Danube water levels 2019 and similar topics - plus tips and info

[notamermaid]

I mentioned the Wachau valley and "Marillenlikör" in my previous post. The Marille is another name for Aprikose in that region, but the Marille in the Wachau is also specially protected under EU law. Here is the explanation: https://www.donau.com/en/the-danube-in-lower-austria/eating-drinking/richly-laid-tables/apricots-asparagus-co/wachau-apricot/

 

So where can you get the produce and its products? A typical place on a river cruise is Melk Abbey: https://www.donau.com/en/the-danube-in-lower-austria/outings-activities/excursion-destinations/top-excursion-destinations/top-excursion-destinations/melk-abbey/61609a66fbeecf10fd52738ade37337c/

 

I could have given you the website of Melk Abbey itself, but this website of the Danube in Lower Austria has such a nice map embedded, it is really fun just to zoom in and out and find other interesting destinations. I really like this tourism site.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Widespread rain and snow melt caused the Danube to rise and led to mild flooding. In Bavaria the river level figures are now on their way down again. At Passau the gauge shows 632cm. At 630 cm passage under the Luitpoldbrücke at Passau becomes difficult for some river cruise ships. The figure is likely to fall again under that decisive figure during the course of the evening which means it is looking good for uninterrupted sailing at least in Germany from tomorrow.

 

The weather has improved and during the week the temperatures are forecast to rise to between 16 and 19 degrees during the afternoon.

 

Would love to sit in a café in Passau on such a beautiful early Spring day!

 

Any biergärten open yet, G.M.T.? I think a first beer to ring in the season is in order.

 

notamermaid

 

[SammyMon]

Here is a link to a cool video showing a ship go under a low bridge with the guests on the top deck, you can see the wheel house coming back up at the end.

 

 

[SammyMon]

notamermaid

 

I'm guessing you have seen this, but for others, here is a link river web cam in Linz.  Pour a your self a beer and enjoy the view!

 

https://linz.it-wms.com/

 

SammyMon

[G.M.T.]

23 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Any biergärten open yet, G.M.T.? I think a first beer to ring in the season is in order.

 

notamermaid

 

A real Bavarian biergarten never closes.

 

Tomorrow is starkbier time .

[MemphisVikingExplorer]

On 3/19/2019 at 1:25 PM, SammyMon said:

Here is a link to a cool video showing a ship go under a low bridge with the guests on the top deck, you can see the wheel house coming back up at the end.

 

 

When was this video, this year? March 2019?

[gnome12]

I was on the Danube in 2011 with Uniworld, and we could not even use the sun deck. We were congregated on a forward deck on the level below, and I was sure if I stood up I could have touched the underside of the bridge. Obviously we had a higher water level than when this video was taken. 

[SammyMon]

15 hours ago, MemphisVikingExplorer said:

When was this video, this year? March 2019?

It was put on YouTube in 8/2014.  

[notamermaid]

On 3/20/2019 at 3:19 PM, G.M.T. said:

A real Bavarian biergarten never closes.

 

Tomorrow is starkbier time .

Must remember that. Keep going in winter till the beer freezes in the pipes. I wonder at what temperature beer freezes, if allowed to?

 

I read about starkbier the other day: https://www.dw.com/en/starkbierzeit-the-strong-beer-festival-in-bavaria/a-47905239

 

Prost!

 

notamermaid

 

[JerryInIL]

We would like to take a Spring cruise.  What month(s) are most likely to have acceptable water levels for cruising on the Danube?  

[MikeBR]

19 hours ago, JerryInIL said:

We would like to take a Spring cruise.  What month(s) are most likely to have acceptable water levels for cruising on the Danube?  

We will be sailing south from Vilshofen at the end of the month towards Budapest and we are hoping to have good water levels as our cruise in the Fall down to Bucharest was  was completely cancelled because of low water and the ship being grounded at the 'Iron Gate'. Hopefully there was enough snow fall and they get a nice slow snow melt and keep the levels stable, because it is not just us cruisers are suffering but also the amount of freight that is carried on these rivers is considerable. 

