The year 2026 at the Schiffshebewerk Niederfinow is dedicated to unforgettable experiences. Framed by centuries of water-engineering, transport and construction history, visitors will experience a fascinating mix of traditional events and new programme accents.
Planning status: 20 Dezember 2025. All details are preliminary and may change.
#FaszinationTechnikErleben
From atmospheric evening tours to family festivals, industrial-culture highlights and spectacular “Horsepower” events — our 2026 calendar is full and designed to encourage friends of the lifts to visit Niederfinow more than once a year.
January — Winter Magic at the Lifts (Winterzauber)
Even “between the years” and through Sunday, 4 January 2026, the lifts invite you for a winter visit. The Info Centre will be closed 24–26 December 2025 (Christmas) and from 5. January 2025. Please note that snow and icy conditions may lead to last-minute access restrictions; checking the website or phoning the Info Centre is recommended. Online vouchers for boat trips and guided tours as well as wild-horse sponsorships make excellent gifts.
February — Winter break
The site and installations take a short winter break in February. The grounds and all facilities remain closed to visitors while preparations for the new season continue.
March — Season opening on land and water • Wild-horse meeting
- Sun, 1 March — Season opening: Both lifts reopen for visits and guided tours.
- Sun, 1 March, 11:00 — Meeting of the Friends & Sponsors of the Liebenthaler wild horses: First meeting of the year at the Info Centre; participation free.
- Sun, 8 March — International Women’s Day & start of passenger shipping season: Passenger boats resume service; early online booking is recommended.
April — Easter splendour and nocturnal wonders
- Sat, 4 April (Easter Saturday) — Nights at the Lift: Light installations and special evening technical tours at dusk.
- Sun, 5 April — Family Easter festival: Easter egg hunt, children’s activities, and short guided activities for families.
- Sun, 5 April, 11:00 — Monthly wild-horse meeting: Regular meeting for sponsors and friends of the herd.
May — Culture, concerts and “strong men”
- Sun, 3 May, 11:00 — Wild-horse meeting (monthly)
- Fri, 8 May, 18:00 — Hebewerk run (SV Grün-Weiss Niederfinow e.V.): Participatory run for all ages using the lifts’ staircases and heights.
- Sun, 10 May — Mother’s Day: Tastings, pleasure boat rides and an atmospheric programme for families.
- Thu, 14 May — Men’s Day (Ascension Day): Boat trips, tours and culinary offers under the historic lindens.
- Sun, 17 May — International Museum Day: Special openings and short tours giving deeper insights into lift construction and history.
- Sat, 30 May — Day of Building Culture: Engineering and architecture in focus with specialist talks and expert tours.
June — Children’s laughter and cuddles
- Mon, 1 June — International Children’s Day: Child-oriented, hands-on tours; early registration recommended for organised groups.
- Sun, 7 June, 11:00 — Monthly wild-horse meeting
- Sun, 7 June — Hebewerk concert “Höhenrausch”: An open-air concert staging classical music against the backdrop of monumental engineering.
July — Historical activity with horses by the canal
- Fri–Sun, 3–5 July — Treidelfest: With horse and wagon: A three-day festival celebrating towpath tradition and horse-power: demonstrations, timber-skidding, coach displays and family programme.
- Sun, 5 July, 11:00 — Monthly wild-horse meeting
- Sat, 11 July — Start of the Funtensee shuttle: Free historic salon-boat shuttle on weekends from 11 July through 23 August (timetable and stops published separately).
August — Industrial culture and summer breeze
- Sun, 2 August, 11:00 — Monthly wild-horse meeting
- Sat, 8 August — Day of Industrial Culture Brandenburg: Special guided tours focusing on the technical aspects of the lifts and their engineering.
September — Monument protection and late summer
- Sun, 6 September, 11:00 — Monthly wild-horse meeting
- Sun, 13 September — European Heritage Days / Day of Open Monuments: Special access to the machine hall of the old power house and talks on monument preservation.
