The Elbe river 2021 - not just water levels

[AnhaltER1960]

On 6/13/2021 at 8:58 PM, dogs4fun said:

I love Dresden's Elbe promenade. Do you mind sharing at which hotel you stayed?

 

The description sounds like the "Bellevue". Ran by different hotel chains over the years. It was Maritim earlier, Westin as well. Now it is Bilderberg. Look here https://www.bilderberg-bellevue-dresden.de/

[notamermaid]

Remember that we talked about the Elbe being notoriously low in Summer? It is so low that Viking has actually given up real sailing in Summer and does what was dubbed here in a previous year as a boatel. It would be low in what is these days considered a normal year, but it is July and the level at Dresden is pleasant! While right now the Danube is struggling to stay under flooding level and stay at clearance level for bridges - at least in Germany - and the Rhine and Moselle are disaster areas with the Main also running high, the Elbe is actually the best river to be on right now I think. Who would have thought it?

 

@AnhaltER1960 As you are near the river, how are things? Berlin is getting a bit worse with Coronavirus I read, hope Saxony does not follow.

 

notamermaid

 

[AnhaltER1960]

@notamermaid, definitely things in your region are much worse. Here in the Middle Elbe area we do have a much wetter summer than average, contrast to the dry summers in previous years. The Elbe has got healthy water levels, a bit higher than standard, but far from flood levels. And that disastrous low-pressure weather is moving finally. It left some floods, severe floods, in some side valleys of Saxon Switzerland and the Ore Mountains upriver, but not for the Elbe in general. It would be perfect cruising conditions here.

 

There is only one catastrophe county in my neighborhood: The county of Anhalt-Bitterfeld suffered from a ransomware-attack on their servers, which are down now. Administration forces to stay idle, no registration of cars, no payout of welfare, no construction permits, no nothing

[notamermaid]

Thanks for the update. Computer software attacks - a major problem these days. I know of a town administration along the Rhine that had its whole system down for some days, due to an attack.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Meissen. Here is a new way to get a glimpse into the past:

https://m.dw.com/en/meissen-a-digital-time-travel-to-germanys-oldest-castle/av-58708832

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

Big news came from the Elbe in July. Germany and the Czech Republic have signed an agreement for dredging the Elbe to make navigation possible on 340 days a year. If it goes ahead - needless to say environmentalists are against it - river cruising from Decin to Hamburg will also be easier.

https://www.dredgingtoday.com/2021/07/23/agreement-on-elbe-river-navigability-signed/

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

I would have thought dredging these days was required maybe if they looked at what happened in the U.K. with the Tone and Parrett on the Somerset levels even the environmentalists would realise the challenge and these weren’t navigable rivers they had not had their courses changed but they had not been dredged for years. Regardless there has to be water management apart from anything else we will loose so much of our wildlife.

Edited August 14, 2021 by Canal archive

[AnhaltER1960]

Welcome back Viking on the Elbe. The Viking Astrild and Viking Beyla are sailing again, from now until the end of the year. October sailings were the originally scheduled Elegant Elbe cruises, sailings in Nov & Dec are marketed as Christmas market cruises. And indeed, there are some pretty market towns along the Elbe with nice and traditional Christmas markets, not only in Dresden, but also in Wittenberg, Torgau or Meissen.

 

Water table is not an issue that time of year and not in this, rather wet, year anyway.

[notamermaid]

Good to hear from you.

 

7 hours ago, AnhaltER1960 said:

Water table is not an issue that time of year and not in this, rather wet, year anyway.

This year has been indeed a bit wetter and the river level would have been good for Viking to actually sail the boatel itineraries.

 

A quick look: over the last week the level at Dresden has fallen to an almost "proper" low level, lower than in summer, statistically this is set at 75cm, the gauge reads now 89cm and is up a few centimetres from this morning. The prediction indicates a rise to a bit over 100cm on Thursday. Fingers crossed.

 

A small Christmas market in Torgau or Meissen - that would be nice to see. Further upstream and into the hills , the Ore Mountains I imagine to be a beautiful sight. An excursion that may be a bit too long from a river cruise. Does any company do this?