[notamermaid]

Vienna has topped the list of most liveable city in the world again. An annual rating published by a company examines cities around the world for their quality of life. A nice title to receive, I think. This may not be an incentive to move there for most of us, but does one need an incentive to just visit Vienna? Not in my eyes, but my eyes certainly delight in the Art Nouveau architecture that the city is famous for, here are some examples, and another shiny building thrown into the mix: https://www.dw.com/en/vienna-a-gilded-metropolis/g-42266272

 

notamermaid

 

[SammyMon]

On 4/6/2019 at 11:01 AM, JerryInIL said:

We would like to take a Spring cruise.  What month(s) are most likely to have acceptable water levels for cruising on the Danube?  

JerryInIL-

April 2019 is the best month - HAHA. 

 

Seriously...if you have some flexibility and can book a trip in the relative near term (after watching the river levels etc)  that might be your best bet.  Last Fall, our Gate 1 cruise was impacted by very low water.  We moved our trip to be on the Danube the week of 4/21.   In the Spring there is a greater chance of too high water.  Even in the Spring I guess a spell of very heavy rains could cause even short term planning to go awry.  Sort of a crap shoot to a certain extent.

[notamermaid]

SammyMon,

I agree, April 2019. Setting off on Friday would be good. Cruise critic has kindly provided a very good article, host jazzbeau linked to it, which gives a very good prediction for favourable conditions for the next few weeks. Unless that infamous bridge at Passau gets to close to the sundecks... But that - if it happens at all - should not last long.

 

notamermaid

 

Edited April 10, 2019 by notamermaid
Smart phone was too smart for me

[JerryInIL]

I was hoping for May and a little warmer weather 🙂

[notamermaid]

On 4/14/2019 at 12:39 AM, JerryInIL said:

I was hoping for May and a little warmer weather 🙂

May can be lovely on the Danube. As regards the weather: it need not be that warmer in May, it is just the chances of it being warmer over several days is much higher in May. Water levels tend to be better in May as well but one can never be sure.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

This morning, I looked at the weather chart for precipitation in Germany for Saturday and I saw: nothing. Bright sunshine all over. I clicked again and thought the page had not changed... It had, there just was no rain for Sunday. The same for Monday! It is incredibly sunny and a bit too warm for April really. For the German Danube this means temperatures could rise up to 26 degrees in the warmer areas along the river, like Regensburg and Passau. Perfect Easter days!

 

Getting a little nervous about the warm spell I looked further and saw rain and snow forecast for the Alps and Bavaria from Tuesday onwards. This is good as the Bavarian Danube is actually a little low for April. Currently we cannot afford to have to many dry days.

 

Shook my head in disbelief at this story: https://www.dw.com/en/bavarian-court-blocks-noise-pollution-case-against-cow-bells/a-48281207

 

I think some people are better off in a dark, backyard flat in Munich...

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

With the warm days at Easter came a fall in the river levels. The Danube in Bavaria lost a couple more inches but rain since yesterday is helping - more rain is forecast. The Danube is a little low for April at Pfelling, but the depth is now around 250cm again. 190cm is needed for river cruise ships according to reports from last year. Rainfall in the first months of this year is lagging behind, i.e. lower than average according to German weather experts.

 

Unrelated to water levels, an incident occurred earlier this week. A river cruise ship scraped a pillar of a Main bridge near Marktheidenfeld in the early hours of Easter Monday on its way to Wertheim. According to police reports none of the 170 passengers were harmed. The ship suffered a damage of 1200 euros, but the "Alte Mainbrücke" did not suffer at all. The ship's name has not been disclosed. While the police were recording the incident the river was briefly closed to traffic.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Vilshofen has become a regular port in recent years, mainly because Passau is getting a little full... It must have proved a good move as more and more companies are using the town now for embarkation. I expect the infrastructure is good there, too. A further major improvement - mainly for those living close to the embankment and the environment - is about to happen. The dock will receive a shore connection for electricity, meaning the ships do not need to use their generators. Environmental issues have been a bit in focus recently, also for river cruising. Installing the electricity necessitates road works - water pipes will also be renewed - and for that a full road closure at the embankment will happen, the local press reports: https://www.pnp.de/lokales/stadt_und_landkreis_passau/vilshofen/3281149_Donaupromenade-wird-gesperrt.html

 

In Passau citizens living close to the river bank are a little unhappy about the noise and all the ships leaving their engines running... Question is, does Passau itself not have shore connections yet?

