This is about our paddle day from Dettingen to Neu-Ulm on the 24th of May, 2019. We paddled a total distance of about 25 kilometers. It was our first state border crossing from Baden-Württemberg to Bavaria. Contents1 Letting the Hochwasser Pass2 Leaving Dettingen for Neu-Ulm3 The Long Stretches Without a Current4 Paddling Past Power Station Two5 The Last Portage at Wiblingen6 The Confluence of the Danube and the Iller7 Arriving in Neu-Ulm8 Packing Up and Checking In to the Hostel in Neu-Ulm9 Please Share This Adventure on Social Media! Letting the Hochwasser Pass We stayed in Dettingen for two nightsContinue reading
Danube Trip
Ahhh, the mighty Danube!
I’ve had an obsession with the idea of kayaking the second-longest river in Europe – after the Volga – since 2013. In 2019, that dream came half-way true.
Jonas and I began paddling at the source in Donaueschingen, Germany. From there we continued downstream to the border with Austria, which we crossed. Then we paddled a short distance in Slovakia, followed by a lengthy stretch in Hungary. The original plan was to end in Budapest, but we had enough summer days left to continue another 200 kilometers. We came to a stop in the last Hungarian town on the Danube: Mohács.
We planned to continue this trip in 2021 after 18 months of traveling in Asia, but then 2020 happened. One day, the trip will continue into Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, a touch of Moldova, and Ukraine.
To the Black Sea. That’s where this river ends.
I wrote about each and every kayak day, which resulted in some 50 Danube-themed articles. I recommend you to start at Day Zero in Donaueschingen. If you’re searching for the statistics of our trip, look no further than the interactive Danube kayak map page with our spreadsheet. We did this entire trip while also working online on our non-paddle days, hence the name Kayak+Work.
The first half of the Danube trip was a literal dream come true. I can’t wait to continue this journey once the world opens up a little more again.
Kayak Trip Day 6: Munderkingen to Dettingen
Events narrated in this story happened on Wednesday 22nd of May, 2019. We paddled our inflatable kayak from Munderkingen to Dettingen in Baden-Württemberg in South Germany. This was only a trip of 8.9 kilometers. We are paddling a stretch of the Danube river this year. If you want more information on our trip, you can read about the idea aka ‘Day Zero’, or read previous entries of our paddle days. Contents1 Booking Accommodation for The Days Ahead2 The Forecast3 Leaving Munderkingen for Dettingen4 Testing Our Abilities5 The Rottenacker Wehr6 Landing at Nettle Harbor7 Fighting the Urge to Scratch8 A LongContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 5: Sigmaringen to Mengen + Munderkingen
This story is about us when paddling our inflatable canoe from Sigmaringen to Mengen on the 20th of May, 2019. The total distance was 16.1 kilometers. Our original plan was to kayak to Hundersingen, some 4.8 kilometers after Mengen – a total distance of 20.9 kilometers – followed by a train ride to Munderkingen. We had a permit to go from Sigmaringen to Hundersingen, after which the river becomes a natural protected area until Munderkingen. Click here for information on how to get a permit to paddle this stretch of the Danube. Contents1 The Second Permit2 Leaving the Holiday HomeContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 4: Hausen im Tal to Sigmaringen
This article is about our paddle day from Hausen im Tal to Sigmaringen on the Danube river on Monday 13th of May, 2019. We’re trying to paddle this 2850 kilometer long European river. If you’re wondering what this article series is about, read the article about Donaueschingen, the source of the Danube. To see previous entries, visit paddle Day 1, Day 2, or Day 3. We’re still quite early in this trip! If you want to kayak here yourself, click here to get all the necessary information and steps to get your own permit. Contents1 The Forbidden Stretch2 Our FirstContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 3: Immendingen to Mühlheim via the Donauversickerung
Our Events chronicled happened on the 8th and 9th of May 2019. Jonas and I paddled our canoe/kayak over the young Danube from a small town called Immendingen to another small town called Mühlheim over 20.1 kilometers. On the way, we passed the ‘Donauversickerung’ – where the Danube river sinks or goes underground for 155 days a year. The water levels were high enough for us to paddle it. If you want to know what this kayak trip is about, I wrote a detailed article about how we came up with this trip idea. You can also read about Day 1Continue reading
Kayak Trip Day 2: Geisingen to Immendingen, Hiking the Donauversinkung
Events described happened on the 6th and 7th of May 2019. We paddled 9.7 kilometers on the Danube (Donau) river from Geisingen to Immendingen in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. This was the second day of our kayak/canoe trip. Click here if you’d rather read about the planning of kayaking the Danube, or read about Day 1. Contents1 The Off-Day at the Arena Gästehaus2 Leaving Geisingen for Immendingen3 Rebalancing the Boat and Paddling to the Pegel4 Portaging Across the Dam5 Sunshine, Shallow Waters, and Our Sail6 The Last Bridge and Fixing the Boat7 8 9 10 11 Checking in to the Panda Guesthouse,Continue reading
Kayak Trip Day 1: Donaueschingen to Geisingen
We started our kayak trip on the 5th of May 2019. Our first day, we hoped to paddle our brand-new inflatable canoe/kayak from Donaueschingen (the origin of the Danube river) to Geisingen. Geisingen is just a small village about 15 kilometers away. This article narrates the events of that day. Read how we came up with the idea to kayak the Danube river. Contents1 Morning in Donaueschingen2 The Walk3 The Buildup4 The First Strokes Toward Geisingen5 The First Kilometers to Pfohren6 The First Dam in Neudingen7 River Bends and Dead Ends to Gutmadingen8 The Second Dam – Mühle9 The LastContinue reading
Donaueschingen: Danube Kayak Trip Day Zero
Contents1 Mind of a Paddler2 Why the Danube?3 Researching & Planning3.1 Kayak Tours3.2 What Kind of Kayak?3.3 Mapping & Scheduling3.4 Ordering & Booking3.5 Unlucky Planning Jackpot4 Testing & Packing4.1 In the Netherlands4.2 In Germany5 Traveling & Preparing6 Donaueschingen: Origin of the Danube6.1 The Town6.2 The Hike to the Confluence6.3 The Zusammenfluss of the Brigach and Breg6.4 The Source of the Danube6.5 Visiting the Pegel (Water Depth Gauge) in Donaueschingen7 Share This Story on Pinterest! Mind of a Paddler I’ve decided to expand my mode-of-transport horizon beyond hitchhiking. This is because hitchhiking is kind of like my comfort zone by now,Continue reading
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