if you look at the north-east sea channel near Brunsbüttel, you automatically land at the ferry into the village. It is also impressive to see the huge ships passing the ferry. But before that you should keep left and drive to the end of the road where you can park your car. There, one has a relatively decent overview of the entrance of the big ships into the locks of the canal. Just take your time, watch the ships, come down. However, one gets the better explanations and a better overview on the entrance from the Baltic Sea near Kiel.

We came to Brunsbüttel for an annual fun fair and took in the sights on the Canal too. It was great to watch ships of all types, sizes and cargoes entering and leaving .. from yachts, to cruise ships and giant oil tankers and container ships .. and more besides! There’s even display screens that give you info on the ships, cargo, weight, length & place of registration etc. The viewing tower is no good for children under 1.2m in height as they can’t see out of the windows but there are benches alongside the lock instead!