Low Danube levels halt shipping in Bavarian gorge, impacting tourism

Shipping traffic has ground to a halt on a picturesque stretch of the Danube River in Bavaria, Germany, due to critically low water levels. The affected section, a popular tourist route between the historic Weltenburg monastery and the town of Kelheim, features a dramatic gorge where the river flows through a narrow passage between steep rock faces up to 80 meters high.

This natural wonder, considered the deepest and narrowest part of the Bavarian Danube, is now impassable for vessels. The halt in navigation not only disrupts commercial transport but also impacts the local tourism industry that relies on river excursions.

The situation in Bavaria is symptomatic of wider water scarcity issues affecting the Danube and potentially other European waterways. The drought conditions that have led to the river's reduced depth are a growing concern, impacting infrastructure and economic activity across the region.