Fränkische Saale
Kayak spot · Germany
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
54Fair out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 53 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 55 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 55 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 48 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 47 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 2.7 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 159, fair
- Mon 256, fair
- Tue 353, fair
- Wed 456, fair
- Thu 555, fair
- Fri 655, fair
- Sat 748, fair
- Sun 847, fair
- Mon 954, fair
- Tue 1049, fair
The spot in five facts
- Grade Iat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- 4 kmthe section
- 1 portagecarry round
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 59, fair | 5 kn | 14kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 56, fair | 3 kn | 9kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 53, fair | 11 kn | 24kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 56, fair | 7 kn | 18kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 55, fair | 6 kn | 16kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 55, fair | 5 kn | 12kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 48, fair | 2 kn | 8kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 47, fair | 2 kn | 6kn | 5°C | 2.7 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 54, fair | 2 kn | 7kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 49, fair | 2 kn | 10kn | 8°C | 10.8 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar2of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr4of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Fränkische Saale on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Fränkische Saale
A river section on the Fränkische Saale, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade I, on the international scale. It runs 4.0 km along the river. 1 portage mapped: a weir, fall or hazard to carry round. Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 6.8 km away. For expert paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Gräfendorf. Within 5 km we also list 4 kayak spots and 1 climbing area.
- River Fränkische Saale
- Grade Grade I, on the international scale.
- Length 4.0 km along the river.
- Portages 1 portage mapped: a weir, fall or hazard to carry round.
- Who it suits Suits new paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 6.8 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,390–US$2,610 each
about US$1,390–US$2,610 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to FRA, estimated from distance and season, 3 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$482–US$998 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$147–US$248 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$308–US$509 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$295–US$549 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$161–US$308 |
| Total | about US$1,390–US$2,610 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Gräfendorf
1 min by car · 6 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Gräfendorf its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 15h
About 15h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → FRA, direct, then 1h 45m by road
Flights ORD → FRA on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Gräfendorf · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Gräfendorf · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Bootsanlegestelle 6.8 km
Anlegestelle 25 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits