Schiffshebewerk Niederfinow (SHW Tourismus)

Who they are

SHW Tourismus, Niederfinow's tourism company, manages the visitor area of the two boat lifts on the Oder-Havel canal, north-east of Berlin. It runs the information centre and its ticket office, the guided tours of the new lift, opened on 4 October 2022, entry to the old one, in service since 21 March 1934 and the oldest still working in Germany, the special tours, the car park and the year's events. The passenger boat that passes through the lifts is sold by Fahrgastschifffahrt Niederfinow, with its own ticket office in the Krafthaus. Which lift is used is decided by the federal waterways administration, which is why the company warns that the boat does not always pass through both.

What you can do

The guided tour of the new lift lasts about 45 minutes and leaves several times an hour, roughly between 10:00 and 16:00; the first one up top starts around 10:30. Counting the walks, allow an hour, and an hour and a half if you add the old one on your own. The special tour "into the heart of the lift" lasts about two hours, is for groups of 10 to 15 people and is booked in its online shop. In season there are also afternoon and evening tours until the end of October.

The boat leaves at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00 until early November, from a landing stage on the street Lieper Schleuse, about 600 metres from the main car park, and takes 45 to 90 minutes. You need to be there about 20 minutes beforehand. It is sold on its own, with the walk through the old lift or with the guided tour of the new one.

Tickets, groups and reduced prices

Tickets are bought at the ticket offices or online, but buying online does not book a visit time: it is exchanged at the information centre for the access card and the next free tour. Online combined tickets cannot be exchanged or cancelled. Young people aged 7 to 17, students with a card and people with disabilities pay the reduced price; there is a family ticket for two adults and up to three children, and under-7s enter free. Groups of up to 15 people do not need to book; larger ones write to [email protected], and a guide of your own can be requested. There is no fixed language for the tour: groups can ask for a language or bring their own interpreter, and the website is in German, Polish and English.

Access, dogs and facilities

The site and the paths to the new lift are accessible, with a visitor lift during the guided tour; the old one has stairs and the boat is not adapted. Dogs on a lead enter free on the normal tour, not on the special one. There are accessible toilets, baby-changing facilities, a café in the information centre, motorhome spaces and electric car charging. On foot from Niederfinow station it is about 2 or 2.5 km along an unsurfaced path.