Europe is home to its very own mini-Suez Canal that has been operating for over 100 years and sees as many as 130 ships every day.
The Kiel Canal, a 61-mile freshwater canal in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, was completed in 1895 and later widened. It connects the North Sea at Brunsbuttel to the Baltic Sea at Kiel-Holtenau.
By using the Kiel Canal instead of circumnavigating the Jutland Peninsula, an average of 290 miles is saved. This not only saves time but also avoids storm-prone seas and the need to pass through the Danish straits.
It’s one of the world’s busiest artificial waterways, with an annual average of 32,000 ships (90-130 daily), transporting approximately 100 million tonnes of goods.
In addition to its two sea entrances, the Kiel Canal is linked to the navigable River Eider by the short Gieselau Canal at Oldenbuttel.
The canal took 9,000 workers eight years to construct and had to be widened again to accommodate Germany’s new generation of battleships.
Despite the majority of inland shipping in Germany being conducted by barge, the Kiel can accommodate serious boats. However, the latest generations of container ships, cruise ships and oil tankers are simply too large to fit under the canal’s bridges.
Initially named the Kaiser-Wilhelm Canal and known in Germany as the Nord-Ostsee Kanal, the Kiel was partially constructed for military purposes.
During the final years of the 19th century, the newly formed nation was flexing its commercial and military muscles, recognising the distinct advantage of having a passage through German territory between the Baltic and the North Sea.
Large ships have a very limited ability to perform emergency stops, and their steering capabilities are also restricted when travelling through the canal at a reduced speed, so it’s crucial not to obstruct their path.
Despite this, there are leisure users, and every year teams of rowers embark on what is known as the world’s toughest rowing race, a 12.7 section starting at Rendsburg, which draws top international crews.