List of medieval stone bridges in Germany
Table of medieval stone bridges
Table:
Location
State
Name
River crossed
Built (or first mentioned)
Remarks
Photo

Bad Kreuznach

Rhineland-Palatinate

Old Nahe Bridge

Nahe river and Mühlenteich canal

Stone bridge c.1300, first mentioned in 1322. Houses first mentioned 1495, remaining houses built between 1582 and 1612.[1]

The Alte Nahebrücke is one of the few remaining bridges in the world with buildings on it. It supports four buildings on its piers.[2]

Bamberg

Bavaria

Upper Bridge

Regnitz

First mentioned 1387.

The bridge links the Old Town Hall (Bamberg) [de], which is built on an artificial island in the river Regnitz, with both river banks.

Bingen am Rhein

Rhineland-Palatinate

Drususbrücke [de]

Nahe

11th century / 1772

Destroyed by French troops in 1689 and rebuilt in 1772 on the old foundations. Blown up by German troops in March 1945 and repaired in 1952.[3]

Creuzburg

Thuringia

Werrabrücke (Creuzburg) [de]

Werra

1223

Dresden

Saxony

on the site of the present-day Augustus Bridge

Elbe

1173–1222

Stone bridge destroyed in 1342 by St. Mary Magdalene's flood. New bridge built in 1344. Augustus Bridge built in 1727–1731 . New bridge built in 1907.

Erfurt

Thuringia

Krämerbrücke (Merchants' Bridge)

Breitstrom, a side arm of the Gera

Original wooden bridge first mentioned 1117. Stone bridge built 1325. Houses completed 1486.[4]

The bridge has been continuously inhabited for over 500 years, longer than any other bridge in Europe.[5]

Esslingen

Baden-Württemberg

Outer or Pliensau Bridge and Inner Bridge

Neckar

1213 c. 1213 to 1259 built,[6] first mentioned in 1286

Frankfurt am Main

Hesse

Alte Brücke, Frankfurt

Main

Mentioned for the first time in 1276 as a stone bridge

Destroyed at least 18 times and replaced; demolished in 1914

Hadamar

Hesse

Stone bridge (Hadamar) [de]

Elbbach

1571 again built

Parts of the bridge date to the 12th century, after a flood in 1555 the bridge was rebuilt by 1571.

Hadamar

Hesse

St. Wendelin's Bridge [de]

Elbbach

12th century

The bridge was modified several times

Hann. Münden

Lower Saxony

Old Werra Bridge [de]

Werra

First mentioned in 1329

Harburg

Bavaria

Old Bridge

Wörnitz

Heidelberg

Baden-Württemberg

Old Bridge (Heidelberg)

Neckar

1284

Today: new bridge from 1788

Hildesheim

Lower Saxony

Dammtor Bridge

Innerste

1159 or soon thereafter

Builder: Rainald von Dassel[7]

Jena

Thuringia

Camsdorf Bridge

Saale

15th century

Demolished in 1912, new bridge built 1913, blown up in 1945, rebuilt in 1946.

Jena-Burgau

Thuringia

Old Saale Bridge [de]

Saale

1491–1544

On the site of a wooden bridge first mentioned in 1484, rebuilt in 1706, several modifications up to 1744, blown up in 1945, rebuilt again from 2001-2004.

Kitzingen

Bavaria

Alte Mainbrücke Kitzingen [de]

Main

14th century

Koblenz

Rhineland-Palatinate

Balduin Bridge (Koblenz) [de]

Mosel

1342 c. 1342/1343

On the site of a Roman Bridge (3rd to 5th centuries), several conversions to 1884, blown up in 1945, rebuilt in 1949, modified as part of the canalisation of the Moselle in 1964, restoration in 1975.

Limburg an der Lahn

Hesse

Alte Lahnbrücke (Limburg) [de]

Lahn

1315–1354

First mention of a wooden bridge in 1248

Marburg

Hesse

Weidenhäuser Bridge [de]

Lahn

1250 c. 1250

With reference to the provided table along with the textual context listed at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: Which king ordered construction of this bridge that crosses this river whose major tributaries include Vltava , Saale , and Havel ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

