Rhine water levels 2016 and similar topics

[Spartantartan]

I cannot thank you enough for these great reports, notamermaid. And this latest gives me hope for smooth sailing (pun intended). We are flying to Zurich via London later today, a long journey from California, and I will think positive thoughts the entire way. I'll keep watching for more reports and will contribute my own (wifi permitting) on board. Thanks again.

 

 

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[M&Rsquared]

notamermaid,

I've been looking at the webcam in Koblenz. I noticed what looks like tents placed at Deutsches Eck.

 

any idea what the occasion is?

 

while I was typing this I went back to the webcam(5:22am your time) and the area looks like it is fogged in.

 

I too would like to thank you for all the information you provide.

[notamermaid]

The latest release of the official water levels shows Maxau at 7.50m exactly! I.e. while I write the water level is at the flood mark II and the next data might reveal a drop below the mark (which will be at 9.30am, it is updated every 15 minutes). It will take a while before the authorities will lift the ban, but it looks really promising.

 

M&Rsquared,

 

Thank you. Yes, I can see the tents, they are like plastic gazebos for garden parties. Those are probably the organizers and food/drink stations tents for tomorrow's "münz firmenlauf". It is a local running competition für company employees of sorts. That is a local but nevertheless relatively big event where many people run either a 5km or 3km course (the 3km is for schoolchildren, I believe) round the Deutsches Eck, the embankment on the Rhine and the Empress Augusta Gardens.

 

I would not want to do that in 30 degrees.

 

The sun is shining bright already and you can just feel it is going to be hot today.

 

notamermaid

[notamermaid]

The ban has been lifted by the authorities.

 

notamermaid

[jpalbny]

Good news! I wonder how long it will take to get all the river boats arranged where they need to be in order to get back to some semblance of order?

[Spartantartan]

Excellent news! Thank you notamermaid!!! After a long travel day, we are in Zurich. Weather is hot, humid and nor rain today...perhaps a little tonight.

 

 

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[notamermaid]

Hello Spartantartan,

 

welcome to Europe. I hope you have a great time in Switzerland despite the humid and hot air. Get ready for another very summery day.

 

Lake Constance is very high, some restrictions at roads and other safety measures are in place in the area.

 

The authorities report about the river level falling only very slowly. The hot day will lead to thunderstorms late at night or during the day tomorrow. It is going to be a "tropical night" tonight in some parts, that is a metereological term meaning the nighttime temperature will not drop below 20 degrees. Really stuffy air that often means...

 

By the way, I live in a place that gets lots of sunshine from morning to evening through various windows, on the top floor in an old building without air-conditioning. The temperature in my living room is currently at 27.5 degrees and it is only ten to eleven in the morning.

 

notamermaid

Edited June 24, 2016 by notamermaid

[notamermaid]

Here on CC we have discussed several times over the last two years the fact that the rivers are getting more crowded with river ships and the docking stations are getting fuller, resulting in more rafting of ships.

 

Here is a short news (no video) report of a local TV channel in the Upper Rhine valley: http://www.baden-tv.com/neue-schiffsanlegestelle-in-plittersdorf-130827/ dated 1st of April 2016

 

It says that a new docking station at Rastatt-Plittersdorf has undergone a successful "test docking" of a river cruise ship of the Swiss company Thurgau Travel. This new docking station has been only allowed for ships up to 75m so far. But the test means that authorities will allow the place to be used for ships up to 135m. There had been safety concerns for the local ferry nearby, but the test showed that there was no danger.

 

That is good news in my opinion as Rastatt-Plittersdorf opens up a new area for river cruise ships both in favourable conditions and for those times when a river closure is put in place. Rastatt is 2/5 the way between Strasbourg and Speyer, a little downstream from the lock at Iffezheim. Rastatt has got a famous Baroque place and Baden-Baden, the elegant spa town, is half an hour's coach ride away. Plittersdorf is surrounded by riparian woodlands close to old meanders of the Rhine.

A couple of river cruisers have reported a trip out to Baden-Baden; stopping at Rastatt would make it more convenient to get there in the future. I wonder if a cruise line will jump at the opportunity and offer a different itinerary, perhaps leaving out Breisach?

 

This is Rastatt palace: http://www.schloss-rastatt.de/en/home/

 

Earlier this year, the small town of Engers just North of Koblenz got a new, larger, landing stage. It is now also equipped to welcome river cruise ships of up to 135m length. It is where the Avalon Imagery II was christened on 5 April.

 

notamermaid

Edited June 24, 2016 by notamermaid
additional information

[Cruisersjb]

We were forced to dock at Rastatt-Plittersdorf in May. We were on our way from Speyer to Strasbourg overnight when the river was suddenly closed due to high water levels so we were forced to dock there.

However the road leading out from the dock was also flooded to such an extent that the police closed the roads. This meant that the coaches were unable to reach us to take us into Strasbourg as planned so we had to spend the day marooned there. More importantly, I dread to think what would have happened if there were any accidents or illnesses on board as the emergency vehicles would not have been able to reach us.

