Beach & Boat: Two days for the first time in 2026
Beach & Boat – A festival on the city promenade! With the latest edition of this event series, the Finow Canal will be transformed into a seaside festival mile over two whole days. More time, more activities and even more maritime flair.
The town of Eberswalde invites all freshwater pirates and landlubbers on Friday 28 August 2026, from 4 pm to 10 pm, and on Saturday 29 August 2026, from 10.30 am to 10 pm to the festival right in the heart of Neptune’s realm: Eberswalde town centre. Numerous cultural highlights and interactive activities await visitors of all ages! The varied programme, featuring water sports, culture, music, information stands, hands-on activities and food and drink, is made possible by the commitment of numerous partners and clubs. Together, they aim to bring Germany’s oldest navigable waterway to life in a variety of ways, whilst further enhancing the town’s promenade as an attractive place to spend time and host events. So, weigh anchor and cast off!
A ‘real’ sandy beach
A special highlight and real eye-catcher is the first ‘Eberswalde City Beach’ on the banks of the Finow Canal. With its mounds of sand, deckchairs and hammocks, it invites sun-seekers as well as weary water sports enthusiasts to relax. In addition, guests can look forward to free tourist information and creative activities, games and attractive prizes. True to the motto ‘Community creates memories’, visitors can also take home Eberswalde and Ewald souvenirs as mementos. Another highlight is on the programme for Saturday: As part of a youth project involving homemade floats and boats, young people will present the watercraft they have developed through teamwork in a competition on the Finow Canal. Creativity, craftsmanship and team spirit combine with plenty of entertainment to make the competition an extraordinary spectacle on the water.
Experience the Finow Canal from the water
The “Unser Finowkanal” association is once again inviting visitors to join the popular trips on the “Funtensee”. For the first time, the historic coffee barge “Concordia” will also be available to guests, offering special insights into the waterways of the Finow Canal.
Eberswalder SV Empor is bringing the Finow Canal to life together with its athletes and invites anyone interested to join in. SV Stahl Finow is giving visitors the chance to try out various types of boat – including polo boats, team canoes and four-person canoes – for themselves and get a first-hand experience of canoeing. In collaboration with the canoeing clubs, there is also the opportunity to hire SUP boards and explore the Finow Canal independently from the water.
The history and future of the Finow Canal
The Oder-Havel Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) and the Finow Canal Region Association (ZRF) are jointly presenting a comprehensive range of information about the Finow Canal. Visitors gain an insight into the operation of this historic waterway as well as current developments. The programme is complemented by an aerial photography exhibition on the lock renovation, showing the construction work from a bird’s-eye view. During a guided tour of the locks, children can experience this technology at first hand. They take on the role of junior lock keepers themselves and discover how a lock works in a fun and interactive way.
A new festival for the city centre?
With its first-ever extension to two days, ‘Beach & Boat’ is developing into a small festival with a maritime atmosphere. The event also demonstrates how successfully local authorities, clubs and regional partners can work together to organise attractive events. The ‘Unser Finowkanal’ association, Eberswalder SV Empor, SV Stahl Finow, the Oder-Havel Waterways and Shipping Authority, the Finow Canal Region Association and the town of Eberswalde are all contributing, through their respective activities, to raising the profile of the Finow Canal as a place to experience and to revitalising the town centre in a sustainable way.