaurant. If you don't want to spend the night on the boat, you can also hire one of the cosy shepherd's caravans. This is also the handover point for the charter yacht "Infinity", a steel displacement yacht with three double cabins, which is available from the charter agency Ferien auf dem Wasser ( www.ferien-auf-dem-wasser.de ) is offered. And just two bends in the river further on, 70 metres of jetty await at the Sportbootclub Obrigheim e.V. ( www.sbc-obrigheim.de ). The charter yachts "Maja" and "Ronja" from Rhein-Neckar-Yachtcharter ( www.rheinneckar-yachtcharter.de ). These two steel displacement vessels also have three double cabins each. You can get supplies here in the town centre, about one kilometre away.
After a further six kilometres, you reach Hassmersheim at river kilometre 87.3. The HBV-Haßmersheim harbour facilities are located here (www.hbv-hassmersheim.de ) with a marvellous view of Neckarzimmern and Hornberg Castle ( www.burg-hornberg.de ). The old walls were inhabited by the famous knight Götz von Berlichingen in the 16th century. Like his predecessor, the current lord of the castle is also involved in viticulture. Tastings are possible, as are overnight stays in the hotel rooms or catering in the castle's own restaurant. You can reach your destination after a good three kilometres via the nearby pedestrian bridge. For a visit to Guttenberg Castle ( burg-guttenberg.de ) with the German Griffin Observatory, a five-kilometre hike to Neckarmühlbach is highly recommended. In addition to flight demonstrations with eagles and vultures, there is also a museum and the castle tavern, which also offers hearty knights' feasts. You can also spend the night in the medieval hostel or in the Burgfrieden holiday flats. You could hardly spend a more rustic day or night on the Neckar. For a short visit, it may also be possible to use the passenger boat landing stage at kilometre 92, but this should be arranged in advance with the shipping company Personenschifffahrt Stumpf GmbH & Co. KG ( www.ausflugsschiffe-heilbronn.de ) can be co-ordinated. Catering is available here at the Gasthaus zum Neckartal ( www.gasthaus-zum-neckartal.de ). Then it is only a one kilometre walk to reach the late medieval hilltop castle of Guttenberg ( www.burg-guttenberg.de ).
Need more information? You can find the first part of our "Neckar" district portrait with a service section and many more pictures in BOOTE issue 04/2021 from 17 March 2021 at newsstands or online in the Delius Klasing Shop.
PART 2 of the exploration of the Neckar with a visit to Heilbronn, the metropolis of Stuttgart and idyllic villages such as Besigheim will be published in BOOTE 7/21