So we spent all day watching the water getting higher and higher. In the end the water was so high the gangways, extra planks etc could not reach onto dry land! Eventually it got so bad that the captain was given permission to move to Strasbourg in the evening. We were the only ship moving on that section of the river - not a pleasant situation to be in. Hats off to our captain for getting us to Strasbourg safely.

So I do not agree that this new dock is suitable for use when the river levels are high.

[notamermaid]

Hello Cruisersjb,

 

what an unpleasant and almost dangerous situation! So eerie to be sailing along the river on the only vessel allowed. I agree, that spot does not sound suitable for a stop in very high water levels. Something the authorities should bear in mind after this incident. I know the landing stage is out of town from Plittersdorf, it is less than two kilometres to reach that suburb of Rastatt, though. But as you have clearly pointed out, not a pleasant place to be during a bad situation. Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

I hope you were able to enjoy your river cruise, nevertheless.

 

notamermaid

[notamermaid]

The running event I mentioned in post #178 has been cancelled at the last minute. The 5km circuitous route was due to start at 5pm (i.e. more or less now) but the authorities are fearful of the weather conditions. There has already been a downpour in the area. Earlier there was a thunderstorm here with hail (small grains). It is very humid. Reports are coming in on the news of flash floods in rural areas.

 

notamermaid

[Spartantartan]

Thanks for your update, notamermaid. Yes, yesterday was very, very hot and humid. Nevertheless, we managed to have a great day touring around Switzerland and going into Liechtenstein. There was no rain until late afternoon, but it looks like there will be scattered showers today. You are lucky to live in a good climate, and I do also. Perhaps that's one of he reasons I'm stressed out about the weather.

 

Do you have any reports about possible closings of the Rhine? Curiously, we crossed the Rhine yesterday fairly near Liechtenstein, and it was very low there.

 

 

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[notamermaid]

Hello Spartantartan,

 

as predicted, the river is rising again after yesterday's rainfall. There will be more rain today. At Maxau, the flood mark 2 will be reached again tonight at midnight, there is an impending closure there, then. If the authorities declare a closure it will hopefully not last long, the river level will peak during Sunday and then fall again. The river level is rising downstream as well but they say no important flood mark will be reached. I hope they are right.

 

Flash floods caused much damage yesterday. A village in the hills Southwest of Koblenz was cut off from the rest of world for hours. A regional train derailed in the Middle Rhine valley with seven people injured. The road B9 (a section) along the river bank was closed due to the water having destabilized the surface from underneath. The train lines following the river on both banks have disrupted traffic. A festival in Bade-Würrtemberg had to be cancelled mid-way for safety reasons.

 

On top of that some sirens or mermaids have sung to some people on that great island in the North Sea, slowly drifting away... I am sure it was not the Lorelei, I try to think she likes the British. People are still in shock around here.

 

What a week.

 

Hope your weekend is all you wish for, folks.

 

notamermaid

Edited June 25, 2016 by notamermaid

[notamermaid]

A recent post somewhere else on the board has inspired me to look something up. Cochem is a popular stop on almost all river cruises on the Moselle. I mean all, US-American, British, French, Dutch, German and whoever else comes to the river. In Cochem I have found out from you cruisers a trip to the mustard mill there is included or optional. Thank you Hydrokitty and Sapphire73. The owner has two mills that he operates with restored/original machines, there is another one in Cologne. I have not been there but would nevertheless liek to give it a mention here: http://www.koeln.de/tourismus/museen/koelner_senfmuseum_300032.html

 

There is no entry on the museum on the English Cologne page, I am afraid.

 

If you have been, I would like to know if you enjoyed it.

 

notamermaid

[CPT Trips]

A recent post somewhere else on the board has inspired me to look something up. Cochem is a popular stop on almost all river cruises on the Moselle. I mean all, US-American, British, French, Dutch, German and whoever else comes to the river. In Cochem I have found out from you cruisers a trip to the mustard mill there is included or optional. Thank you Hydrokitty and Sapphire73. The owner has two mills that he operates with restored/original machines, there is another one in Cologne. I have not been there but would nevertheless liek to give it a mention here: http://www.koeln.de/tourismus/museen/koelner_senfmuseum_300032.html

 

There is no entry on the museum on the English Cologne page, I am afraid.

 

If you have been, I would like to know if you enjoyed it.

 

notamermaid

We walked right by it on our way back to the ship and did stop in.

It was interesting, but I would not make a special trip or go out of my way to see it.

[zentrisha]

We are on the Avalon Tranquility II and and embarked today. We were supposed to set sail in bezel but instead were driven to Strasbourg We are spending the night here and we'll see if water levels decline at noon tomorrow so that we can make our way towards Amsterdam afternoon tomorrow

[Sapphire73]

A recent post somewhere else on the board has inspired me to look something up. Cochem is a popular stop on almost all river cruises on the Moselle. I mean all, US-American, British, French, Dutch, German and whoever else comes to the river. In Cochem I have found out from you cruisers a trip to the mustard mill there is included or optional. Thank you Hydrokitty and Sapphire73. The owner has two mills that he operates with restored/original machines, there is another one in Cologne. I have not been there but would nevertheless liek to give it a mention here: http://www.koeln.de/tourismus/museen/koelner_senfmuseum_300032.html

 

There is no entry on the museum on the English Cologne page, I am afraid.

