Neugrabenflöße, Log driving canal in Most District, Czech Republic.
Neugrabenflöße is a water channel system that stretches across the Czech-German border, built specifically to transport timber from forested mountain regions. The canal network includes channels, locks, and water control structures that moved felled logs downstream to processing facilities.
The canal system developed during the peak of regional timber production and served for centuries as the main way to move wood from mountain forests. Operations reached their height in the 1800s before railroads and modern transport gradually replaced this method.
The canal represents centuries of shared forest management between Czech and German communities along this border region. It shows how local people worked together to move timber and manage woodlands as a common resource.
You can enter the canal system at several points along the route and explore different sections on foot. Signs in Czech and German help you find your way, and spring through fall offers the easiest access when paths are dry and well-marked.
The system used a clever arrangement of weirs and water gates to control the flow and guide logs safely downstream without draining the channels dry. This engineering solved the challenge of moving hundreds of tree trunks at once while maintaining water levels.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
