King Wilhelm Canal

A canal named in honour of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm I, the construction of which took place between 1863 and 1873. The purpose of the construction of the canal was to protect ships and rafts against dangerous storms arising in the Curonian Lagoon. The canal was dug by local residents, and to speed up the excavation work, French prisoners of war were sent to aid only when the work was nearing completion. The length of the canal is 25–27 kilometres, the width is 28-30 metres, and the average depth is 1.7 metres. In 1902–1904, 10 metal bridges were installed. Only two bridges with metal structures and the remains of supports of another seven bridges have survived to this day. Today, King Wilhelm Canal is a water tourism route and a place for recreational fishing with a rapidly growing popularity.