 

If you have been, I would like to know if you enjoyed it.

 

notamermaid

 

The mustard mill in Cochem wasn't really on our tour. We had finished the walking tour and many in our group chose to walk back to our ship with our PD. We all decided to go in (and I remembered reading about the mustard mill here on CC before our trip).

 

You can sample the various kinds of mustard and buy it in a crock to take home. We bought 2 kinds - one was a Riesling mustard - giving one to friends and keeping the other. It was very hard to choose. Unfortunately, one of our little grandchildren accidentally broke our crock of mustard but we certainly enjoyed using it for several months.

 

Sapphire73

[Spartantartan]

It's our day to embark and I am distressed and surprised to read zentrisha's report. Yesterday there was a group embarking on an AMA cruise that met at our Zurich hotel. I spoke briefly with the cruise director who told me that the Rhine was high but navigable. I guess we will find out as we will be meeting our cruise director in an hour or so.

 

 

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[notamermaid]

Unfortunately, I need to report that the river has indeed been closed again between Iffezheim and Germersheim. The flood mark 2 was reached at Maxau. All other sections are open (yet expect a potential problem if a bridge is too low). Downstream from Germersheim the sections of the valley upto around Rüdesheim have slowed down traffic.

 

Spartantartan,

 

I hope your ship can leave Basel tonight. Do not worry too much about the closed section it will likely be opened again during late Monday.

 

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

[Spartantartan]

Thanks, notamermaid. We are on the ship, but it is in Strassbourg. The river was too high to get the ship to Basel. We missed an optional tour but Avalon will refund our money and they are offering three optional tours tomorrow, gratis.

 

Hopefully, the rest of the cruise will go as planned,

 

 

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Edited June 26, 2016 by Spartantartan

[notamermaid]

Hello Spartantartan,

 

that is better news than I had imagined. Better to be in Strasbourg than stuck in Basel. Great of Avalon to be able to adjust and offer you these tours. They could turn out to be great, you might have great memories to treasure. The area is lovely, hopefully you can get to an Alsatian wine village or the like.

 

By the way I have found out in the meantime that the speed restriction means a maximum of 20 kilometres per hour. That is not too bad, the maximum of river cruise ships tends to be around 24km per hour only anyway.

 

notamermaid

[RiverCruiseRat]

Do you have any information on if AMA Waterways ships on the Rhine are having to off board and bus to other locations? I am scheduled to depart from Basel on July 11th and embark in Amsterdam.

[zentrisha]

We are still in Strasbourg for the night. Today but we did a walking tour in Strasbourg and Avalon comped our tour to the Black Forest. We will be taken to Heidelberg via coach tomorrow for our tours. We have been assured that we will take off for Mannheim at 4:30pm.

[CPT Trips]

We just booked GCT's Rhein Christmas Market cruise. We make a brief morning stop at Plittersdorf to catch a bus for a tour to Baden-Baden and then rejoin the ship in Speyer. Our ship is 110 meters.

 

We will overnight in Speyer, Mainz, Koblenz, and Koln. The night we are in Mainz is an optional dinner in Rudesheim. As it is not for us, and figuring the ship will be relatively empty, dinner in town seems like a good idea. Any suggestions of a nice place for dinner?

Edited June 27, 2016 by CPT Trips

[jpalbny]

We just booked GCT's Rhein Christmas Market cruise. We make a brief morning stop at Plittersdorf to catch a bus for a tour to Baden-Baden and then rejoin the ship in Speyer. Our ship is 110 meters.

 

We will overnight in Speyer, Mainz, Koblenz, and Koln. The night we are in Mainz is an optional dinner in Rudesheim. As it is not for us, and figuring the ship will be relatively empty, dinner in town seems like a good idea. Any suggestions of a nice place for dinner?

 

Envious of your overnight in Köln. That looks like a fun place!

 

We spent 3 nights in Mainz last September. The first night we ate at our hotel because we got in after 10PM, which scuttled our plans to wander and see what was available. The second night, we ate at a casual place in the Platz by the cathedral - a bar/casual eatery called Hintz and Kuntz. Food was standard - tasty enough, but nothing I'd recommend that you go out of your way for.

 

The last night we ate at the Augustinerkeller - traditional menu items, and ridiculously cheap drinks. Most wines were under €3 per glass! Flammkuchen, Schweinshaxe, good wine and beer - what could be better than that? Oh yeah, the price. I doubt we spent more than €30 for 2 drinks each, plus food. Best of the three, but if you're looking for something upscale, it's not quite that vibe. Still, I'd go back.

 

Edited June 27, 2016 by jpalbny