 

We do not get much snow around where I live in the warm sheltered Rhine valley at heights between 50 and 300m above sea level. Glühwein is better in snow at zero Celsius than at 10 Celsius in rain.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Let us look at the river levels at Dresden in the past 31 days:

Currently at 119cm, there is no forecast available. Not much rain for the Elbe basin before Thursday. How may the river react in the next few days?

 

notamermaid

 

 

[AnhaltER1960]

On 10/17/2021 at 10:33 PM, notamermaid said:

How may the river react in the next few days?

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

Not much difference. At this time of year evaporation is low and the plants do not need much water, thus there is hardly any losses of water towards the air. And the "dry" spell is only shorttimed, there is rain forecast towards the end of the week.

 

A higher water table would make it more comfortable, but ships can sail the Elbe without real difficulties these days. And Viking as well as Croisieurope do so with guests enjoying small groups @ shore ecxursions, partly due to Covid-restrictions, partly due to the not fully booked ships.

[notamermaid]

It may be getting a bit too cool for paddling and kayaking now, but should you happen to go to Hamburg next Spring and start getting hungry on your journey through the Mittelkanal in Hamburg, a canal off the Elbe, fear not. No need to get out of the water to find a restaurant. Just order from McDonald's and grab your food at the world's only "float-through" of the fast food chain. Article from British popular newspaper Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-10092631/The-McBoat-incredible-German-McDonalds-customers-food-delivered-waterside.html

 

Hmm, that gives me an idea... Anyone want to open a Currywurst und Pommes* float-through on the Spree? 😀 

 

Or pick up baguette and cheese on the canals of France?

 

Reminds me of the floating candy shop on a narrowboat in England I saw on television a couple of years ago.

 

And please, no jokes about Hamburgers... (that is an invitation for jokes 😜).

 

notamermaid

 

* sausage in a curry sauce with chips (French fries)

Edited November 5, 2021 by notamermaid

[notamermaid]

Let us return to the Elbe to have a look what the situation has been like in the last 31 days:

One day last week brought a bit of a drop and now the river is relatively low for this time of year. But it should not be a worry. In any case, there are much bigger concerns for Saxony right now. And the question is - are CroisiEurope and Viking actually sailing around Dresden? Remember, there is a lock down in the state of Saxony with tourism and leisure at a standstill.

 

Right now, on Viking's website, I cannot find info on their plans for the Elbe cruises other than that you can still book the 30 November sailing online. CroisiEurope appears to have no sailings for this stretch in the next couple of weeks (planned or unplanned, I cannot judge that), they will return to the Elbe upstream from Magdeburg for Christmas and New Year sailings.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[AnhaltER1960]

Thank you @notamermaid for the update on the river conditions here at the Elbe. Indeed the water table is rather on the low side, but no concern for sailing.

 

The concern is, as often in the last two years, Covid. Saxony show high exposure with figures well beyond 1.000 (cases per 100.000 inhabitants over a week) and the Saxon government has reacted in form of shutting down parts of the country (since the new upcoming federal government outlawed widespread lockdowns, you may use "L-word" instead). Anyway, in Saxony all Christmas markets are closed, hotels may not welcome guests for private or touristy reasons (business travel is still allowed), no bus tours, all museums closed. 

 

Viking had to react and they changed the itinerary, They are now sailing between Magdeburg and Wittenberg with some stops underway (like Dessau) for visiting Christmas markets in Saxony-Anhalt, where they are still open so far, bussing passengers even as far as Hanover. Then the ships sail nonstop through Saxony an a 20-hrs-ride to Decin in the Czech republic to continue (or start) the standard programme to (or from) Prague. It really is a day-to-day situation, as cannot be taken for granted that the Christmas markets in Saxony-Anhalt will be open until Christmas. In Saxony-Anhalt the decision is left to the local level and some cities, like Halle and many small communities, have closed already, since incidence figures are rising there too. As well as the cross-border-thing, the Czech Republic showing even worse figures than Saxony. 

[AnhaltER1960]

The deviation of Vikings Christmas markets cruises downriver to Dessau and Magdeburg has made it now into the local press in Dessau. Article (in Gerrman) here: https://www.mz.de/lokal/dessau-rosslau/warum-eine-gruppe-amerikaner-mit-einem-flusskreuzfahrtschiff-in-dessau-gestrandet-ist-3284867

[Host Jazzbeau]

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