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Ships travelling on Land | Elblag Canal Boat Lift

On the Elblag Canal in Poland (Polish: Kanał Elbląski), the difference in water levels of 99.5 meters must be overcome over a distance of only 10 kilometers. This happens with 5 inclined planes on which the ships are transported by carriages over land. These boat lifts are built like a funicular, which is powered by hydropower.

Auxiliary rails in the underwater area ensure that the ships are lifted horizontally out of the water. For this purpose, the wheels are equipped with two treads.

The Elbląg Canal was built from 1844 to 1860 in the Kingdom of Prussia and is now located in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Polen. The canal connects the cities Elbląg, Ostróda and Iława.

In the video you can see the inclined planes of Kanthen (Kąty) with 18 meters difference in height and Buchwalde (Buczyniec) with 21.5 meters.