Bad Kreuznach ( German pronunciation : [ baːt ˈkʁɔʏtsnax ] ) is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate , Germany . It is a spa town most well known for its medieval bridge dating from around 1300 , the Alte Nahebrücke , which is one of the few remaining bridges in the world with buildings on it . The town is located in the Nahe river wine region , renowned both nationally and internationally for its wines , especially from the Riesling , Silvaner and Müller-Thurgau grape varieties . Bad Kreuznach does not lie within any Verbandsgemeinde , even though it is the seat of the Bad Kreuznach ( Verbandsgemeinde ) . The town is the seat of several courts as well as federal and state authorities . Bad Kreuznach is also officially a große kreisangehörige Stadt ( large town belonging to a district ) , meaning that it does not have the district-level powers that kreisfreie Städte ( district-free towns/cities ) enjoy . It is , nonetheless , the district seat , and also the seat of the state chamber of commerce for Rhineland-Palatinate . It is classed as a middle centre with some functions of an upper centre , making it the administrative , cultural and economic hub of a region with more than 150,000 inhabitants .
Rhineland-Palatinate ( German : Rheinland-Pfalz , pronounced [ ˈʁaɪ̯nlant ˈp͡falt͡s ] ) is a state of Germany located in the west of the country . Covering an area of 19,846 km2 ( 7,663 sq mi ) and with a population of 4.05 million inhabitants , it is the seventh-most populous German state . Mainz is the state capital and largest city , while other major cities include Ludwigshafen am Rhein , Koblenz , Trier , Kaiserslautern and Worms . Rhineland-Palatinate is surrounded by the states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Saarland , Baden-Württemberg and Hesse . It also borders three foreign countries : France , Luxembourg and Belgium . Rhineland-Palatinate was established in 1946 after World War II , from territory of the historically separate regions of the Free State of Prussia , People 's State of Hesse and Bavaria , by the French military administration in Allied-occupied Germany . Rhineland-Palatinate became part of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 and shared the country 's only border with the Saar Protectorate until it was returned to German control in 1957 . Rhineland-Palatinate has since developed its own identity built on its natural and cultural heritage , including the extensive Palatinate winegrowing region , its picturesque landscapes and many castles and palaces .
The Alte Nahebrücke ( English : Old Nahe Bridge ) is a medieval stone arch bridge in Bad Kreuznach , in western Germany , dating from around 1300 , that originally spanned the Nahe river and a neighbouring canal called the Mühlenteich ( English : mill pond ) . Only the section spanning the canal remains intact . With four houses on its piers , it is one of the few remaining bridges in the world that has buildings on it .
The Nahe is a river in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland , Germany , a left tributary to the Rhine . It has also given name to the wine region Nahe situated around it . The name Nahe is derived from the Latin word Nava , which is supposed to be based upon the Celtic origin for the wild river . The Nahe separates the northern part of the Palatinate from the Hunsrück . It rises in the area of Nohfelden ( Saarland ) , flowing through Rhineland-Palatinate and joining the Rhine in Bingen . Its length is 125 kilometres ( 78 mi ) . Towns along the Nahe include Idar-Oberstein , Kirn , Bad Kreuznach and Bingen .
Bamberg ( /ˈbæmbɜːrɡ/ , also US : /ˈbɑːmbɛərk/ , German : [ ˈbambɛɐ̯k ] ( listen ) ) is a town in Upper Franconia , ( Germany ) , on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main . A large part of the town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993 .
Bavaria ( /bəˈvɛəriə/ ; German and Bavarian : Bayern [ ˈbaɪɐn ] ) , officially the Free State of Bavaria ( German and Bavarian : Freistaat Bayern [ ˈfʁaɪʃtaːt ˈbaɪɐn ] ) , is a landlocked federal state of Germany , occupying its southeastern corner . With an area of 70,550.19 square kilometres ( 27,200 sq mi ) , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area comprising roughly a fifth of the total land area of Germany . With 13 million inhabitants , it is Germany 's second-most-populous state after North Rhine-Westphalia . Bavaria 's main cities are Munich ( its capital and largest city and also the third largest city in Germany ) , Nuremberg and Augsburg . The history of Bavaria includes its earliest settlement by Iron Age Celtic tribes , followed by the conquests of the Roman Empire in the 1st century BC , when the territory was incorporated into the provinces of Raetia and Noricum . It became a stem duchy in the 6th century AD following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire . It was later incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire , became an independent kingdom , joined the Prussian-led German Empire in 1871 while retaining its title of kingdom , and finally became a state of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1949 . The Duchy of Bavaria dates back to the year 555 . In the 17th century AD , the Duke of Bavaria became a Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire . The Kingdom of Bavaria existed from 1806 to 1918 , when Bavaria became a republic . In 1946 , the Free State of Bavaria reorganized itself on democratic lines after the Second World War . Bavaria has a unique culture , largely because of the state 's former Catholic majority and conservative traditions .
