The Rhine is Germany's commercial aorta. Germany's economy is right now affected by the water level of the Rhine. The barges can only carry between 30% and 60% of their loads because the river is so low. So, raw goods like coal, gasoline, oil and steel have to be shipped by rail, which is more expensive	Looking west toward Krefeld and Oberkassel	The barge heading toward the top of this picture is driving against a 7 or 8 knot current. His diesel engines are cranked, and he is churning up a long trail of mud because the river is so low. The other barge is headed downstream at just over idle	This combo barge had just finished loading in the harbor and was starting to make its way out to the Rhine. That bridge is a pedestrian/bicycle bridge, and is the only way to get from one side of the harbor to the other without driving all the way around it
Düsseldorf Harbor on the Rhine. Note the mud that has been churned up by the barge in the previous picture	Medien Hafen or Media Harbor. This is where almost all of the TV and media companies are located in Düsseldorf	There is a new fad sweeping Europe: Build a beach where you can't. In the foreground is a place called 'Monkey Island'. It is Düsseldorf's answer to not having an ocean, and having a river who's current is so swift that swimming in it is often fatal. So, in German outdoor tradition, they built a beach anyway. You just can't swim there	Frank O. Gehry's 'Neuer Zollhof' buildings from above. Note the pattern on the sidewalks of steel lines on either side that lead to the steel building in the middle