Neckar: Bends, locks, sluices - travelling on the Swabian river

A famous admirer

What do the Mississippi and the Neckar have in common? The surprising answer: they both cast a spell over a great American writer.

"No one who has not travelled down the Neckar on a raft has grasped the full extent of this gentle beauty"

Incredible but true, these words come from none other than Mark Twain. On his trip to Europe in 1879, he travelled down the Neckar on a raft - as befits the creative father of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn - and then sang the praises of the Swabian river. And this despite the fact that he even capsized twice. Mark Twain, whose real name was Samuel Clemens, was particularly fond of the then already famous student city of Heidelberg and the forests of the Neckar Valley, to which he made many excursions. He wrote: "One never tires of rummaging around in the dense forests that clothe all these high Neckar mountains right up to their peaks."

The Neckar - a tamed river

Reason enough to follow in his footsteps and explore the region by boat, we thought. Admittedly, at the end of the 19th century, the Neckar was certainly not what it is today. It was a busy shipping route, tamed by 27 barrages, straightening and embankments. Around 5,000 ships transport around five million tonnes of goods here every year. The river also feeds 26 power stations on its way to the north-west. That no longer sounds romantic. The name Neckar comes from the Celtic and means wild, raging river. Today, it hardly lives up to this name. But there are still natural stretches where the Neckar winds its way through the landscape - albeit no longer wild and torrential. Once it has freed itself from the industrialised conurbations around Stuttgart, it passes baroque Ludwigsburg, the home town of our crew on this trip. The picturesque section lined with vineyards between the Schiller town of Marbach and the Hessigheim rock gardens is well known to our "Swabian crew". We therefore start further north.

At the foot of the Odenwald

From Gundelsheim onwards, the landscape changes considerably. This is where the Neckar enters the Odenwald, where high wooded slopes instead of vineyards line its banks. The river meanders in sometimes narrow loops through a narrow breakthrough valley all the way to Heidelberg. Around what feels like every bend, a castle (or at least the remains of one) towers over the Neckar valley - witnesses to a time when kings and princes held the sceptre in their hands and tried to wrest it from each other. The stuff of legends and myths. Romanticism can still be found here. We set off in the morning from Binau, the home harbour of our charter boat "Infinity", a Passion Yacht 1400, which is located on the longest bend in the Neckar. Directly behind the jetty at the Fortuna campsite, we make a 180-degree turn. It is the middle of July, and you can already feel the heat of the day ahead looming in the morning. But after a downpour the night before, the air is still fresh and it's good to be on the water. Shortly after casting off, we spot two kingfishers flitting across the water and disappearing into the embankment. An indication that the water quality of the shipping lane has indeed improved and that nature is recovering.

Neckar valley full of locks

After twenty minutes, we register at the Guttenbach lock. It is the first of a total of seven locks that we have to negotiate downstream to Heidelberg. The construction of the locks and barrages has made 203 of the 367 kilometres of the Neckar navigable from its source to its mouth in the Rhine. On average, the double locks follow each other at intervals of seven kilometres. We are told by telephone that the right-hand chamber is ready for us. We enter the filled chamber, and a short time later we descend - considerably. The average drop height of the imposing hydraulic structure is 5.30 metres. But after all, the Neckar has to overcome an incredible 160 metres difference in height on its way to the Upper Rhine Plain - comparable to Ulm Minster. We continue via the Rockenau lock, where we have to wait briefly for the counter lock, in the direction of Eberbach, our destination for today.

Red sandstone and green forest

Shortly after the Rockenau lock, the Teufelskanzel (Devil's Pulpit) breaks through the dark green wooded mountainside in front of us. The impressive rock formation on the Kranichberg near Eberbach is a popular hiking destination and viewpoint. We will encounter the characteristic reddish Neckar valley sandstone again shortly afterwards. This is because the stones used to build Heidelberg Castle and the Old Bridge came from here. We moor at the quay wall in Eberbach around midday. Pleasure boat harbours are a rarity on the Neckar, and there is hardly any provision for guests. We only encounter one other motorboat until Heidelberg, but plenty of barges and excursion boats. The municipal jetty in Eberbach is free of charge and there is even an electricity column. We visit the medieval old town with its historic town fortifications, the 13th century Powder Tower and the Thalheim House. The 15th-century building has had an eventful history and is now home to the Neckartal-Odenwald Nature Park Information Centre.

