Upper Weser Valley
Encyclopedia
The Upper Weser Valley in central Germany has been formed by the Upper Weser river cutting through the Weser Uplands for around 200 kilometres (124.3 mi) between the towns of Hann. Münden
and Minden
. It lies in the German
federal states of Lower Saxony
, Hesse
and North Rhine-Westphalia
.
, where the rivers Werra
and Fulda join to form the Weser and follows the course of the Upper Weser northwards through the Weser Uplands to Bodenwerder
, then continues in a northwestern direction, south of the Süntel
hills and the Weser Hills, and ends finally at the great gap of Porta Westfalica
, where the Weser breaks through the Wiehen and Weser Hills out into the North German Plain
. In the south the Upper Weser Valley crosses the Solling-Vogler Nature Park
and, in the north, the Weser Uplands Schaumburg-Hamelin Nature Park.
At its northern end, the Upper Weser Valley is followed by the Middle Weser Valley
, part of the Middle Weser Region
.
s (from south to north):
, Bad Karlshafen
, Beverungen
, Höxter
, Holzminden
, Bodenwerder
, Hameln, Rinteln
, Vlotho
, Bad Oeynhausen
and Porta Westfalica
.
Several tourist routes accompany the Weser Valley: The German Fairy Tale Road, the Weser Valley Road, the German Framework Road
and the Road of Weser Renaissance
. The valley is crossed by several railway lines at places like Hann. Münden, Wehrden (Weser), Höxter and Holzminden. From Hamelin the railway lines run parallel to the Weser via Bad Oeynhausen (Weser Railway) to Minden (Hamm–Minden railway).
A long section of the roughly 500 km long cycle path, the Weser Cycle Path runs mostly along the Weser through the Upper Weser Valley.
Hann. Münden
Hann. Münden is the German official name of a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. The city is located in the district of Göttingen at the confluence of the Fulda and Werra rivers, which join to form the river Weser. It has 28,000 inhabitants...
and Minden
Minden
Minden is a town of about 83,000 inhabitants in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town extends along both sides of the river Weser. It is the capital of the Kreis of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Detmold. Minden is the historic political centre of the...
. It lies in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
federal states of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
and North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
.
Course
The Upper Weser Valley begins near Hann. MündenHann. Münden
Hann. Münden is the German official name of a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. The city is located in the district of Göttingen at the confluence of the Fulda and Werra rivers, which join to form the river Weser. It has 28,000 inhabitants...
, where the rivers Werra
Werra
The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser....
and Fulda join to form the Weser and follows the course of the Upper Weser northwards through the Weser Uplands to Bodenwerder
Bodenwerder
Bodenwerder is a municipality in Holzminden district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies on the river Weser, upstream from Hamelin, at a point where the river has carved a gap in the hills...
, then continues in a northwestern direction, south of the Süntel
Süntel
The Süntel is a massif in the German Central Uplands that is up to . It forms part of the Weser Uplands in Lower Saxony southwest of Hanover and north of Hamelin.-Geographical location:...
hills and the Weser Hills, and ends finally at the great gap of Porta Westfalica
Porta Westfalica (gorge)
thumb|Weser watershedThe Porta Westfalica is a gorge and water gap, where the Weser river runs through the passage between the mountain chains of the Wiehengebirge in the west and the Wesergebirge in the east...
, where the Weser breaks through the Wiehen and Weser Hills out into the North German Plain
North German plain
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain...
. In the south the Upper Weser Valley crosses the Solling-Vogler Nature Park
Solling-Vogler Nature Park
The Solling-Vogler Nature Park is a nature park in South Lower Saxony in Germany. It has an area of and was established in 1966.The nature park includes the hill ranges of the Solling and the Vogler but also the Burgberg which lies east of Weser valley between the two upland regions...
and, in the north, the Weser Uplands Schaumburg-Hamelin Nature Park.
