Nicht allzuviel von «schöner, blauer» Donau

Bericht Danube trip 2019
RC Breite Basel from
July 6 - 14: Ingolstadt-Passau

Our journey took us from Basel by train via Karlsruhe-Nuremberg-Munich to Ingolstadt.

Ingolstadt is a district-free large city on the Donau River in the Free State of Bavaria with 138,181 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2018). Around half a million people live in the metropolitan area. Ingolstadt is the second largest city in Upper Bavaria after Munich and the fifth largest city in Bavaria after Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg and Regensburg. The city passed the 100,000 population mark in 1989 and has been one of the major cities in Germany ever since. Ingolstadt is the second largest German city on the Donau River after Regensburg and is one of the fastest growing cities in Germany. Ingolstadt became the seat of the first university in Bavaria on March 13, 1472, which later distinguished itself as a center of the Counter-Reformation. The free-thinking Illuminati Order was also founded here in 1776. For a good 400 years, the city was a Bavarian state fortress. First mentioned in 806, it is home to a largely preserved historic old town.

We found accommodation at the Hotel Adler in order to get our boats ready in the morning with cabs in Vohburg, chauffeured here by Valerio, Brigitte and André Stalder with the transporter and the boat trailer from AWS Birsfelden.

Sunday, 1st stage: Ingolstadt-Kehlheim, 28 km

In pouring rain we set up the trestle (pulley) to unload, water and equip the boats. For the first 23 kilometers, about four hours, we were able to test our rain gear and then stow it in our backpacks for the rest of the Danube trip.

Arrived at the monastery Weltenburg, we went to the tables for lunch stop, of course, dark and light beer, brewed in the monastery brewery since 1050, the oldest monastery brewery in the world. Weltenburger Barock Dunkel is almost as famous as its home. Since time immemorial, visitors and locals have enjoyed the dark barley juice. It is drinkable, full-bodied and has a fine spiciness. After appropriate maturation, it reaches us (Weltenburg Monastery) via a pipeline from the brewery's rock cellar directly into the tap. The monastery brewery is the oldest still existing monastery brewery in the world. In its present appearance, it is a technical gem that brings out the special features - its own Jura spring water and an ancient brewing recipe from Benedictine tradition - to taste in a perfect production process. The last glass of beer emptied, the "Haxe" squeezed, we continued in the direction of Kehlheim past the Klösterl hermitage, a rustic inn, through the Weltenburg narrows (Danube breakthrough). On the left above the Liberation Hall, built in memory of the battles won against Napoleon during the wars of liberation in the years from 1813 to 1815. Client of the construction was King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The town is located at the exit of the Danube breakthrough below the Michelsberg mountain at the confluence of the Altmühl and the Danube, thus just beyond the point where the Danube crosses the Franconian Alb. It is the district town of the county of the same name in the administrative district of Lower Bavaria and lies on the Danube and Main-Danube Canal between Ingolstadt and Regensburg. Kelheim is overlooked by the Liberation Hall, which is located on a mountain spur between the Danube and Altmühl valleys. We spent the night at Gasthof Berzl in Kehlheim.

Monday, stage 2: Kehlheim-Regensburg, 31.6 km After continuing our journey in the morning, after 3 km we met the mouth of the Main-Danube Canal, from here on the Danube is a federal waterway. The canal is almost 170 km long, was built from 1960 to 1992 and was already at that time highly controversial in its sense. From 1960 to 1992, about 2.3 billion euros were invested in the construction of the waterway. By the time we stopped for lunch at the Brauereigasthof Berghammer, we had covered about 17 km. Here we had fresh pretzels and of course again light and dark at will ... After another 15 km we reached the Regensburg Rowing Club, where we could supply our material and the boats were well secured. Regensburg (from Latin Castra Regina; also Ratisbona and Ratispona) is the capital of the administrative district Upper Palatinate with seat of the government of the Upper Palatinate as well as of the district administrator of the administrative district Regensburg and an independent city in Eastern Bavaria. Since July 13, 2006, Regensburg's largely preserved old town including Stadtamhof with its historic ensembles and monuments has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has 150,894 inhabitants (December 31, 2017), making it the fourth largest city in Bavaria after Munich, Nuremberg and Augsburg. It is the episcopal see of the diocese of Regensburg, has three universities and is one of the 3 regional centers in Bavaria. In the hotel Kaiserhof at the cathedral of Regensburg we spent two nights, because there was no suitable accommodation after the day's stage with the ships.

