Begin your tour at the picturesque Stadthafen Leipzig. After meeting your guide and receiving a thorough safety briefing, you’ll be off and paddling with confidence down the lush, tree-lined Karl-Heine-Canal.

As you meander down the canal, pass the magnificent Baedeker Villa, owned by publishing magnates. Float by the Palmengartenwehr, a nearly 100-year-old flood control barrier. Continue through the city, drifting through Clara-Zetkin-Park, the largest in the city, before passing the Buntgarnwerke, one of the biggest industrial monuments in Germany.

If you’re lucky, you may even pass by legendary Olympic kayaker Tina Dietze, who trains at the Olympic Training Center Leipzig. After cruising down the neighborhood streams that lead you back into the city, you’ll find yourself back at Stadthafen Leipzig, in perfect time for a drink or snack at the sprawling beach bar.