Kiel Canal

The Kiel Canal is a ship canal in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, running 98 kilometers from the North Sea near Brunsbüttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau. The waterway cuts through gently rolling countryside, passing fields, small towns and stretches of open land on both banks.

Kaiser Wilhelm II opened the waterway in 1895 after crews moved roughly 80 million cubic meters of earth over eight years. Expansion work in the following decades widened and deepened the channel to accommodate larger vessels.

Local communities use small ferries to cross from one bank to the other, a daily routine that shapes life along the waterway. People gather at observation points to watch cargo ships and tankers pass through the locks at either end.

You can watch ships pass from both banks, and several viewing points along the route offer clear sightlines. Ferries run regularly between the shores, allowing pedestrians and cyclists to cross without long detours.

The high bridge at Rendsburg carries a suspended ferry beneath its deck, transporting cars and pedestrians since 1913. This hanging platform moves along rails attached to the underside of the bridge, saving travelers a long detour.

Location: Schleswig-Holstein

Part of: national waterways in Germany, Baltic Sea, North Sea

Website: https://wsa-nord-ostsee-kanal.wsv.de/Webs/WSA/WSA-Nord-Ostsee-Kanal/DE/0_Startseite/startseite_node.html

GPS coordinates: 53.88333,9.13333

Latest update: December 12, 2025 16:54