Numerous castles line the Neckar

We want to get a breath of Odenwald air and set off on the 45-minute climb to the castle ruins. Not much is left of the fortress. We wander between the enchanted remains of the walls and overgrown archways and try to imagine how people lived here a good 800 years ago. A foretaste of what awaits us the next day when we reach Neckarsteinach, the town of four castles. The next morning, we stock up on typical Swabian provisions at a 600-year-old family business before setting off: Pretzels. Master baker Christian Beisel is the 21st generation to run the bakery in Rosengasse, just a few minutes from our berth on Uferstrasse. We want to be in Heidelberg by the evening. Until then, we have 33 kilometres and four locks ahead of us. But we want to visit a few castles on the way. So we cast off early.

Neckarsteinach - the town of four castles

At Eberbach, the Neckar changes its direction of flow from north-west to south-west and forms the state border between Baden-Württemberg and Hesse for a few kilometres. We pass the Hirschhorn and Neckarsteinach locks and reach our next destination in time for lunch. Here, too, we can moor at the quay wall without having to register and free of charge. However, you need very long lines to reach the few mooring rings. There is no electricity here. But it's definitely enough for a short stopover.

Just like Eberbach, Neckarsteinach lies at the foot of the Odenwald on the Castle Road, which stretches from Mannheim to Prague, and boasts four impressive buildings from the Middle Ages. However, two of them, the Vorderburg and the Mittelburg, are privately owned and partly inhabited. The impressive Hinterburg was reduced to ruins during the Thirty Years' War, as was the fourth castle, Schadeck, built into the steep slope above the Neckar. Thanks to its picturesque location, the town's landmark has always been known as the Swallow's Nest. Those who don't shy away from the climb from the town centre will be rewarded with a breathtaking view over the Neckar loop and the Dilsberg. And as you stroll through the historic walls, it is no longer surprising that some researchers believe that the minnesinger Bligger II von Steinach, who came from here, is the author of the Song of the Nibelungs.

Shipping tradition on the Neckar

After the sweat-inducing climb, we stroll through the shady, winding alleyways of the old town with a well-earned ice cream in hand, where one half-timbered house follows the next. In front of the town hall, a maritime monument catches our eye. The Schifferbrunnen consists of five stacked ship's propellers and was donated in 1997 by the traditional Schifferverein - a symbol of the importance that shipping had for Neckarsteinach. In the 1950s and 1960s, Neckarsteinach was one of the largest inland shipping communities in Germany. We cast off at around 3.30 pm and continue downstream through the idyllic low mountain range landscape. We encounter more and more excursion boats. Shortly before the Neckargemünd lock, the "Königin Silvia", the newest ship in the Heidelberg White Fleet, comes towards us with a blue sign on her starboard side. We pass her on starboard and continue on our way towards the birthplace of the Queen of Sweden, after whom the fully crewed ship was named.

Heidelberg - a young city with history

We reach the Heidelberg lock in the early evening. In front of us lies the Karl Theodor Bridge, better known as the Old Bridge, and to the left rises the prominent backdrop of Heidelberg's old town, with the world-famous castle towering majestically above it. The epitome of German romanticism. For centuries, it rivalled the splendour of the imperial courts in Vienna and Prague. Tomorrow we want to take a closer look. The Heidelberg Motor Boat Club is one of two marinas on our cruise. We moor alongside the jetty, as previously agreed by telephone with the harbour master Biggi. She shows us the sanitary facilities, gives us the Wi-Fi code and helps us bunker the water.

Then it's time for dinner in the city centre. The outdoor seating in the restaurants is full on this warm summer evening. University life can be felt everywhere - even on a Wednesday evening. Around 39,000 of the city's 163,000 inhabitants are students, and 40 per cent of the population is under the age of 30. Back on board, we are treated to a breathtaking view of the old town in the evening light. The reddish stones of the bridge and the castle are illuminated by the setting sun, and at the same time it seems to be driving all the people of Heidelberg to and onto the water at the same time: hundreds of paddlers, rowers and dinghy sailors are out and about on the river, and on the banks people are meeting up under palm trees at the beach bar.