Kraftwerkpassage über eine «Rutsche» mal was anderes als Rollen … funktioniert perfekt

The Weidlinge in the night camp in Regensburg

Tuesday, stage 3: Regensburg - Geisling power station, 28.5 km We drove in each case with cabs from and to the ships at the power station Geisling, we could stow the material in our transporter. While passing through Regensburg, we passed the pedestrian bridge "Steinerne Brücke" with the start of construction in 1135, it is the oldest preserved bridge in Germany and is considered a masterpiece of medieval architecture. When it was opened, it was the only bridge over the Danube between Ulm and Vienna. At km 2368.7 is the Walhalla memorial, built at the behest of King Ludwig I, opened in 1842. A tedious, endless staircase to visit a few plaster figures ... to each his own; but at least above the Danube plain with a far-reaching view a pleasurable beer to finish ...

Ready for the ascent to Valhalla

Because let's just wait ...

Wednesday, stage 4: Geisling-Straubing power station, 27 km

The next stage took us to Straubing. Idyllically situated on the Danube - between Regensburg and Passau - and close to the Bavarian Forest, Straubing welcomes its visitors with an impressive city skyline. Each of the towers, which greet the traveler from afar, tells a piece of the city's history. And this history began more than 2000 years ago, with traces of human settlement dating back almost 8000 years. The Celts settled in the fertile Danube plain, the Gäuboden, about two centuries before Christ, followed by the Romans and the early Bavarians. They all left their traces, for example golden coins, magnificent Roman armor, elegant Bavarian jewelry.

The Hotel Gäubodenhof at Theresienplatz offered us hospitality.

Thursday, stage 5: Straubing-Deggendorf, 36 km

After the departure at the road bridge Straubing, with 47,000 inhabitants. the largest city in the Gäuboden and since 2017 university town. On the left mouth of the lock canal from the power plant Straubing. Here there is a kilometer jump (about 6 km) by cutting off a former river loop. Our next stage town is Deggendorf. Worth seeing city with 32,700 ew; devastated by a devastating flood in 2013. The pear-shaped city layout of Deggendorf goes back far into the Middle Ages. The wide street market with the old town hall with its mighty Gothic tower runs through the middle of it.

Here, the Stadthotel Deggendorf on the Eastern Stadtgraben offered us accommodation.

Eine ungewohnte Festbindemöglichkeit bei der Mittagsrast

Eine wacklige Angelegenheit beim Mittagshalt …

Nachtlager für die Schiffe beim Deggendorfer Ruderclub

Friday, stage 6: Deggendorf-Vilshofen, 35 km

On the last stage on the water we passed after about 3 km the mouth right of the Isar into the Danube, it is 292 km long and is one of the most popular canoe waters in Bavaria. Since the stage town Vilshofen was preparing for the big fireworks "Danube in Flames", we had to look for another disarming place to load our boats. We found this and managed without any problems. When the last tension belt was knotted to the trailer and the ships, a thundershower poured down on our material. But this could not annoy us anymore, because we had already found a shelter and the well-deserved beer was ordered. After moving into the hotel in Vilshofen and a cozy dinner we went to enjoy the big fireworks with music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCQbjfm9TBQ

(launch and enjoy fireworks!)

High water marks on the newly built protective wall of Hofkirchen, our disarmament place

Sie sind wieder aufgeladen und abfahrbereit, sie haben ihren Dienst geleistet …

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the main people responsible for the impeccable organization of our long-distance trip:

Hansruedi Mohler, Dominik Meier, Valerio Stalder