The boat lift in Niederfinow - with a lifting height of 36 metres

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | The boat lifts in Niederfinow on the German Oder-Havel Canal are fascinating technical structures that lift boats a full 36 meters. Here, the historic boat lift from 1934 stands side by side with a modern boat lift that was inaugurated in 2022 – and both are still in operation.

Boat lift in Niederfinow

The old boat lift in Niederfinow was completed in 1934, but despite its many years of use, it still impresses. Today, it stands side by side with a much larger and more modern boat lift, which was inaugurated in 2022.

When we visited Niederfinow, the new boat lift had not yet been inaugurated, and we therefore got to experience the old lift in full operation while the new, enormous construction was almost completed next to it.

The boat lifts are located in the state of Brandenburg, approximately seventy kilometers northeast of Berlin.

Visiting the boat lifts in Niederfinow

The boat lifts in Niederfinow can be experienced in several different ways. You can visit the area on foot, take a guided tour or do as we did and take a tourist boat through the lift. The area also offers information about the history and technology of the facilities and the opportunity to buy something to eat and drink.

When we were here, there was an information center where you could see models and learn more about the then brand new boat lift.

The old boat lift in Niederfinow

When the waterway between Berlin and Szczecin, Poland, was inaugurated in 1914, there was a lock staircase with four lock chambers at this location. Locking took time and the capacity soon became too low. Therefore, in 1927, construction began on a boat lift that would make the passage significantly more efficient.

The boat lift was completed in 1934, with an impressive lifting height of 36 meters. The historic structure is still in operation and is today Germany's oldest boat lift still in use.

The new boat lift in Niederfinow

Over time, ships became larger and the old boat lift became a bottleneck on the waterway. Therefore, in 1997, a decision was made to build a new and significantly larger boat lift next to the old one.

After many years of construction, the new lifting plant was inaugurated in 2022. It can also handle a height difference of 36 meters, but the trough is significantly larger and can accommodate ships up to 110 meters long.

Today, the two boat lifts stand side by side. The old lift from 1934 is still in operation, while the new one primarily makes it possible for larger, modern cargo and passenger ships to navigate the waterway.

Taking a boat ride through the boat lift

When we visited Niederfinow, the new boat lift had not yet been inaugurated, so our boat trip went through the old lift from 1934. We chose to pay to experience the construction from the inside – on a boat trip.

The boats started a few hundred meters from the parking lot, and since we wanted to get good seats on the upper deck, we made sure to be there in good time.

When the time came, we slowly started to push towards the boat lift…

We entered the lift with a few other smaller boats. The beams above us were so low that it almost felt like you needed to bow your head. And then it was time to go up...

Looking up, you could see that it was quite a distance to the top. Yet the actual 36-meter climb only took about five minutes.

It's fascinating how the engineers came up with this design! While the trough with the boats goes up, large counterweights go down. The principle of a water-filled trough and counterweights is also used in the new boat lift.

Before we knew it, we were on the other side, much higher up than where we had started our boat journey.

Then it was time to go back into the lift and be lifted downwards. This time we were accompanied by a large barge, which only barely fit along the length. A fascinating and interesting tour, which all in all took about an hour.

Parking and parking space at the boat lift

When we visited Niederfinow, you could also stay overnight with a camper in the parking lot at the boat lift. Unfortunately, since we were short of gas at the time, we couldn't stay, and had to look for a parking space with electricity.

For those coming here by motorhome, the area is easy to visit, but check current rules, prices and accommodation options before your visit.

We travelled on to a campsite in Liebenwalde.

We drove on to the Stadthafen Liebenwalde campsite, about fifty kilometers west of the boat lift in Niederfinow. We liked this place!

There may not be much to ”do” here, which probably contributed to the fact that there were plenty of vacant spaces when we arrived. We were parked nicely by a small marina and found it to be a quiet and pleasant place for the night.

Video from the Niederfinow boat lift

In our film you can follow our boat trip through the old boat lift and see how it works when the boat is lifted 36 meters into the air.

More to see in the neighbourhood

The boat lifts in Niederfinow are not too far from Berlin and can be a good alternative stop on a trip through Brandenburg. Other interesting destinations in the region are Potsdam, Oranienburg and Templin. Here you will find reports and practical guides:

• Potsdam
• Oranienburg
• Templin