Boker Kanal, Historic irrigation canal in Paderborn, Germany
The Boker Canal is an irrigation canal in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, running from Paderborn through Delbrück to Lippstadt. It was built to make the dry, nutrient-poor soils of the Boker Heide usable for farming and today also helps regulate groundwater levels in the area.
The canal was built in 1853 under engineer Hermann Wurffbain to turn the largely barren Boker Heide into farmland. This was part of a broader effort in the 19th century to open up the region's difficult soils through targeted irrigation.
The canal's name comes from the Boker Heide, the heathland around the village of Boke on the western edge of the Senne. The waterway passes Delbrück, Boke, Hagen and Lippstadt, and its weirs and long accompanying tree rows shape the landscape. Today it is used mainly for groundwater regulation, and cycling paths run alongside it.
A developed cycling path follows the canal from Paderborn to Lippstadt and is well suited for day trips by bike. The route is flat and largely open to the sun, so bringing enough water is a good idea on warm days.
The 32-kilometre canal passes 16 weirs, one bed drop and three water crossings, among them a crossing over the Thune near the Lippesee. Many other original elements, such as underpasses and return-flow sluices, no longer exist.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,663 contributors worldwide.
