A unique feature on the Elbe and Saale rivers in Saxony-Anhalt are the reaction ferries, which only exist in significant numbers in this federal state. The technique used by reaction ferries was developed in the 17th century by the Dutchman Hendrick Heuck; silently and without the need of a motor, the ferries are propelled from one riverbank to the other by the force of the current. By means of a rope anchored in the riverbed and attached to the ferry, the boat is angled to the current and then swung across to the other side. This principle is only suitable for use on free-flowing rivers with flow speeds of at least 2 km / h. As a tourist attraction, the reaction ferry is a technical museum piece, but one which still reliably functions as a "Fliegende Brücke" (flying bridge), carrying cars, cyclists and pedestrians across the river. ferry times >>>