The most famous ruin in Germany

The next day is all about sightseeing. We want to climb the Königstuhl, Heidelberg's local mountain, which is 567 metres high and is said to offer a fantastic view over the Neckar valley and the Rhine plain. It's also supposed to be a good five degrees cooler up there, which seems very tempting given the forecast temperatures. The mountain railway starts at Kornmarkt in the old town and takes us to Molkenkur station. From here, we continue on the oldest electrically operated mountain railway to the Königstuhl. The view is unique. Towards the east, you can see the Neckar emerging from the Odenwald and towards the north-west, it flows into the vast Upper Rhine Plain. On a clear day, you can even see as far as Alsace.

We make our way down to the castle, once the residence of the counts palatine and electors from the House of Wittelsbach, who ruled from here for over 400 years. Today, the reddish facades of what is probably Germany's most famous ruin are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Europe. Incidentally, the largest wine barrel ever filled in the world is located in the cellar of the castle complex.

No room in Hirschhorn

On day five of our trip, we have to turn round. From now on it's uphill. We want to visit Hirschhorn and Zwingenberg on the way back, so we set off early again and get through three locks by midday. However, when we reach Hirschhorn at around 12 noon, we are disappointed. Due to a festival, the town's sheet piling is full to capacity. Mooring our 14-metre yacht in the packet is out of the question, as only smaller rowing and fishing boats are allowed. So we report to the lock and have an unscheduled lunch on deck en route. It's still a good two and a half hours to Zwingenberg. We make the best of it and enjoy the cool breeze. Shortly before we reach our destination, towers and battlements rise up from the dense mixed forest on the hillside.

Zwingenberg - culture and romance

Zwingenberg Castle is known throughout the region for the open-air theatre that takes place here every summer. We moor on the opposite bank at the Motor Yacht Club Neckar (mycn) on the floating jetty. Towards evening, the riverside road fills up with an endlessly long queue of parked cars and a caravan of smartly dressed people makes a pilgrimage up the slope. From on board, we enjoy the view of the illuminated castle and the unexpected live concert. It is said that Carl Maria von Weber was inspired to write his opera "Der Freischütz" here by the Wolfsschlucht gorge behind the castle. This is why it is also performed annually at the castle festival. According to legend, the wild and romantic gorge, which was cut into the valley behind Zwingenburg Castle by a stream, owes its name to the fact that the last wolf in the Odenwald was killed here in 1866.

Cool off in the Wolf Gorge

The next day, despite the forecast of 31 degrees, we want to go hiking. The prospect of spending the hot afternoon in a shady gorge moistened by spray overrides any doubts as to whether a four-hour hike on a midsummer's day is really such a good idea. Before that, however, one of us has to go to "Gisela's Shop" on the other side of the river to get some bread rolls. This involves a 15-minute walk across the pedestrian bridge and along the village street. The small post office shop is the only supply option in the small village and is only open in the mornings.

After breakfast, we climb up the steep steps to the castle. The very well-preserved castle complex is probably one of the most impressive fortresses in the Neckar valley. The castle is currently inhabited by Prince Ludwig von Baden and his family and cannot be visited. However, we are more in the mood for nature than culture today anyway. So we walk round the castle and make our way through the gorge. We are greeted by dense foliage and babbling waterfalls. Just the thing for a hot July day. And a wonderful end to our Neckar cruise. What was that again? "You never get tired of rummaging around in the dense forests ...". The next day we say goodbye to the Infinity again in Binau and agree: Mark Twain was right.

Charter:

Holidays on the water, agency for houseboat hire
In der Breite 21, 78591 Durchhausen, Tel: 07464 9891370 www.ferien-auf-dem-wasser.de

Read more reports on charter cruises on rivers here:

• The Saale - from Bernburg to Magdeburg
• Splendid Flanders - to Bruges and Ghent
• The upper Havel - idyll, industrial history and the waters of Templin