Port of Aken
Aken has had an inland port since 1891 (construction began in 1889). This was of great economic importance for the city of Aken. With the expansion of the railway network in the following years, traffic on the Elbe continued to increase, and with it the volume of goods handled at the port. During the Second World War, however, port operations came to a virtual standstill and were only revived in the following decades. After the political change in 1989, operations were initially managed by the Treuhandanstalt until the city of Aken took over the company in 1993. It founded Hafenbetrieb Aken GmbH, which has managed the port ever since. From 1992 to 2006, the port terminal underwent a fundamental renovation and expansion, with an investment of around 15.5 million euros. Today, the port has a container terminal, a bulk cargo terminal and a heavy cargo terminal with the highest stationary load capacity on the Elbe between Hamburg and Dresden (270 tonnes). All terminals have trimodal connections. In addition to its function, the port is still considered one of the landmarks of the city of Aken.
A ferry was first mentioned in documents in Aken in 1355. From the outset, it was used not only to transport people across the Elbe, but also primarily for transporting goods. In 1878, when the ferry was rebuilt, the Schrick ferry that had been used until then was converted into a cable ferry. This propulsion technology is considered particularly environmentally friendly as it uses the natural current of the Elbe. The ferry currently in use has been in operation since 1997 and has a load capacity of 42 tonnes. It serves as a “floating bridge” across the Elbe, securing the connection between Aken and Steutz and carrying up to 12 cars across the Elbe in 5 minutes. The ferry is not only important for commercial transport, but also plays an important role in tourism, as the Elbe Cycle Route leads from Aken to the Steckby-Lödderitzer Forest Biosphere Reserve with the help of the ferry.
Wikipedia)
Website:https://www.hafen-aken.de/