The Regnitz is a river in Franconia , Germany . It is a left tributary of the Main and is 63.7 km ( 39.6 mi ) in length . The river is formed by the confluence of the rivers Rednitz and Pegnitz , which meet in the city of Fürth . From there the Regnitz runs northwards through the cities of Erlangen and Forchheim . It finally meets the Main near the city of Bamberg . Including its source rivers Rednitz and Franconian Rezat , it is 187.4 km ( 116.4 mi ) long . Small portions of the Regnitz near Bamberg are incorporated into a canal connecting the Main with the Danube : the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal , which runs parallel most of the way from Bamberg to Fürth . Between Fürth and Forchheim a lot of watermills were used from Middle Ages till 19th century . Some are still there or were reconstructed .
Bingen am Rhein is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate , Germany . The settlement 's original name was Bingium , a Celtic word that may have meant hole in the rock , [ citation needed ] a description of the shoal behind the Mäuseturm , known as the Binger Loch . Bingen was the starting point for the Via Ausonia , a Roman military road that linked the town with Trier . Bingen is well known for , among other things , the story about the Mouse Tower , in which allegedly the Bishop of Mainz Hatto was eaten by mice . It was also the birthplace of Saint Hildegard von Bingen , an important polymath , abbess , mystic and musician , one of the most influential medieval composers and one of the earliest Western composers whose music is widely preserved and performed . Bingen am Rhein was also the birthplace of the celebrated poet Stefan George , along with many other influential figures .
Creuzburg is a town and a former municipality on the Werra river in the Wartburgkreis in Thuringia , Germany . Since December 2019 , it is part of the town Amt Creuzburg .
Thuringia ( English : /θəˈrɪndʒiə/ ; German : Thüringen [ ˈtyːʁɪŋən ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Free State of Thuringia ( Freistaat Thüringen [ ˈfʁaɪʃtaːt ˈtyːʁɪŋən ] ) , is a state of Germany . Thuringia is located in central Germany covering an area of 16,171 square kilometres ( 6,244 sq mi ) and a population of 2.15 million inhabitants , making it the sixth smallest German state by area and the fifth smallest by population . Erfurt is the state capital and largest city , while other major cities include Jena , Gera , and Weimar . Thuringia is surrounded by the states of Bavaria , Hesse , Lower Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and Saxony . Most of Thuringia is within the watershed of the Saale , a left tributary of the Elbe , and has been known as the green heart of Germany ( das grüne Herz Deutschlands ) from the late 19th century due to the dense forest covering the land . Thuringia is home to the Rennsteig , Germany 's best-known hiking trail , and the winter resort of Oberhof , making it a well-known winter sports destination with half of Germany 's 136 Winter Olympic gold medals won through 2014 having been won by Thuringian athletes . Thuringia is also home to prominent German intellectuals and creative artists , including Johann Sebastian Bach , Johann Wolfgang von Goethe , and Friedrich Schiller , and is location of the University of Jena , the Ilmenau University of Technology , the University of Erfurt , and the Bauhaus University of Weimar . Thuringia was established in 1920 as a state of the Weimar Republic from a merger of the Ernestine duchies , except for Saxe-Coburg , but can trace its origins to the Frankish Duchy of Thuringia established around 631 AD by King Dagobert I . After World War II , Thuringia came under the Soviet occupation zone in Allied-occupied Germany , and its borders altered to become contiguous . Thuringia became part of the German Democratic Republic in 1949 , but was dissolved in 1952 during administrative reforms , and its territory divided into the districts of Erfurt , Suhl and Gera . Thuringia was re-established in 1990 following German reunification , with slightly different borders , and became one of the Federal Republic of Germany 's new states .
The Werra ( German pronunciation : [ ˈvɛʁa ] ) , a river in central Germany , forms the right-source of the Weser . The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia . After 293 kilometres ( 182 mi ) the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann . Münden , forming the Weser . The Werra Valley ( German : Werratal ) forms a natural border between the Rhön Mountains and the Thuringian Forest . Local attractions include Eiben Forest near Dermbach , the fairytale sandstone cave at Walldorf , the deepest lake in Germany formed by land subsidence ( near Bernshausen ) , and the Krayenburg , the ruins of a castle . The following towns or municipalities lie along the Werra : Hildburghausen , Meiningen , Bad Salzungen , Tiefenort , Merkers-Kieselbach , Heringen , Philippsthal , Gerstungen , Wanfried , Eschwege , Bad Sooden-Allendorf , Witzenhausen and Hann . Münden .
Dresden ( /ˈdrɛzdən/ , German : [ ˈdʁeːsdn̩ ] ( listen ) ; Upper and Lower Sorbian : Drježdźany ; Czech : Drážďany ; Polish : Drezno ) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city , following only Leipzig . It is the 12th most populous city of Germany , the third largest by area ( following only Berlin , Hamburg and Cologne ) , and the third most populous city in the area of former East Germany , following only ( East ) Berlin and Leipzig . Dresden is contiguous with Freital , Pirna , Radebeul , Meissen and Coswig , and its urban area has around 780,000 inhabitants , making it the largest in Saxony . Dresden is the largest city on the River Elbe after Hamburg . [ a ] Most of Dresden 's population lives in the Elbe Valley , but a large , albeit very sparsely populated area of the city east of the Elbe lies in the West Lusatian Hill Country and Uplands ( the westernmost part of the Sudetes ) and thus in Lusatia , while many boroughs west of the Elbe lie in the foreland of the Ore Mountains as well as in the valleys of the rivers rising there and flowing through Dresden , the longest of which are the