October — “Maus” Day and Lights festival (Lichterglanz)
- Sat, 3 October — “Doors open with the Mouse” (Maus-Türöffner-Tag): Discovery day for children with hands-on stations and behind-the-scenes views (advance registration recommended for some activities).
- Sun, 4 October — Lichterfest (Lights festival): Illumination, evening tours and a magical programme. Sun, 4 Oct, 11:00 — Monthly wild-horse meeting in the morning.
- Sat, 31 Oct — Halloween in the Power House: Family-friendly Halloween evening in historic surroundings.
November — Season finale and light magic
- Sun, 1 Nov, 11:00 — Monthly wild-horse meeting
- Sun, 8 Nov — End of the passenger shipping season
- Wed, 11 Nov — St. Martin: Lantern procession for families and the official move of the horses to winter paddocks.
December — Christmas market and year’s end
- Sat, 5 Dec — Christmas market: A small, atmospheric market with music, warm drinks and family offers.
- Sun, 6 Dec, 11:00 — Monthly wild-horse meeting: Year-end sponsor meeting and review.
- Sun, 13 Dec — Geminid meteor-watch (after dark): Weather permitting, an atmospheric close to the calendar year.
Service & Booking — Practical Information
Info Centre & visits
Opening hours Info Centre (normal season): daily 10:00–16:00.
Visitors may purchase access to the Visitor Area on site at the Info Centre. For deeper, guided experiences we offer the Combo ticket (incl. aprox. 45min guided tour) or the Double / technical tour and the Special “Into the heart of the lift”
tour — both aprox. 2 h and require advance registration and are subject to capacity limits.
Important rule for small private groups
Groups under 15 people: For standard visits or regular on-site arrangements like the Combo ticket a reservation is neither required nor possible.
Small groups simply come to the Info Centre and purchase tickets on site. For groups of 15 or more and for special tours, please contact us in advance.
Special and technical tours
Double / technical tour (2–3 hours): This guided tour covers the Info Centre, lock staircases, the historical and the new lift.
Special “Into the heart of the lift” tour: Physically demanding, not fully barrier-free; participants usually must be aged 14 or older.
Both tours require prior registration and include protective clothing where necessary. Both tours are charged at a unified price of €24 per person.
Prices (updated / indicative)
| Product | Price (regular) | Price (reduced) |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor area (without new lift) | €7.00 | €5.00 |
| Combo ticket (old & new lift) | €12.00 | €8.00 |
| Double / technical tour (2–3 hrs) | €24.00 | €16.00 |
| Special “Ins Herz des Hebewerks” tour | €24.00 | €24.00 |
Note on reduced fares: Reduced fares apply to pupils, students, apprentices and persons with a severe disability. Reduced rates do not apply to pensioners or to group bookings.
Children: Children up to and including 6 years are free for visits. For passenger shipping, children up to and including 4 years travel free.
Passenger shipping / boat trips
Typical passenger boat fares (example figures): €16.00 per adult; €9.00 per child/pupil/student (age 4+).
For current timetables, exact fares and online booking please use the passenger shipping booking site. We strongly recommend online reservation for boat trips due to high demand.
Combined products (boat + tour) are offered as reduced combination tickets in the online shop: https://schifffahrt-niederfinow.com
Parking
- Car (PKW): €4.00 / day
- Motorcycle: €2.00 / day
Booking & cancellations
Visitor access: Tickets for Visitor Area access are sold at the Info Centre (no prior reservation for groups < 15). Please arrive 15–30 minutes before the planned start of any guided activity to allow time for ticket purchase and walking to the meeting point.
Groups ≥ 15, special tours, English / Polish tours: Please register and book in advance (contact details below). Travel organisers and large groups should contact us early due to limited time slots.
Boat reservations: Book and pay online; e-mail or telephone processing is generally not possible for boat reservations. Larger groups and professional tour operators, please send an E-Mail to fahrgastschifffahrt@shwtouristik.com
Cancellation rules for larger group bookings are stated in the booking confirmation.