Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, Germany

You can’t travel across Germany and not be aware of nation’s network of waterways. Top of the list is the Kiel Canal. German Kiel Canal links the North Sea with the Baltic. It is one of the most favourite tourist attractions in Europe ideal for leisure. The canal was named after the nearby city of Kiel and the Bay of the same name. Its length is about 98 km. Having a relatively small width, about 100 metres, the canal proved to be the busiest and highly demanded shipping route in Europe.

The official opening was held in 1895. Its infrastructure includes an abundance of ferry lines, vessels of all sizes and types pass the canal regularly. It took more than eight years to build the Kiel Canal. It's incredibly beautiful and harmonious and attracts plenty of tourists. A tour on the Kiel Canal takes about 7, 5 hours. Travellers enjoy the fabulously beautiful scenery and the unusual sight of big ships moving serenely across land.

As has been said, the Kiel Canal is the busiest waterway, it is used by about 250 vessels per day. Almost all the vessels pass through the canal under the pilotage which makes the traffic flow streamlined and safe. Nearly 24 hours and many kilometres of way were saved by using the Kiel Canal instead of going around the Jutland peninsula. It is therefore no surprise that the relevance for its use is increasing year by year. Next - Suez Canal