Weißeritz and the Lockwitzbach . The name of the city as well as the names of most of its boroughs and rivers are of Slavic origin . Dresden is the second largest city in the Thuringian-Upper Saxon dialect area , following only Leipzig . The Sorbian language area begins east of the city , in Lusatia . Dresden has a long history as the capital and royal residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony , who for centuries furnished the city with cultural and artistic splendor , and was once by personal union the family seat of Polish monarchs . The city was known as the Jewel Box , because of its baroque and rococo city centre . The controversial American and British bombing of Dresden in World War II towards the end of the war killed approximately 25,000 people , many of whom were civilians , and destroyed the entire city centre . After the war restoration work has helped to reconstruct parts of the historic inner city , including the Katholische Hofkirche , the Zwinger and the Semper Oper .
Saxony ( German : Sachsen [ ˌzaksn̩ ] ( listen ) ; Upper Sorbian : Sakska ; Czech : Sasko ; Polish : Saksonia ) , officially the Free State of Saxony ( German : Freistaat Sachsen [ ˈfʁaɪ̯ʃtaːt ˈzaksn̩ ] , Upper Sorbian : Swobodny stat Sakska ) , is a landlocked federal state of Germany , bordering the federal states of Brandenburg , Saxony Anhalt , Thuringia , and Bavaria , as well as the countries of Poland ( Lower Silesian and Lubusz Voivodeships ) and the Czech Republic ( Karlovy Vary , Liberec , and Ústí nad Labem Regions ) . Its capital is Dresden , and its largest city is Leipzig . Saxony is the tenth largest of Germany 's sixteen states , with an area of 18,413 square kilometres ( 7,109 sq mi ) , and the sixth most populous , with 4 million people . The history of the state of Saxony spans more than a millennium . It has been a medieval duchy , an electorate of the Holy Roman Empire , a kingdom , and twice a republic . The area of the modern state of Saxony should not be confused with Old Saxony , the area inhabited by Saxons . Old Saxony corresponds roughly to the modern German states of Lower Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and the Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia .
The Augustus Bridge is a bridge in the city of Dresden , in the state Saxony in Germany . Crossing the river Elbe , the road bridge connects the Innere Neustadt in the north ( left bank ) with the historic city centre to the south ( right bank ) . There has been a bridge at the same location since at least the 12th century . Under king Augustus II the Strong of Poland and Saxony , a new sandstone bridge was built with 12 arches between 1727 and 1731 . This bridge was replaced by the present , also sandstone , bridge with 9 arches in order to provide a wider opening for river traffic . It was designed by Wilhelm Kreis and Theodor Klette . Three tram lines of the Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe pass over the Augustus Bridge . All are currently ( 2019 ) diverted due to reconstruction works . The current bridge was built between 1907 and 1910 .
The Elbe ( /ˈɛlbə/ ; Czech : Labe ( help·info ) [ ˈlabɛ ] ; German : Elbe [ ˈɛlbə ] ; Low German : Elv , Upper and Lower Sorbian : Łobjo , historically in English also Elve ) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe . It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia ( western half of the Czech Republic ) , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven , 110 km ( 68 mi ) northwest of Hamburg . Its total length is 1,094 kilometres ( 680 mi ) . The Elbe 's major tributaries include the rivers Vltava , Saale , Havel , Mulde , Schwarze Elster , and Ohře . The Elbe river basin , comprising the Elbe and its tributaries , has a catchment area of 148,268 square kilometres ( 57,247 sq mi ) , the fourth largest in Europe . The basin spans four countries , however it lies almost entirely just in two of them , Germany ( 65.5% ) and the Czech Republic ( 33.7% , covering about two thirds of the state 's territory ) . Marginally , the basin stretches also to Austria ( 0.6% ) and Poland ( 0.2% ) . The Elbe catchment area is inhabited by 24.4 million people , the biggest cities within are Berlin , Hamburg , Prague , Dresden and Leipzig .
St. Mary Magdalene 's flood ( German : Magdalenenhochwasser ) was the largest-recorded flood in central Europe with water levels exceeding those of the 2002 European floods . It occurred in July 1342 on and around the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene , 22 July . Following the passage of a Genoa low the rivers Rhine , Moselle , Main , Danube , Weser , Werra , Unstrut , Elbe , Vltava and their tributaries inundated large areas . Many towns such as Cologne , Mainz , Frankfurt am Main , Würzburg , Regensburg , Passau and Vienna were seriously damaged . Even the river Eider north of Hamburg flooded the surrounding land . The affected area extended to Carinthia and northern Italy . It appears that after a prolonged hot and dry period continuous rainfalls occurred which lasted several consecutive days and amounted to more than half of the mean yearly precipitation . Since the dry soil was unable to absorb such amounts of water , the surface runoff washed away large areas of fertile soil and caused huge inundations destroying houses , mills and bridges . In Würzburg , the then famous Steinerne Brücke ( Stone Bridge ) was taken away and in Cologne it is said that a rowing boat could pass over the city 's fortifications . The overall number of casualties is not known , but it is believed that alone in the Danube area 6,000 people were killed . The results of the erosion can still be noticed today . The volume of the eroded soil during this short incident ( a few days ) is determined to be more than 13 billion metric tons , a volume that is washed away under normal climate conditions over a period of 2,000 years .
