Tour Overview
From Bamberg at 240 metres above sea level, 11 locks manage the 166 metre lift over a stretch of 99 kilometres (61.5 miles) to the summit of the Main-Danube Canal (just above Lock Hilpoltstein) at 406 metres above sea level.
This stretch not only highlights the incredible engineering of the canal and its predecessors, designed to bridge the watershed between the Main and Danube rivers, but also showcases cities such as Nuremberg, famous for its gingerbread and intact medieval city walls; Forcheim and its nearby world-renowned water mills; and Bamberg, an intact medieval gem. Enjoy the lush countryside and picturesque towns along the way.
Construction of the Main-Danube Canal began in Bamberg in 1960 and the canal was extended to Nuremberg in 1972. This phase marked the development of the northernmost section of the canal between Bamberg and Nuremberg, a crucial part of the overall project to link the Main and Danube rivers.
During this period the focus was on the construction of the locks and the excavation of the canal route to enable navigation. The completion of this section was an important milestone in realising the vision of a navigable waterway linking the North Sea to the Black Sea. Subsequent phases continued south from Nuremberg to Kelheim, with the entire canal completed in 1992.
Major developments during this period included
1. Lock construction: Advanced engineering techniques were used to construct large locks to overcome the steep gradients and allow future navigation by larger vessels.
2. Excavation and canal formation: Sections of the canal were excavated, widened and lined, with infrastructure such as bridges and culverts installed to integrate the canal into the regional transport network.
3. Technical preparation for water supply: Preliminary studies and preliminary works were carried out for the water management systems required for the summit section, although the full development of reservoirs and pumping stations took place later.
4. Economic and strategic objectives: At this stage, the emphasis was on creating a navigable waterway to improve the efficiency of trade and transport across Europe, while overcoming geographical and environmental challenges.
By 1972, much of the canal's central structure was in place, an important step towards its final completion in 1992, when the Main-Danube Canal became a key link in European inland navigation, but construction was halted for the next eight years and resumed in 1980 between canal kilometres 84 and 99.
This section includes the Leerstetten lock at kilometre 84.32, completed in 1980, the Eckersmühlen lock at kilometre 94.94, completed in 1985, and the Hilpoltstein lock at kilometre 98.99, completed in 1989. These locks were an integral part of managing the changes in height along this section of the canal, making it easier for larger vessels to navigate.
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