Gondelfox

Who they are

Gondelfox is Alexander Fuchs, Alex to his customers, a gondolier who learned voga alla veneta from scratch, the traditional Venetian way of rowing standing up with a single oar, and who brought that tradition to the rivers of Berlin and Brandenburg. The company is based at Am Mühlenberg 1, in Werder (Havel), at the foot of the mill, and presents its work more as a moment of calm than as a simple boat ride. Its website does not say since what year he has rowed on the Havel and the Spree.

The gondola

He sails a gondola made by hand in a squero, one of Venice's traditional boatyards. As he explains, it is built over several months from eight different woods, including oak, fir, larch and cherry, and has the asymmetric hull that compensates for the gondolier always rowing on the same side. It is painted black, as tradition demands, and carries at the bow the ferro with its six teeth for the six districts of Venice.

What he offers and where

All trips are private: the gondola is for your party alone, two to four people, and Alex rows and tells the stories. There are two lengths, one hour (Tour Polo) and an hour and a half (Tour Marco), with music of your choice or in silence. He rows in Werder, from the mill landing stage, on the Havel in Berlin and Potsdam and on the Spree within the city, as agreed; he also offers trips beside the Dominsel in Brandenburg. The exact meeting point comes with the confirmation.

Many bookings are for occasions: dates, proposals, weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, as well as night trips with lights and photo sessions or film shoots. Groups of more than four are split into consecutive trips.

Extras and food on board

You can add a small picnic, for two or for four, a drinks upgrade, a bouquet of roses, a message in a bottle and, on request, live music or a photographer. Gondelfox prefers its own picnics to food brought from outside, and accepts cakes or discreet decoration if you talk to him first. For the cold there are blankets on board.

Booking, rain and payment

Book online on the website, where you choose the extras, or by WhatsApp, email and phone. If it rains, the appointment is postponed at no cost. He sells gift vouchers, valid for two years, which remain usable even if the price goes up, by paying the difference; those for trips of an hour and a half or more carry a 10% discount. Invoices are issued with VAT and he also works with companies.

Safety and languages

Boarding is stable and Alex personally helps each passenger to get on and off. The website says nothing about life jackets, wheelchair access, children or dogs, and is in German; if you want the trip in English or another language, ask when you book.