Saale
Kayak spot · Germany
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
74Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 1 kn gusting 8, Air 7 °C
Tue 3 · 63 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 13kntoo gusty
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kntoo gusty
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0.7 mm
Thu 5 · 68 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Mon 9 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 281, good
- Tue 363, good
- Wed 459, fair
- Thu 568, good
- Fri 677, good
- Sat 779, good
- Sun 877, good
- Mon 978, good
- Tue 1069, good
- Wed 1173, good
The spot in three facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 8.3 kmthe section
- 1 portagecarry round
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 81, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 63, good | 6 kn | 13kntoo gusty | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 59, fair | 8 kn | 19kntoo gusty | 7°C | 0.7 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 68, good | 5 kn | 11kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 77, good | 2 kn | 7kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 79, good | 1 kn | 8kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 77, good | 1 kn | 6kn | 5°C | 0.3 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 78, good | 2 kn | 5kn | 5°C | 0.6 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 69, good | 6 kn | 15kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 73, good | 5 kn | 16kn | 10°C | 0.3 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
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for new paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan3of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar5of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 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
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov5of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec3of 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
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.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Wasserkraftanlage Dorndorf 0.7 km away
- Saale 1 km away
- Lache 5.6 km away
- Saale 5.6 km away
- Jena-Kunitz 7 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Saale
A river section on the Saale, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 8.3 km along the river. 1 portage mapped: a weir, fall or hazard to carry round. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.5 km away. The town to stay in is Jena. Within 5 km we also list 4 kayak spots.
- River Saale
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 8.3 km along the river.
- Portages 1 portage mapped: a weir, fall or hazard to carry round.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.5 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$1,400–US$2,620 each
about US$1,400–US$2,620 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 2 November 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$483–US$1,000 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$148–US$248 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$309–US$510 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$295–US$550 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$161–US$309 |
| Total | about US$1,400–US$2,620 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Jena
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 20 min by car · 53 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Jena 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 35m
About 17h 35m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → FRA, direct, then 4h 25m by road
Flights ORD → FRA on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Jena · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Jena · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
KanuTours Camburg 5.5 km
Kanuclub SV Jenapharm 13 km
Saalestrand Kanu 13 km
Naumburger Kanu Club e.V. 20 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