Germany provides, with Russia, the most vivid demonstration in Europe of how the economic benefits of naturally navigable rivers can be extended over a vast territory by bold planning and construction of new waterways, starting in the late 19th century and continuing as we enter the 21st. The way the network has been developed, and its vital importance for the economy, carrying about 235 million tonnes (65 billion tonne-km) of freight each year, provide the backdrop for the remarkable growth in recreational use of the waterways since the 1960s. Regional zooms in preparation (see also the European Waterways Map under Publications)…

The Elbe Aqueduct was opened in Magdeburg on October 10, 2003. High-capacity barges and push-tows now proceed from the Mittelland Canal to the Elbe-Havel Canal and Berlin without having to drop down to the river Elbe, which offers limited depths.

Information about the federal network (in German) : http://www.wsv.de