 

Perhaps it sounds minor, but in Koblenz on the Rhine people have also voiced their concern (anger) recently. If you live close to the river bank and are exposed to the noise and fumes everyday (and night) you start to wonder about your health. Believe me, having experienced it myself, those fumes of one ship can be worse than a dozen cars.

 

One local company that has taken action is Wurm & Noé. They operate excursion boats and will install new technology to reduce the emissions of their boats. For that the company so far has received subsidies of just under one million euros by the government: https://www.pnp.de/lokales/stadt_und_landkreis_passau/passau_stadt/3304652_Schiffe-und-ihre-sauberen-Seiten.html

The ship Regina Danubia and her new technology were visited by the transport minister only one day after locals had protested against the river cruise ships at the same spot on the river bank.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

The Danube in Bavaria has been struggling a bit to keep the levels up in the last few days. It is fine for sailing but the stretch between Regensburg and Vilshofen could do with a bit more water to put river cruisers at ease.

Rain is sweeping in from the West and temperatures will rise after the next few days. Recent snow in the lower Alps will hopefully also help with a steady flow of water along the tributaries of the Danube.

 

The Pfelling gauge is showing a level of 326cm this morning, the relevant low watermark for shipping is at 290m. A figure below that we would prefer not to see. It does not mean that a ship cannot sail, only that if your itinerary is happening at that level there is a potential risk that your ship's sailing could soon be impacted  by low water level issues if the level falls further. How much will very much - but not only - depend on the draft of your ship.

 

But for now the Danube is fine and you currently sailing can hopefully enjoy the sites and landscape despite the cool weather and rain.

 

notamermaid

 

[thunter1224]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

The Danube in Bavaria has been struggling a bit to keep the levels up in the last few days. It is fine for sailing but the stretch between Regensburg and Vilshofen could do with a bit more water to put river cruisers at ease.

Rain is sweeping in from the West and temperatures will rise after the next few days. Recent snow in the lower Alps will hopefully also help with a steady flow of water along the tributaries of the Danube.

 

The Pfelling gauge is showing a level of 326cm this morning, the relevant low watermark for shipping is at 290m. A figure below that we would prefer not to see. It does not mean that a ship cannot sail, only that if your itinerary is happening at that level there is a potential risk that your ship's sailing could soon be impacted  by low water level issues if the level falls further. How much will very much - but not only - depend on the draft of your ship.

 

But for now the Danube is fine and you currently sailing can hopefully enjoy the sites and landscape despite the cool weather and rain.

 

notamermaid

 

I hope by Oct. the level is ok 🙂 

 

[amyr]

Is there anything new on the Danube water levels?  Avalon has told us today that we won't be embarking Impression in Deggendorf but in Passau, so I'm wondering about the water levels between Passau and Regensberg.  Impression seems to have been off her scheduled itinerary this past week as well, at least if CruiseMapper is correct.

[BarkLessWagMore]

2 hours ago, amyr said:

Is there anything new on the Danube water levels?  Avalon has told us today that we won't be embarking Impression in Deggendorf but in Passau, so I'm wondering about the water levels between Passau and Regensberg.  Impression seems to have been off her scheduled itinerary this past week as well, at least if CruiseMapper is correct.

 

Was wondering the same thing. We are on the same cruise.

[notamermaid]

Hmm, have not heard or read of any problems. Rain has kept the level up in the Bavarian Danube, where the problems normally start before they reach the Austrian Danube (if at all). The level is high enough for sailing according to the gauging stations and there certainly is no flooding. Traffic appears to be running smoothly, i.e. other ships and barges. If you have followed the Impression for a few days and she is off schedule, perhaps have a look at other vessels on marinetraffic and look at the Impression there as well. Looks an isolated situation to me at the moment, but cannot say for sure of course.

 

Get back to Avalon perhaps?

 

notamermaid

 

[amyr]

Avalon doesn't have any answers as to why.  It's not too much of an inconvenience, but we did have to change our transfer plans. It does look like the river is flowing normally, so maybe something is up with the dock at Deggendorf that day.  I'm sure all will be revealed in due time.  We were set to sail overnight to Passau, so maybe that means we can have an evening out in town.