Castle trips on the Elbe: White fleet starts!

Castle trips on the Elbe: White fleet starts!

The "white fleet" of Saxon steamship has good news for all lovers of the Elbe. With an increasing water level, the popular castle trips between Dresden and Pillnitz are now back in the timetable. These journeys had to be temporarily suspended due to low water, but now the nautical director, Jochen Haubold, can say that the ships can safely drive into a flatter location at leafst. The castle trips last about three hours and take place up to four times a day. The water level of the Elbe is currently around 80 centimeters, which is a significant improvement compared to the critical values of the past few weeks when only 58 centimeters were measured in early July. This reports MDR .

A review of the past few weeks shows that the Elbe has actually suffered from a long dryness and heat as a "blue vein of Saxony". Despite the current increase in the level, the water level remains significantly below the annual mean of 150 to 200 centimeters. The low water level not only hindered shipping, but also brings noticeable consequences for the environment and the various economic areas in Saxony, such as Sächsische.de

low water and its consequences

The low levels are not just a problem for leisure activities on the Elbe. According to the latest reports, the water level had dropped to 63 cm on July 13th, and the historical record of 21 cm was measured in 1947. In the port of Dömitz, a new record was recently measured with only 44 centimeters level, which led to a massive impairment of the transport system. Goods shipping is particularly affected, since a water level of at least 1.40 meters is required, which has often not been reached in recent years, as the taz reports.

The increasingly inconsistent weather conditions mean that experts such as Felix Ekardt, a sustainability researcher and chairman of the Bund Saxony, warn that climate change will strengthen the low water periods on the Elbe. In fact, shipping in Germany has been a decline in transport quantities for years, which is due, among other things, to a reduced demand for coal due to the expansion of renewable energies. From 2019 to 2022, only about 174 million tons were transported via the ship, a significant decline in the 205 million tons before.

• Lowest water level each in Dresden: 21 cm (12.08.1947)
• Current water level (18.07.2025): 80 cm
• normal water level: 150-200 cm

In the hope of a change in politics, the federal government calls for a better investment in the infrastructure for shipping. The current plans include a new ship container terminal in Riesa, which is estimated at costs of 35 million euros. Critics, including Ekardt, are skeptical of whether such a terminal makes sense if no container transport has no longer taken place over the Elbe since 2020. The challenges that arise from the climatic changes are great, and shipping will definitely need new strategies to master the changing conditions.