The Lahn is no longer an insider tip, but neither is it an overcrowded recreational boating area. From its source in the south-east of the Rothaargebirge mountains, it flows 245.6 kilometres through the Upper and Lower Lahn Valley until it flows into the Rhine west of Lahnstein. From Limburg to Lahnstein, around 70 kilometres of the Lahn can be navigated by pleasure boat. The river promises one thing above all: relaxation.
We started our trip on the Lahn with the rubber dinghy in Lahnstein at km 136.7. We had already arrived the day before and so had the opportunity to walk along the banks of the Lahn in the evening and fortify ourselves in the small brewery "Maximilian" with sharp cheese, spaetzle pans and home-brewed Hellen. We got the tip for this at the tourist information centre in the Stadthallenpassage.
With the help of the free "Gästeinformation Lahnstein" booklet, you can visit many of the town's sights, some of which are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Upper Middle Rhine Valley", in just a few hours.
Yachtcharter Geipel offers moorings at the Lahnbrücke bridge. This is where we moor our Zodiac 340 Cadet dinghy in the morning. The conditions are perfect: the sky is clear and blue above the slopes that tower over the town and river in summery green. Our trusty 15 hp two-stroke outboard comes to life with the first pull, and we begin our three-day journey that will take us up the river to Limburg.
Passing the red and yellow half-timbered inn on the Lahn, where Goethe once stopped for lunch in 1774, we have another beautiful view of the medieval Lahneck Castle on the right bank, which has watched over the small town with its striking keep since the Staufer era (tours are possible from Easter to All Saints' Day).
We enter the Lahnstein lock at kilometre 136.0. The same applies here as for all barrages up to Cramberg: Book locks in advance by telephone (see Info). A few hundred metres further on we pass the old lock house, now a marina with a restaurant, and at km 134.8 is the Yachtclub-Lahntal e.V. association with moorings and camping sites (tel. 02621-754 86).
The course of the river is still very natural, and so we travel through the deeply incised valley of the Lower Lahn (Nievern lock at km 129.4, see info) to Bad Ems. At kilometre 127.0 we come to the lock of the small spa town before mooring in the late morning.
This is no problem at the guest jetties of "Kutschers Marina" (at km 126.8 RU). Past the Russian Orthodox church, which with its blue and gold onion domes looks like a well-heeled spa guest from the past, it is only a few minutes to the centre.
Even the Romans appreciated Bad Ems with its numerous healing springs and recovered here from their guard duty at the nearby Limes. The effects of the water, which is up to 60 degrees, are still utilised today for baths and drinking cures as well as for the production of the famous "Emser Pastillen" (Ems pastilles). We expectantly fill our drinking bottles with the warm water at a tap and have to pour it back into the Lahn a few minutes later - its strong salty flavour is not to everyone's taste after all ...
A ride on the Kurwaldbahn railway up to Bismarckhöhe offers an excellent view of the city. (The "iron chancellor" was also drawn to the Lahn for a summer holiday in his day). Once at the top, you can stop off at the restaurant with its panoramic terrace. It's worth taking a little time to not only admire Bad Ems from above, but also to stroll through the park along the river, just as the crowned heads of Europe once did.
We are therefore somewhat surprised to come across the "Beatles Museum" in Römerstraße (admission free). The exhibition of the impressive private collection of the legendary Liverpool mushroom heads is located in a café with a fitting name: Yellow Submarine.
We leave the remaining seven river kilometres of the day comfortably behind us. The last lock is just before Dausenau at kilometre 122.4, and a few minutes later we moor just below the next inn on the Lahn. It is said that Goethe not only stopped here, but that the prince of poets even immortalised himself on a tabletop with a mocking saying. Unfortunately, the graffito has not survived the test of time.
As soon as you leave the jetty, you notice the old town walls on the so-called towpath along the shore. We quickly take our bags to the guesthouse and buy some water in the only shop in town (open until 6 p.m., better to stock up in Bad Ems). Then we set off on a voyage of discovery along the old town walls.
We leave Dausenau early the next day in order to start the 30 kilometres along the river to Balduinstein on time. Apart from us, there are almost only water birds on the Lahn at this time of day, such as the Comoran, which slowly rises out of the water in front of us. Later on, we encounter many canoeists, for whom the calm river is ideal. Every now and then we also come across sports boats and rubber dinghies.
