Boat

along the federal waterways and set course for the Teutoburg Forest: discover the landscape and beautiful places from the water via the Weser and Mittelland Canal. The hub of shipping in the Teuto is the waterway junction  in Minden. The Weser river south of Minden is particularly scenic. In Höxter, there are moorings near the Corvey Castle and Monastery complex.

Navigating the Weser to Minden is straightforward. At certain times of the year, experienced skippers can travel upstream on the Weser via Höxter and Beverungen to Bad Karlshafen and Hannoversch Münden. Please note: due to the current and shallow waters, only boats with sufficient motor power and a shallow draught should be used on this section. It is advisable to navigate the Weser accompanied by local boat guides.

In Hörstel, you can reach the Mittelland Canal from the Ems estuary or from the Rhine via the Dortmund-Ems Canal, and thus the Teutoburg Forest holiday region. Via Bad Essen, Preußisch Oldendorf and Lübbecke, the route continues towards Minden. North of the town centre, the canal crosses the Weser on two adjacent canal bridges at a height of about 20 metres. The older canal bridge was built between 1911 and 1914 and is 375 metres long.

The trough is 24 metres wide and 3 metres deep. The new northern bridge was built between 1993 and 1998 and is 398 metres long, with a trough that is 42 metres wide and 4 metres deep. The old canal bridge may only be used by recreational craft and passenger ships travelling in a west-east direction. The mooring at Minden is very quiet because the through traffic here travels very slowly. From here, the old town and the information centre of the water protection authority are within easy reach. The Weser can be reached via two lock areas.

Up-to-date information...

about moorings, harbours, lock operating hours, recreational boat launch sites and everything else related to the region's navigable waterways is available from:

• Waterways and Shipping Authority Mittelland Canal / Elbe Side Canal

There are also numerous opportunities for those who want to experience the holiday region from the water. The Weser and its surroundings invite you to enjoy a variety of boat trips. Whether on a relaxed round trip or crossing the river on one of the traditional ferries.

Weser ferries:

• Varenholz-Veltheim ferry
• Windheim ferry (Petershagen)
• Hävern ferry (Petershagen)
• Herstelle/Würgassen tri-border ferry

Providers of boat tours:

• Mindener Fahrgastschifffahrt
• Flotte Weser