Kronsnest ferry
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The Kronsnest ferry is a small passenger ferry on the Krückau federal waterway that operates seasonally between the communities of Seester ( Pinneberg district ) and Neuendorf ( Steinburg district ) in Schleswig-Holstein . The ferry service takes place with a small wooden boat that is moved by means of sculling across the Elbe tributary, which is approx. 16 meters wide at low tide and 40 meters wide at high tide . Up to seven passengers and bikes can be transported per crossing. It is not possible to take vehicles with you. According to the sponsoring association, the ferry is the smallest ferry in Germany and the only hand-operated ferry in Schleswig-Holstein. While the Kronsnest ferry used to be an economically important connection between the two communities and the two districts, it is now a tourist attraction and a shortcut for cyclists and hikers. Since the resumption of ferry operations on May 1, 1993, more than 100,000 people have used this mode of transport. During rest periods, the ferrymen on the Neuendorf side wait for passengers in a converted construction trailer and are called over to the Seesteraner side by ringing a bell and a friendly “pickup”. This tradition can also be found in the name of the boat, which was christened Hol över (Low German for "get (me, us) over") when it was commissioned in 1993 . There is a small Stöpenkieker museum right next to the ferry , which shows seasonal exhibitions on regional topics such as agriculture and fishing, the Elbe and Krückau, or on the ferry itself. Action days take place regularly and the season opening of the ferry service is celebrated every year with a small festival on both sides of the river.
Ferry service
Annually from May 1st ( May Day ) to October 3rd ( Day of German Unity ), Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sundays and public holidays from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. as well as by prior arrangement and agreement on weekdays. (These operating times apply from the beginning of the 2017 season. The previous lunch break is no longer applicable) In July and August 2009, the ferry service also took place on weekdays to give cyclists the opportunity to bypass the barriers at Krückau and Pinnau, which are closed due to construction work .
history
For centuries, the ferry was an important link within an old trade route. All year round, people, animals and goods were transported across the Krückau around the clock. The respective owners of directly located on Neuendorfer side behind the dike Kate place (later "Ferry Kronsnest") had the privilege of ferry operations. The first documentary mention comes from the year 1576. For economic reasons the ferry service had to be stopped in 1968, after hardly anyone used this connection anymore, but the people mostly made the 20 kilometer detour via Elmshorn - here was the closest bridge over the Krückau - Dialing by car in minutes and making friends over the phone. On June 1, 1992, the "Association for the Promotion and Preservation of the Historic Kronsnester Ferry as a Monument on the Water eV" was founded in Neuendorf, which set itself the task of reviving the ferry service as a tourist attraction. By volunteer members of the association as well as with the help of the volunteer fire brigades of the two participating communities and local companies, the still existing, but heavily muddled access routes into the river bed (so-called "Spechen") were exposed again and the area around the ferry was reconstructed. A new boat made of oak was built based on the historical model and members were trained to be ferrymen. With a big festival on both sides of the river, the ferry was finally inaugurated on May 1, 1993 and ferry operations were resumed - as the smallest ferry in Germany and the only hand-operated ferry in Schleswig-Holstein. Since then, an average of more than 7,200 people have used the connection every year. In the 2009 season, the ferry even carried 15,191 passengers. The reason was the fact that the ferry, due to the months-long, renovation-related closure of the Krückau barrier - besides the ferry, the only way for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the river between the Krückau estuary and the port in Elmshorn - extended its opening times and seven days a week Week offered a ferry service.
Web links
- Kronsnest ferry company
- Information on the ferry from the municipality of Seester
- Information about the ferry at the Elbmarschenhaus (tourist office)
- Interactive map of Seester (with the location of the ferry)
Coordinates: 53 ° 43 ′ 15.4 " N , 9 ° 34 ′ 40.4" E