Erfurt ( /ˈɛərfɜːrt/ AIR-furt , /ˈɛərfʊərt/ AIR-foort ; German pronunciation : [ ˈɛʁfʊʁt ] ( listen ) ) is the capital and largest city in the state of Thuringia , central Germany . Erfurt lies in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin , within the wide valley of the Gera river . It is located 100 km ( 62 mi ) south-west of Leipzig , 300 km ( 186 mi ) south-west of Berlin , 400 km ( 249 mi ) north of Munich and 250 km ( 155 mi ) north-east of Frankfurt . Together with a string of neighbouring cities Gotha , Weimar , Jena and others , Erfurt forms the central metropolitan corridor of Thuringia called Thüringer Städtekette ( German Thuringian city chain ) with over 500,000 inhabitants . Erfurt 's old town is one of the best preserved medieval city centres in Germany . Tourist attractions include the Krämerbrücke ( Merchants ' bridge ) , the Old Synagogue , the ensemble of Erfurt Cathedral and Severikirche ( St Severus 's Church ) and Petersberg Citadel , one of the largest and best preserved town fortresses in Europe . The city 's economy is based on agriculture , horticulture and microelectronics . Its central location has led to it becoming a logistics hub for Germany and central Europe . Erfurt hosts the second-largest trade fair in eastern Germany ( after Leipzig ) as well as the public television children 's channel KiKa . The city is situated on the Via Regia , a medieval trade and pilgrims ' road network . Modern day Erfurt is also a hub for ICE high speed trains and other German and European transport networks . Erfurt was first mentioned in 742 , as Saint Boniface founded the diocese .
The Krämerbrücke ( Merchants ' bridge ) is a medieval arch bridge in the city of Erfurt , in Thuringia in central Germany , which is lined with half timbered shops and houses on both sides of a cobblestone street . It is one of the few remaining bridges in the world that have inhabited buildings . It has been continuously inhabited for over 500 years , longer than any other bridge in Europe . The stone , pedestrian bridge , which dates from 1325 , is one of the oldest secular structures in Erfurt . It spans the Breitstrom , a branch of Gera River , and connects two town squares - Benediktsplatz and Wenigemarkt .
Breitstrom is a branch of the river Gera in Erfurt , Thuringia , Germany .
The Gera is a river in Thuringia , Germany . The Gera is a right tributary of the Unstrut . It originates in the Thuringian Forest , west of Ilmenau . The Gera is formed in Plaue , by the confluence of the Wilde Gera and the Zahme Gera . It empties into the Unstrut in Straußfurt . The total length of the Gera ( including Wilde Gera ) is 85 km ( 53 mi ) . The largest towns along the Gera are Arnstadt and Erfurt . The city Gera is not situated along the River Gera . Along its way , Gera River splits up and reunites multiple times . Branches of the Gera are :
Esslingen is a Landkreis ( district ) in the centre of Baden-Württemberg , Germany . Neighboring districts are ( from north clockwise ) Rems-Murr , Göppingen , Reutlingen , Böblingen and the district-free city Stuttgart . Until 15 October 1964 the district 's name was written officially as Landkreis Eßlingen .
Baden-Württemberg ( /ˌbɑːdən ˈvɜːrtəmbɜːrɡ/ , German : [ ˌbaːdn̩ ˈvʏʁtəmbɛʁk ] ( listen ) ) is a state in southwest Germany , east of the Rhine , which forms the border with France . It is Germanys third-largest state , with an area of 35,751 km2 ( 13,804 sq mi ) and 11 million inhabitants . Baden-Württemberg is a parliamentary republic and partly sovereign , federated state which was formed in 1952 by a merger of the states of Württemberg-Baden , Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern . The largest city in Baden-Württemberg is the state capital of Stuttgart , followed by Karlsruhe and Mannheim . Other cities are Freiburg im Breisgau , Heidelberg , Heilbronn , Pforzheim , Reutlingen and Ulm . The sobriquet Ländle ( little province in the local Swabian and Alemannic German dialects ) is sometimes used as a synonym for Baden-Württemberg .
The Neckar ( German pronunciation : [ ˈnɛkaʁ ] ( listen ) ) is a 362-kilometre-long ( 225 mi ) river in Germany , mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg , with a short section through Hesse . The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine . Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis near Schwenningen in the Schwenninger Moos conservation area at a height of 706 m ( 2,316 ft ) above sea level , it passes through Rottweil , Rottenburg am Neckar , Kilchberg , Tübingen , Wernau , Nürtingen , Plochingen , Esslingen , Stuttgart , Ludwigsburg , Marbach , Heilbronn and Heidelberg , before discharging on average 145 m3/s ( 5,100 cu ft/s ) of water into the Rhine at Mannheim , at 95 m ( 312 ft ) above sea level , making the Neckar its 4th largest tributary , and the 10th largest river in Germany . Since 1968 , the Neckar has been navigable for cargo ships via 27 locks for about 200 kilometres ( 120 mi ) upstream from Mannheim to the river port of Plochingen , at the confluence with the Fils . From Plochingen to Stuttgart , the Neckar valley is densely populated and heavily industrialised , with several well-known companies . Between Stuttgart and Lauffen , the Neckar cuts a scenic , meandering , and in many places steep-sided , valley into fossiliferous Triassic limestones and Pleistocene travertine . Along the Neckar 's valley in the Odenwald hills many castles can be found , including Hornberg Castle and Guttenberg Castle in Haßmersheim ; the now-mothballed Obrigheim Nuclear Power Plant and the active Neckarwestheim Nuclear Power Plant are also located there .
