Rendsburg High Bridge & Transporter Bridge
Rendsburger Hochbrücke & Schwebefähre
A railway steel bridge over the Kiel Canal completed in 1913, with trains crossing the high span while a suspended transporter ferry carries people across the canal below.
The Rendsburg High Bridge is a steel truss railway bridge across the Kiel Canal, completed in 1913. The main bridge is about 2.5 km long. Trains must circle the town in a spiral climb to reach the bridge's height, an engineering marvel. Beneath the bridge hangs a transporter ferry (Schwebefähre), which uses a platform suspended by steel cables to carry people and vehicles across the canal. It is one of the few such ferries still in operation in the world. It had been shut down after a ship collision in 2016 and was later rebuilt, so check its operating status before traveling. On the canal bank, the ship greeting installation (Schiffsbegrüßungsanlage) plays national anthems to welcome passing vessels. Viewing is free. It is about 35 km from Kiel, roughly 35 minutes by train.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Eckernförde Beach & Old Town
- Open-Air Museum Molfsee
- Botanical Garden of Kiel University
- Kiel City Hall
- St. Nikolai, Kiel
- Kiel Maritime Museum
- Zoological Museum of Kiel University
- Kunsthalle zu Kiel