At its northern end, the Upper Weser Valley is followed by the Middle Weser Valley
Middle Weser Valley
The Middle Weser Valley is part of the Weser Depression around the River Weser on the North German Plain, extending from the gap of Porta Westfalica to the town of Hoya. It is not a true valley, because it is only bordered by low hills at two points...
, part of the Middle Weser Region
Middle Weser Region
The Middle Weser Region includes, in its fullest sense, the land along the Middle Weser between Minden and Bremen. It lies within the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Bremen...
.
Hills
The Upper Weser Valley is bordered by the following uplandHighland (geography)
The term highland or upland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. Generally speaking, the term upland tends to be used for ranges of hills, typically up to 500-600m, and highland for ranges of low mountains.The Scottish Highlands refers to the mountainous...
s (from south to north):
Left-hand side:
|
Right-hand side:
|
Towns
The towns of the Upper Weser Valley are Hann. MündenHann. Münden
Hann. Münden is the German official name of a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. The city is located in the district of Göttingen at the confluence of the Fulda and Werra rivers, which join to form the river Weser. It has 28,000 inhabitants...
, Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen is a baroque, thermal salt spa town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It has 2300 inhabitants in the main ward of Bad Karlshafen, and a further 1900 in the medieval ward of Helmarshausen...
, Beverungen
Beverungen
Beverungen is a town in Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Location :Beverungen lies in the Weser Uplands on the side of the Weser opposite Solling roughly 10 km south of Höxter. In parts of the eastern municipal area near the river, the town has a share of the Weser Valley,...
, Höxter
Höxter
Höxter is the seat of the Höxter district, and a town in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia on the left bank of the river Weser, 52 km north of Kassel in the centre of the Weser Uplands...
, Holzminden
Holzminden
Holzminden is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located directly on the river Weser, which here is the border to North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:...
, Bodenwerder
Bodenwerder
Bodenwerder is a municipality in Holzminden district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies on the river Weser, upstream from Hamelin, at a point where the river has carved a gap in the hills...
, Hameln, Rinteln
Rinteln
Rinteln is a small town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the banks of the Weser river above the Porta Westfalica. Population: 28,500.It is accessed by the A2 autobahn .-History:...
, Vlotho
Vlotho
Vlotho is a town in the district of Herford, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Vlotho is located along the Weser river, south of the Wiehengebirge, bordering on the Ravensberger Hügelland in the west, Lipperland in the south, and the Weserbergland in the east...
, Bad Oeynhausen
Bad Oeynhausen
Bad Oeynhausen is a spa town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Bad Oeynhausen is located on the banks of the Weser river, which runs along the eastern edges of the town. Bad Oeynhausen has the world's highest carbonated, thermal saltwater fountain,...
and Porta Westfalica
Porta Westfalica
Porta Westfalica is a town in the district of Minden-Lübbecke, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The name “Porta Westfalica” is Latin and means “gate to Westphalia”. Coming from the north, the gorge is the entry to the region of Westphalia...
.
Culture and Infrastructure
The Upper Weser Valley has is agriculturally and culturally important.Several tourist routes accompany the Weser Valley: The German Fairy Tale Road, the Weser Valley Road, the German Framework Road
German Framework Road
The German Timber-Frame Road is a German tourist route leading from the river Elbe in the north to Lake Constance in the south. Along the road you can find nearly 100 cities and towns with remarkable timber-framed houses...
and the Road of Weser Renaissance
Road of Weser Renaissance
The Road of Weser Renaissance is a well-known tourist route in North Germany. As a cultural route it links famous architectural monuments of the Weser Renaissance period in the 16th and early 17th centuries....
. The valley is crossed by several railway lines at places like Hann. Münden, Wehrden (Weser), Höxter and Holzminden. From Hamelin the railway lines run parallel to the Weser via Bad Oeynhausen (Weser Railway) to Minden (Hamm–Minden railway).
A long section of the roughly 500 km long cycle path, the Weser Cycle Path runs mostly along the Weser through the Upper Weser Valley.