Frankfurt ( officially : Frankfurt am Main ( German : [ ˈfʁaŋkfʊʁt ʔam ˈmaɪn ] ( listen ) ; Hessian : Frangford am Maa ; lit . Frank ford on the [ a ] Main ) ) is a metropolis and the largest city of the German federal state of Hesse , and its 746,878 ( 2017 ) inhabitants make it the fifth-largest city in Germany . On the River Main ( a tributary of the Rhine ) , it forms a continuous conurbation with the neighbouring city of Offenbach am Main , and its urban area has a population of 2.3 million . The city is at the centre of the larger Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region , which has a population of 5.5 million and is Germany 's second-largest metropolitan region after the Rhine-Ruhr Region . Since the enlargement of the European Union in 2013 , the geographic centre of the EU is about 40 km ( 25 mi ) to the east of Frankfurt 's central business district . Like France and Franconia , the city is named after the Franks . Frankfurt is the largest city in the Rhine Franconian dialect area ( Franconian dialects ) , Frankfurt was one of the host cities of the official tournaments of the 1974 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup . Frankfurt was a city state , the Free City of Frankfurt , for nearly five centuries , and was one of the most important cities of the Holy Roman Empire , as a site of imperial coronations ; it lost its sovereignty upon the collapse of the empire in 1806 and then permanently in 1866 , when it was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia . It has been part of the federal state of Hesse since 1945 . Frankfurt is culturally , ethnically , and religiously diverse , with half of its population , and a majority of young people , having a migration background . A quarter of the population consists of foreign nationals , including many expatriates . Frankfurt is an alpha world city and a global hub for commerce , culture , education , tourism and transportation .
Hesse ( /hɛs/ , also US : /ˈhɛsə , ˈhɛsi/ , Hessian dialect : [ ˈhɛzə ] ) or Hessia ( UK : /ˈhɛsiə/ , US : /ˈhɛʃə/ ; German : Hessen [ ˈhɛsn̩ ] ( listen ) ) , officially the State of Hesse ( German : Land Hessen ) , is a parliamentary republic in western Europe and , with just over six million inhabitants , a member state of the Federal Republic of Germany as of 1949 . Its capital city is Wiesbaden , the largest metropolitan area is Frankfurt am Main . As a cultural region , Hesse also includes the area known as Rhenish Hesse ( Rheinhessen ) in the neighbouring state of Rhineland-Palatinate .
Alte Brücke ( German : old bridge ) is a bridge in Frankfurt , Hesse , Germany . It is the oldest bridge over the lower course of the river Main , and until 1886 it was the only stone bridge crossing the river . From the Middle Ages until the year 1914 , it connected the Fahrgasse in Frankfurt Altstadt with the Brückenstraße in Sachsenhausen . Since its first mention in official documents in 1222 , the development of Frankfurt has been strongly influenced by the bridge . Over the centuries , Alte Brücke has been destroyed and reconstructed at least 18 times . With its 13 brick-built circular arches , the Sachsenhausen Bridge was one of the most prominent buildings of the city , but failing to meet the increasing demands of the modern road and ship traffic , it was demolished in 1914 . The current Alte Brücke , sometimes called Neue Alte Brücke ( German : new old bridge ) , was inaugurated on 15 August 1926 by then-Lord-Mayor Ludwig Landmann . Two of its originally eight red sandstone-lined vaults were blown up by German soldiers on 26 March 1945 . After an initial provisional reconstruction , the middle part of the bridge was replaced by a steel through truss bridge and placed in operation again on 15 September 1965 . In 2006 , the Alte Brücke received a new porticus , which resembles a watermill that had historically been present at the bridge . Today , the view of the bridge is characterized by four portal walls at both sides of the bridge 's middle part . These have been built in the course of a complete renovation in 2014 .
The Main ( German pronunciation : [ ˈmaɪn ] ( listen ) ) is a river in Germany . With a length of 525 kilometres ( 326 mi ) ( including its 52 km long source river White Main ) , it is the longest right tributary of the Rhine . It is also the longest river lying entirely in Germany ( if the Weser and the Werra are considered as two separate rivers ; together they are longer ) . The largest cities along the Main are Frankfurt am Main , Offenbach am Main and Würzburg .
Hadamar is a small town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hessen , Germany . Hadamar is known for its Clinic for Forensic Psychiatry/Centre for Social Psychiatry , lying at the edge of town , in whose outlying buildings is also found the Hadamar Memorial . This memorializes the murder of people with handicaps and mental illnesses under the Nazi regime at the NS-Tötungsanstalt Hadamar .
Elbbach is a river in Germany , about 38.1 kilometres ( 23.7 mi ) long . It is a right tributary of the Lahn which in turn is a right tributary of the Rhine . The Elbbach starts near Westerburg in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate , and flows into the Lahn near Limburg an der Lahn in the state of Hesse . The drainage basin of this river has an area of 323.67 square kilometres ( 124.97 sq mi ) .
Hann . Münden ( short for Hannoversch Münden ) is a town in Lower Saxony , Germany . Münden lies in the district of Göttingen at the confluence of the Fulda and Werra rivers , which join to form the Weser . It has about 24,000 inhabitants ( 2013 ) . It is famous for its half-timbered houses , some of them more than 600 years old .
