Gasthof Zum Barnimer Holzmich'l
What to order: the Hungarian cauldron goulash or a pork knuckle if you come hungry
geocalia
Day itinerary · 52.87° N · 13.91° E
Chorin and Niederfinow: brick Gothic in the morning, flying boats in the afternoon.
An hour from Berlin: the Cistercian monastery of Chorin, lunch beside the canal and the afternoon at the Niederfinow boat lifts, with a boat trip included.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Berlín fromBarcelona 2 h 45Bilbao 2 h 45Palma de Mallorca 2 h 45Valencia 3 hAlicante 3 h 15Madrid 3 h 15Málaga 3 h 45Sevilla 3 h 45Fuerteventura 5 h 15Lanzarote 5 h 15
Part of Chorin and Niederfinow
Add to my trip
Total time9 h
By car1 h each way
TicketsMonastery €7 · Lifts €13
Boat45–90 min · €18 (2027 fare)
DifficultyEasy
Best timeApril – October
BookingNot needed
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Berlin 1 h by car
take the A11 towards Szczecin, exit Chorin; monastery car park, €3 a day at most
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1
Chorin Monastery, brick Gothic by a lake
€7 · family €15 · guided tour at weekends from May to October at 11:00
- 12 min by car9 km
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2
Gasthof Zum Barnimer Holzmich'l
Cauldron goulash or pork knuckle · beside the lift
Hebewerkstraße, 16248 Niederfinow · +49 172 3909086
Restaurant € - 5 min on foot
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3
Guided tour of the new Niederfinow boat lift
Call at the ticket office of the information centre · combined ticket €13
+49 33362 718250
- 5 min on foot
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4
By boat through the Niederfinow lift
15:00 departure · 45 to 90 min · until early November
+49 33362 718250
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Back home
In Berlin around 18:00
Approximate cost
About €40–50 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Chorin Monastery, brick Gothic by a lake
A day trip from Berlin, an hour along the Baltic motorway, that brings together two visits eight kilometres apart: the Cistercian monastery of Chorin, brick Gothic in a forest beside a lake, and the Niederfinow boat lifts, where the canal drops 36 metres at a stroke and boats go up and down inside a trough of water.
The day, hour by hour
9:00 · Leave Berlin. On the A11 towards Szczecin, exit Chorin: about an hour. Park 200 metres from the monastery.
10:00 · Chorin Monastery. An hour and a half through the roofless church, the cloister and the outbuildings. €7. If it is a Saturday or Sunday between May and October, sign up for the 11:00 guided tour.
12:30 · Lunch at Niederfinow. Ten minutes by car to the Holzmich'l, a wooden inn beside the lift: cauldron goulash, pork knuckle or herring.
13:45 · The new lift. Call at the ticket office of the information centre: they give you the time of the guided tour of the 2022 lift and entry to the old one, from 1934, for €13 on the combined ticket.
15:00 · By boat through the lift. The last boat of the day enters the trough and goes up or down the 36 metres with you inside. Between 45 and 90 minutes.
16:45 · Journey back. In Berlin around six.
And on Sunday?
It works just the same: the monastery, the lifts and the inn are open on Sunday. In winter, the monastery's Klosterkommode is open only from Friday to Sunday.
Time1 h 30
Change the route
From November to 3 January, with no boat: walk through the old 1934 lift:
The old boat lift of 1934
For lunch at the monastery: daily from March to October; in winter, Friday to Sunday:
Klosterkommode, the Chorin Monastery café
On a Saturday or Sunday from May to October: the 11:00 guided tour:
Guided tour of Chorin Monastery
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Klosterkommode, the Chorin Monastery café
What to order: a cake with coffee, or the seasonal hot dish
Hotel Am Schiffshebewerk restaurant
What to order: dinner after the last boat, if you are staying in Niederfinow
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Chorin and Niederfinow
From April to early November, when the boat through the lift runs. In November and December it is done without the boat; in January and February the lifts are closed.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Check the boat before you set out
It does not sail every day the site is open.
- 2Bring a coat
The wind blows on the canal bridge.
If it rains
The new lift is visited largely under cover, and at the monastery there are exhibitions in the rooms.
We'd skip it
January and February: the lifts cannot be visited.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Monastery €7, lifts €13, boat €18 and lunch: between €60 and €90 per person with the car.
Can it be done with children?
Yes, it is one of the best days from Berlin for them: they love the boat through the lift.
Do I need to book anything?
No: neither the monastery, nor the lift tour, nor the boat, except for groups.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/germany/brandenburg/chorin-and-niederfinow/itineraries/monastery-and-boat-lift-from-berlin
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.