The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: September tenth, cruising through the heart of Europe.

Twelve hundred years ago, Charlemagne, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, ordered a canal to be dug between the rivers Main and Danube, in what is now called Germany. Because of the difficulties of gouging a 100 mile trench through the mountains of Central Europe, the plan never got very far. But the idea persisted, and seven years ago, the dream of an inland waterway from the English Channel to the Black Sea finally became a reality.

The Main-Danube Canal now winds through 16 locks that lift it 800 feet through the mountains. Starting on the River Main near the village of Bamberg, this engineering marvel traverses many miles of stunning scenery, including Germany's largest tract of undeveloped land. Near Nuremburg, the canal climbs to more than 1300 feet in elevation, making it the highest waterway in Europe navigable by large ships. Flowing past drowsy villages, church spires, and castle ruins, the canal enters the Danube near Keilheim, through a sheer channel cut through a cliff 400 feet high.

The canal created the first continuous water link between many of Europe's most important cities; Amsterdam, Cologne, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Budapest. Barges can now make their way from Holland to Turkey without ever entering the ocean.

And several times a year, sleek passenger ships traverse the Main-Danube Canal, giving discerning travelers the chance to cruise leisurely through the heart of Europe, providing a panoramic perspective on civilization that few visitors ever see.

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