Lower Saxony ( German : Niedersachsen [ ˈniːdɐzaksn̩ ] ( listen ) ; Low German : Neddersassen ) is a German state ( Land ) situated in northwestern Germany . It is the second-largest state by land area , with 47,624 km2 ( 18,388 sq mi ) , and fourth-largest in population ( 7.9 million ) among the 16 Länder federated as the Federal Republic of Germany . In rural areas , Northern Low Saxon ( a dialect of Low German ) and Saterland Frisian ( a variety of the Frisian language ) are still spoken , but the number of speakers is declining . Lower Saxony borders on ( from north and clockwise ) the North Sea , the states of Schleswig-Holstein , Hamburg , Mecklenburg-Vorpommern , Brandenburg , Saxony-Anhalt , Thuringia , Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia , and the Netherlands ( Drenthe , Groningen and Overijssel ) . Furthermore , the state of Bremen forms two enclaves within Lower Saxony , one being the city of Bremen , the other , its seaport city of Bremerhaven . In fact , Lower Saxony borders more neighbours than any other single Bundesland . The state 's principal cities include the state capital Hanover , Braunschweig ( Brunswick ) , Lüneburg , Osnabrück , Oldenburg , Hildesheim , Wolfenbüttel , Wolfsburg , and Göttingen . The northwestern area of Lower Saxony , which lies on the coast of the North Sea , is called East Frisia and the seven East Frisian Islands offshore are popular with tourists . In the extreme west of Lower Saxony is the Emsland , a traditionally poor and sparsely populated area , once dominated by inaccessible swamps . The northern half of Lower Saxony , also known as the North German Plains , is almost invariably flat except for the gentle hills around the Bremen geestland . Towards the south and southwest lie the northern parts of the German Central Uplands : the Weser Uplands and the Harz mountains . Between these two lie the Lower Saxon Hills , a range of low ridges .
Harburg is a town in Bavaria , in the Donau-Ries district . It is situated on the Wörnitz River The city is part of the scenic route called Romantische Straße ( Romantic Road ) with one of the most impressive remaining medieval castles in Germany .
The Wörnitz is a river in Bavaria , Germany , a left tributary of the Danube . Its source is near Schillingsfürst , in the Middle Franconia region of Bavaria . It flows south , through the Nördlinger Ries , and flows into the Danube in Donauwörth . Towns along the Wörnitz include Wörnitz , Dinkelsbühl , Wassertrüdingen , Oettingen , Harburg and Donauwörth .
Heidelberg ( /ˈhaɪdəlbɜːrɡ/ HY-dəl-burg , German : [ ˈhaɪdl̩bɛʁk ] ( listen ) ) is a university town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg , situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany . In the 2016 census , its population was 159,914 , of which roughly a quarter consisted of students . Located about 78 km ( 48 mi ) south of Frankfurt , Heidelberg is the fifth-largest city in Baden-Württemberg . Heidelberg is part of the densely populated Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region . Heidelberg University , founded in 1386 , is Germany 's oldest and one of Europe 's most reputable universities . Heidelberg is a scientific hub in Germany and home to several internationally renowned research facilities adjacent to its university , including the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and four Max Planck Institutes . The city has also been a hub for the arts , especially literature , throughout the centuries , and it was designated a City of Literature by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network . Heidelberg was a seat of government of the former Electorate of the Palatinate and is a popular tourist destination due to its romantic cityscape , including Heidelberg Castle , the Philosophers ' Walk , and the Baroque old town .
The Karl Theodor Bridge ( German : Karl-Theodor-Brücke ) , commonly known as the Old Bridge ( Alte Brücke ) , is an arch bridge in Heidelberg that crosses the Neckar river . It connects the Old City with the eastern part of the Neuenheim district of the city on the opposite bank . The current bridge , made of Neckar sandstone and the ninth built on the site , was constructed in 1788 by Elector Charles Theodore , and is one of the best-known landmarks and tourist destinations in Heidelberg .
Hildesheim [ ˈhɪldəsˌhaɪ̯m ] ( listen ) ( Eastphalian : Hilmessen ) is a city in Lower Saxony , Germany with 104,230 inhabitants . It is in the district of Hildesheim , about 30 km ( 19 mi ) southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste River , a small tributary of the Leine River . The Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious founded the Bishopric of Hildesheim in 815 and created the first settlement with a chapel on the so called Domhügel . Hildesheim is situated on autobahn route 7 , and hence is at the connection point of the North ( Hamburg and beyond ) with the South of Europe . With the Hildesheim Cathedral and the St. Michael 's Church , Hildesheim became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985 . In 2015 the city and the diocese celebrated their 1200th anniversary .
The Innerste is a river in Lower Saxony , Germany . It is a right tributary of the Leine river and 101 km ( 63 mi ) in length .
Rainald of Dassel ( c. 1120 - 14 August 1167 ) was Archbishop of Cologne and Archchancellor of Italy from 1159 until his death . A close advisor to the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick Barbarossa , he had an important influence on Imperial politics , mainly in the Italian conflict of Guelphs and Ghibellines .
