Ladbergen (Germany North Rhine-Westphalia)

Ladbergen is an Ems River cruise port, Canal port, town and municipality in Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state (Nordrhein-Westfalen's Landkreis Steinfurt district) with population around 7,000. Ladbergen is located near Dortmund-Ems-Kanal, and also in close proximity to Osnabruck (25 km / 16 mi to the southwest) and Munster (20 km / 12 mi to the northeast).

The 1899-opened Dortmund-Ems Canal has length 270 km ((167 mi) and is an artificial inland waterway that connects Dortmund (on Emscher and Ruhr rivers) via Rhine River to Emden (Baltic Sea). The Canal's artificial section has length 215 km (134 mi) and ends near Meppen (at Herbrum Lock). From there, Ems River runs 45 km (28 mi) to Oldersum Lock, then follows a second (98 km / 61 mi long artificial section).

Stadt Ladbergen is famous for the 1246-established Ladbergener Stadtebund (Association of Cities) founded in Ladbergen by representatives of the market cities Munster, Osnabruck, Minden, Coesfeld and Herford. Ladbergener Stadtebund was a forerunner that preceeded other market city federations, including Westphalia's Hanseatic League. In 1707, Ladbergen (and the entire Grafschaft Tecklenburg/county) became part Prussia.

Through the mid-20th century, the town's economy was traditionally based on agriculture. Manufacturing industries (cabinets carpets, confectioneries) developed after WW2 (1939-1945). Current-day developments are related to holiday tourism (campsites, guest houses, small hotels, Friedenspark, bathing in the lakes Waldsee and Buddenkuhle).

As cruise port, Ladbergen was first included in the 2021 schedule of Nicko Cruises (fleet/ subsidiary of Mystic Cruises) with the riverboat Katharina von Bora. Next table shows Nicko's 7-night/8-day cruisetour itinerary of the ship.

Prices in 2021 started from EUR 1300 (USD 1580) per person with double occupancy.