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How did the Main-Danube Canal create an inland route between the Rhine River and the Black Sea?

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View of Utrecht's Oude Gracht canal lined with historic brick buildings, arched doorways at water level, and boats moored along the canal edge in the Netherlands. — canals and inland waterways The *Oudegracht* (Old Canal), Utrecht, Netherlands.

The Main-Danube Canal creates an inland route between the Rhine River and the Black Sea by connecting the Main River—a major tributary of the Rhine—to the Danube River.12

Completed in 1992, this 171-km (106-mile) artificial waterway begins at Bamberg on the Main River. From there, the route proceeds via an artificial channel, including a section of the Regnitz River, to Dietfurt. It then follows the Altmühl River to a point below Kelheim, where it joins the Danube.3

By linking these two major river systems, the canal facilitates a continuous 3,500-km (2,200-mile) waterway that stretches across Europe, allowing traffic to flow between the North Sea and the Black Sea. The project utilizes a series of 16 locks to navigate the significant elevation changes across the terrain, enabling the passage of large barges carrying bulk cargo.123