Water profiles
Immerse yourself in the fascinating waterways surrounding the Finowkanal, the oldest navigable canal in Germany. Our waterway profiles provide detailed information about the Finowkanal, the Werbelliner waters, the HOW (Hohensaaten–Oder Waterway), and the Wriezener Alte Oder.
From idyllic natural stretches and urban canals to historic industrial heritage sites, the waterways of the Finowkanal region offer unforgettable experiences for paddlers and waterway explorers of all experience levels.
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Finowkanal and Langer Trödel
With its winding course and, in places, lushly vegetated banks, the Finowkanal often gives the impression of a natural river. Along the 32-kilometre stretch between Zerpenschleuse and Liepe, boaters pass through 12 locks—an experience for which you should allow a bit of extra time. A lock passage takes about 20 minutes on average.
The lock season runs from mid-April to mid-October (details).
Due to the ongoing reconstruction of the locks, the Finowkanal is currently not navigable along its entire length. Detailed information can be found in the section on lock reconstruction.
The Langer Trödel is the 10-kilometre eastern section of the Finowkanal between Zerpenschleuse and Liebenwalde. Motorized traffic on this state waterway is regulated as one-way traffic with a change of direction every two hours.
The banks of the Langer Trödel are designated as an FFH (Flora-Fauna-Habitat) protected area, and mooring is not permitted anywhere along the stretch between Liebenwalde and Zerpenschleuse.
Finowkanal
- Maximum speed: 6 km/h
- Requirements for navigation: no license required
- Maximum boat dimensions L x W x H in meters: 41.50 x 5.10 x 3.86 m
- Maximum draught: 1,20 m
- Bridge clearance height: 3.86 m
Langer Trödel
- Maximum speed: 6 km/h
- Requirements for navigation: no license required
- Maximum boat dimensions L x W in meters: 41.50 x 5.10 m
- Maximum draught: 1,20 m
- Bridge clearance height: 1.50 m closed; 4.20 m open
Werbellin waters
The Werbellinkanal connects the Finowkanal with the crystal-clear Werbellinsee. Via the southern section near Ruhlsdorf, you can also reach Werbellinsee without a boating license. Crossing the Havel-Oder Waterway is permitted with a charter permit.
Skippers holding a boating license can also enter the Werbellinkanal directly from the Havel-Oder Waterway. Along the northern section of the canal there are two automated locks, located in Rosenbeck and Eichhorst.
This stretch of the Werbellinkanal is surrounded by beautiful beech forests, providing welcome shade on hot days. After about 7 kilometres, you reach Werbellinsee.
The 13-kilometre-long, particularly clear Werbellinsee with a depth of up to 60 meters is a popular excursion destination beyond the region’s borders with a well-developed tourist infrastructure on its shores.
Werbellinkanal
- Maximum speed: 6 km/h
- Requirements for navigation: no license required
- maximum boat dimensions L x W x H in meters: 25m x 5.10m x 3.70m
- Maximum draught: 1,10 m
Werbellinsee
- Maximum speed: 25 km/h (not near the shore)
- Requirements for navigation: no license required
Havel-Oder waterway
The Havel-Oder Waterway (HOW), also known as the Oder–Havel Canal, is heavily used by commercial shipping travelling between Berlin and Poland and is therefore only partly attractive for leisure boating. However, in combination with the Finowkanal and the Werbellin waters, it offers appealing route options (an inland boating licence is required).
At the eastern end of the waterway, the Schiffshebewerk Niederfinow provides one of the most impressive boating experiences in Germany.
Havel-Oder waterway
- Maximum speed: 9 km/h
- Prerequisites for navigation: Sport boat license inland
Alte Oder
The Alte Oder becomes a state waterway at km 2.5 (near Bralitz) and is used exclusively for canoeing, with no motorboat traffic permitted. The area offers a variety of options for both day trips and multi-day tours.
The Alte Oder follows the original course of the Oder River as it existed before the canalization of the Oderbruch, completed in 1753. Along its route, it forms a river about 15 metres wide and 1.2 metres deep, lined with reeds and accompanied by tree-covered dikes, flowing from Lebus to Oderberg where it joins the Havel–Oder Waterway.
Particularly scenic and also very easy to navigate is the stretch of the Alte Oder between the Kietzer fish ponds north of Altfriedland and Oderberg.
Alte Oder
- Requirements for navigation: paddling waters
- Information on navigability: Oderbruch Water and Dyke Association