Ships navigating the Rhine have always exerted a magical allure on observers. This illustrated book traces the development of shipping on the Lower Rhine through historical photographs. Over 200 mostly unpublished images document towing shipping in the 19th and 20th centuries. From the medieval loading dock in Cologne to Rotterdam, barges, samoreuses, steamships, and cargo vessels transported goods and people. The photographs showcase early paddle tugboats and Rhine journeys in the 19th century. Fascinating images provide a glimpse of Duisburg-Ruhrort, the heart of Rhine shipping, featuring the largest inland port in the world and the shipyard of Franz Haniel. Impressive photos of fishermen with their freshly caught salmon demonstrate that fishing in the Rhine was still possible well into the 20th century. Werner Böc.