After just one hour we pass Nassau (with a lock at kilometre 117.6). Caution is then required at kilometre 113.5 RU: A power station causes a cross-current here. The next lock (Hollerich) is only 400 metres further on, and the route continues past picturesque half-timbered houses, castles and castle ruins whose battlements rise up from the wooded slopes.
Balduinstein, a tranquil village at kilometre 90.8, also offers guest moorings at the jetty of the Schaumburg Motor Yacht Club. The "Hergehahn" guesthouse in Balduinstein is a cosy establishment with large rooms and a restaurant in the garden. The ideal place to round off a summer's day with trout and a glass of "Goethenberg", a rosé from the nearby Obernhof.
A visit to Schaumburg Castle is possible, but should be planned in advance (www.schloss-schaumburg.de). In our case, the spontaneous visit was cancelled due to construction work.
The journey to Diez takes us through the Nassau Nature Park and is impressive, so we take our time to marvel, not just out of consideration for the paddlers.
Diez welcomes us with a backdrop of restored houses along steep banks. We stop at the town jetty to refill our canisters (15 minutes' walk to the petrol station, 10 minutes to the supermarket). As we continue our journey, we should initially keep to port, as rocks rise up on the southern edge of the bank.
At the Limburg lock (km 76.6), a friendly attendant welcomes all those arriving with tips on mooring and leisure activities. We leave the town behind us for the time being and continue on to make another loop below the Lubentinus Basilica (km 73.3). The loop to the grey basilica on the rugged limestone cliff far from any town is worthwhile. It's Sunday and the Lahn is very busy: from excursion boats to BBQ boats - the whole of Limburg seems to be drawn to the water.
A few metres before the motorway bridge, we moor at a slipway on the starboard bank and take the boat out of the water. We spend our last night in Limburg an der Lahn in the lovingly furnished "Priester" guest house. From here, it is only a few minutes' walk to the medieval centre of the historic town, where the elaborately designed house facades still bear witness to the prosperity of the merchants. After an exciting city tour around the cathedral, our trip ends this evening at the fish market in the quaint vaulted pub "Tonne", just as relaxed as it began.
WHAT SKIPPERS NEED TO KNOW
The Lahn is navigable from the confluence with the Rhine at Lahnstein (km 137.3) to Steede (km 70.0) over a distance of around 67 kilometres. It is designated as a federal waterway. The maximum permitted speed is 12 km/h, the target water depth is 1.60 m and the fairway width is 12 m. The maximum clearance height is 3.61 metres (station bridge in Bad Ems). The upper, uncanalised part of the Lahn, on the other hand, is only navigable for pleasure craft in individual sections and not throughout.
Locks Between Lahnstein and Limburg, twelve barrages overcome a total height difference of 60 metres. From 1 April to 31 October, the locks are open from 10 am to 12 noon and 12.30 pm to 6.30 pm. Boats must have entered the chamber by 6.15 pm at the latest. From 1 November to 31 March, the locks are only open during operating hours by appointment (tel. 06432-952 80).
Refuelling In Bad Ems (km 126.5 RU) at Bootsservice Kutscher. Fuel types: diesel, super. Operating hours: 1 April to 31 October daily 9am-12pm and 1pm-6pm. 1 November to 31 March by arrangement. Tel. 02603-42 97.
Cruising guide and charts
- Wolfgang Banzhaf: The Lahn - from Lahnstein to Steeden, Verlag Rheinschiffahrt, 2009, ISBN 978-3-924823-14-
- Martin Schulze: Bootswandern auf der Lahn, Pollner Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-925660-96-2
- BOOTE-Extra lock calendar (BOOTE 6/2011)
- Lahn waterway map, scale 1 : 75 000, Jübermann Verlag, 2009, ISBN 978-3-929540-09
Boat We travelled in a Zodiac 340 Cadet (3.40 m long, www.zodiacmarine.de) with a 15 hp two-stroke outboard from Yamaha (www.yamaha-motor.de).
Cruise stages
Lahnstein - Dausenau: 15.9 km
Dausenau - Balduinstein: 30 km
Balduinstein - Limburg: 15.2 km
Total distance: 61.1 km