Jena ( /ˈjeɪnə/ ; German pronunciation : [ ˈjeːna ] ( listen ) ) is a German university city and the second largest city in Thuringia . Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar , it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants , while the city itself has a population of about 110,000 . Jena is a centre of education and research ; the Friedrich Schiller University was founded in 1558 and had 18,000 students in 2017 and the Ernst-Abbe-Fachhochschule Jena counts another 5,000 students . Furthermore , there are many institutes of the leading German research societies . Jena was first mentioned in 1182 and stayed a small town until the 19th century , when industry developed . For most of the 20th century , Jena was a world centre of the optical industry around companies like Carl Zeiss , Schott and Jenoptik ( since 1990 ) . As one of only a few medium-sized cities in Germany , it has some high-rise buildings in the city centre , like the Jen Tower . These also have their origin in the former Carl Zeiss factory . Between 1790 and 1850 , Jena was a focal point of the German Vormärz as well as of the student liberal and unification movement and German Romanticism . Notable persons of this period in Jena were Friedrich Schiller , Alexander von Humboldt , Johann Gottlieb Fichte , Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel , Novalis and August Wilhelm Schlegel . The city 's economy is based on the high-technology industry and research . The optical and precision industry is the leading branch to date , while software engineering , other digital businesses and biotechnology are of growing importance .
The Camsdorf Bridge ( German : Camsdorfer Brücke ) is a bridge over the Saale river in Jena , Germany . It connects the Jena city center of Jena with the suburb of Weningenjena and is considered to be the oldest stone arch bridge in Jena .
The Saale ( German pronunciation : [ ˈzaːlə ] ) , also known as the Saxon Saale ( German : Sächsische Saale ) and Thuringian Saale ( German : Thüringische Saale ) , is a river in Germany and a left-bank tributary of the Elbe . It is not to be confused with the smaller Franconian Saale , a right-bank tributary of the Main , or the Saale in Lower Saxony , a tributary of the Leine .
Kitzingen is a town in the German state of Bavaria , capital of the district Kitzingen . It is part of the Franconia geographical region and has around 21,000 inhabitants . Surrounded by vineyards , Kitzingen County is the largest wine producer in Bavaria . It is said to be Franconia 's wine trade center .
Koblenz ( German : [ ˈkoːblɛnts ] ( listen ) ; French : Coblence ) , spelled Coblenz before 1926 , is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine where it is joined by the Moselle . Koblenz was established as a Roman military post by Drusus around 8 B.C . Its name originates from the Latin ( ad ) cōnfluentēs , meaning ( at the ) confluence of the two rivers . The actual confluence is today known as the German Corner , a symbol of the unification of Germany that features an equestrian statue of Emperor William I . The city celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 1992 . After Mainz and Ludwigshafen am Rhein , it is the third-largest city in Rhineland-Palatinate , with a population of around 112,000 ( 2015 ) . Koblenz lies in the Rhineland .
The Moselle ( /moʊˈzɛl/ , moh-ZEL ; French : [ mɔzɛl ] ( listen ) ; German : Mosel [ ˈmoːzl̩ ] ( listen ) ; Luxembourgish : Musel ) is a river that flows through France , Luxembourg , and Germany . It is a left tributary of the Rhine , which it joins at Koblenz . A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Moselle through the Sauer and the Our . The Moselle twists and turns its way between Trier and Koblenz along one of Germany 's most beautiful river valleys . It flows through a region that has been influenced by mankind since it was first cultivated by the Romans . Today , its hillsides are covered by terraced vineyards where some of the best Rieslings grow , and numerous ruined castles dominate the hilltops above wine villages and towns that line the riverbanks . Traben-Trarbach with its art nouveau architecture and Bernkastel-Kues with its traditional market square are two of the many tourist attractions on the Moselle river .
The Moselle ( /moʊˈzɛl/ , moh-ZEL ; French : [ mɔzɛl ] ( listen ) ; German : Mosel [ ˈmoːzl̩ ] ( listen ) ; Luxembourgish : Musel ) is a river that flows through France , Luxembourg , and Germany . It is a left tributary of the Rhine , which it joins at Koblenz . A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Moselle through the Sauer and the Our . The Moselle twists and turns its way between Trier and Koblenz along one of Germany 's most beautiful river valleys . It flows through a region that has been influenced by mankind since it was first cultivated by the Romans . Today , its hillsides are covered by terraced vineyards where some of the best Rieslings grow , and numerous ruined castles dominate the hilltops above wine villages and towns that line the riverbanks . Traben-Trarbach with its art nouveau architecture and Bernkastel-Kues with its traditional market square are two of the many tourist attractions on the Moselle river .
Limburg an der Lahn ( officially abbreviated Limburg a. d. Lahn ) is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse , Germany .
The Lahn is a 245.6-kilometer ( 152.6 mi ) -long , right ( or eastern ) tributary of the Rhine in Germany . Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia ( 23.0 km ) , Hesse ( 165.6 km ) , and Rhineland-Palatinate ( 57.0 km ) . It has its source in the Rothaargebirge , the highest part of the Sauerland . It meets the Rhine at Lahnstein , near Koblenz . Important cities along the Lahn include Marburg , Gießen , Wetzlar , Limburg an der Lahn , Weilburg and Bad Ems . Tributaries to the Lahn include the Ohm , Dill , the Weil and the Aar . The lower Lahn has many dams with locks , allowing regular shipping from its mouth up to Runkel . Riverboats also operate on a small section north of the dam in Gießen .
Marburg is a university town in the German federal state ( Bundesland ) of Hesse , capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district ( Landkreis ) . The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approximately 72,000 . Having been awarded town privileges in 1222 , Marburg served as capital of the landgraviate of Hessen-Marburg during periods of the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries . The University of Marburg was founded in 1527 and dominates the public life in the town to this day .