A process for performing a heterogeneously catalysed reaction in a three-phase reactor, where there is at least one liquid phase, at least one gaseous phase and at least one solid phase in the reactor and the reactor has at least two zones, with the reaction mixture being conveyed downward in zone 1, the reaction mixture being conveyed upward in zone 2, zones 1 and 2 being separated from one another by a dividing wall, and in that the ratio between the average catalyst concentrations in zone 2 and in zone 1 is greater than 2.