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The 'Neckar' is a 367 km long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse in Germany, a major right tributary of the River Rhine, which it joins at Mannheim. Rising in the Black Forest near Villingen-Schwenningen in the conservation area ''Schwenninger Moos'' at a height of 706 m above sea level, it passes through Rottweil, Rottenburg, Tübingen, Nürtingen, Esslingen, Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg, Marbach, Heilbronn and Heidelberg, before discharging into the Rhine at Mannheim (at 95 m above sea level).
Along its valley in the Odenwald hills, many castles can be found, like and in Haßmersheim, but also the closed nuclear power station which is due to be dismantled by 2023. After passing Heidelberg, the Neckar discharges on average 145 m³/s of water into the Rhine which makes the Neckar its 4th largest tributary, and the 10th largest river in Germany.
The name ''Neckar'' was derived via ''Nicarus'' und ''Neccarus'' from Celtic ''Nikros'', meaning ''wild water'' or ''wild fellow''. Since about 1100, Black Forest wood was transported by timber rafting, e.g. to Holland for the use in shipyards. During the 19th century, traditional horse-drawn boats were replaced by steam boats that used a 155 km long chain in the river to pull themselves upstream. The railway made it possible to transport timber to the port of Heilbronn, limiting timber rafting to the lower part of the Neckar after 1899. Due to 11 locks, ships up to 1500t could travel to Heilbronn in 1935. By 1968, the last of 27 locks, at Deizisau, was completed, making the Neckar navigable for cargo ships about 200 km upstream from Mannheim up to the river port of Plochingen, where the Fils joins and the Neckar bends, taking a Northwestern instead of a Northeastern direction. The other ports are in Stuttgart, Heilbronn and Mannheim.
The river's course provides a popular route for cyclists, especially during the summer months. Its steep valley sides are used as vineyards, to cultivate mainly Trollinger.

Contents

Towns along the Neckar

Main tributaries

Links

Towns along the Neckar

From its source to its confluence with the Rhine:

★ Villingen-Schwenningen

★ Rottweil

★ Oberndorf am Neckar

★ Sulz am Neckar

★ Horb am Neckar

★ Rottenburg am Neckar

★ Tübingen

★ Nürtingen

★ Plochingen

★ Esslingen (am Neckar)

★ Stuttgart

★ Fellbach

★ Ludwigsburg

★ Freiberg am Neckar

★ Benningen am Neckar

★ Marbach am Neckar

★ Besigheim

★ Heilbronn

★ Neckarsulm

★ Mosbach

★ Eberbach

★ Heidelberg

★ Mannheim

Main tributaries

★ Eschach (left side, at Rottweil-Bühlingen)

★ Ammer (left side, at Tübingen-Lustnau)

★ Echaz (right side, at Kirchentellinsfurt)

★ Lauter (right side, at Wendlingen)

★ Fils (right side, at Plochingen)

★ Nesenbach (left side, at Stuttgart-Ost)

★ Rems (right side, at Remseck)

★ Murr (right side, at Marbach)

★ Enz (left side, at Besigheim)

★ Zaber (left side, at Lauffen)

★ Sulm (right side, at Neckarsulm)

★ Kocher (right side, at Bad Friedrichshall)

★ Jagst (right side, at Bad Wimpfen)

★ Elz (right side, at Mosbach-Neckarelz)

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at:6200 shift:($dx,$dy) color:wasser text: 6.2 km Feudenheim Lock
at:17700 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 17.7 km Schwabenheim Lock
at:26100 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 26.1 km Heidelberg Lock
at:30800 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 30.8 km Neckargemünd Lock
at:39300 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 39.3 km Neckarsteinach Lock
at:47700 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 47.7 km Hirschhorn Lock
at:61400 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 61.4 km Rockenau Lock
at:72200 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 72.2 km Guttenbach Lock
at:85900 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 85.9 km Neckarzimmern Lock
at:93800 shift:($dx,$dy) text: 93.8 km Gundelsheim Lock
at:103900 shift:($dx,$dy) text:103.9 km Kochendorf Lock
at:113600 shift:($dx,$dy) text:113.6 km Heilbronn Lock
at:117500 shift:($dx,$dy) text:117.5 km Horkheim Lock
at:125100 shift:($dx,$dy) text:125.1 km Lauffen Lock
at:136200 shift:($dx,$dy) text:136.2 km Besigheim Lock
at:143000 shift:($dx,$dy) text:143.0 km Hessigheim Lock
at:150100 shift:($dx,$dy) text:150.1 km Pleidelsheim Lock
at:157600 shift:($dx,$dy) text:157.6 km Marbach Lock
at:165000 shift:($dx,$dy) text:165.0 km Poppenweiler Lock
at:171400 shift:($dx,$dy) text:171.4 km Aldingen Lock
at:176200 shift:($dx,$dy) text:176.2 km Hofen Lock
at:182700 shift:($dx,$dy) text:182.7 km Cannstatt Lock
at:186700 shift:($dx,-5) text:186.7 km Untertürkheim Lock
at:189500 shift:($dx,$dy) text:189.5 km Obertürkheim Lock
at:194000 shift:($dx,-8) text:194.0 km Esslingen Lock
at:194800 shift:($dx,1) text:194.8 km Oberesslingen Lock
at:199500 shift:($dx,$dy) text:199.5 km Deizisau Lock

Links

★ Old Town Heidelberg on the river Neckar

★ Tourism Information of the river Neckar(German)