The Weser

The Weser at Bremen

Image: Hamsterkiste

1 - The Weser begins in the town of Hann. Münden. It is formed by the two headwaters, the Fulda and the Werra. Since these rivers already carry a lot of water, the Weser starts out as quite a wide river. The Weser flows into the North Sea near Bremerhaven after 451 kilometres. The difference in elevation between the confluence of the Fulda and Werra and the mouth of the Weser is 116 metres.


2 - Because the water level of the Weser fluctuates greatly, the Eder Dam was built between 1908 and 1914. It is near the town of Waldeck and is also known as the Edersee. Its water is used to generate electricity and to regulate water levels in the Weser and the Mittelland Canal.


3 - Along the Weser are the medium-sized towns of Achim, Bad Oeynhausen, Geestland, Hameln, Hannoversch-Münden, Höxter, Holzminden, Minden, Nienburg, Nordenham, Petershagen, Porta Westfalica and Rinteln, as well as the major cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven.


4 - The stretch from Hann. Münden to Minden is called the Upper Weser. Next comes the Middle Weser, which runs to Bremen. The Lower Weser begins in Bremen, where the tides of the North Sea can already be felt. On its way to the North Sea, the Weser passes through the German states of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Bremen.


5 - At Minden, the Mittelland Canal crosses the Weser in an aqueduct. The two waterways are connected by a lock. Water from the Weser helps maintain a steady water level in the Mittelland Canal. Cargo ships up to 85 metres long and 12 metres wide operate on the Middle and Lower Weser. Seven weirs keep the water level of the Middle Weser high enough for ships to navigate. Hydroelectric power stations at the weirs generate electricity.


6 - The Weser's longest tributaries are the Aller (215 kilometres long), the Hunte (173 km), the Lesum (131 km), the Diemel (111 km), the Große Aue (88 km) and the Werre (72 km).

Exploration activities

  1. Near which city does the Weser begin?
  2. Which rivers does it originate from?
  3. Where does the sis flow into?
  4. How long is it?
  5. Which sea does the Weser flow into?
  6. Which reservoir was built to regulate the water level of the Weser?
  7. Which cities are located on the Weser?
  8. Which places do the Upper Weser, Middle Weser and Lower Weser run between?
  9. Which German states does the Weser flow through?
  10. Which canal crosses the Weser? Where does it do so?
  11. Which structures keep the water level of the Weser steady?
  12. What are the Weser’s longest tributaries?

The Weser is formed where the Fulda and Werra meet at Hannoversch-Münden

Image: Hamsterkiste

The Weser near Hamelin

Image: Hamsterkiste