Straussee Ferry

Eastern Tower of the overhead wire of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Lookning up the structure of the Eastern Tower of the overhead wire of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Looking up the interior of the Eastern Tower of the overhead wire of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Eastern Tower of the overhead wire of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Western Tower of the overhead wire of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Guy anchor of the Western Tower of the overhead wire of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Looking up the interior of the Western Tower of the overhead wire of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Western Tower of the overhead wire of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Vessel "Steffi" of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Conract role of vessel "Steffi" of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

Vessel "Steffi" of Straussee Ferry Zavijava2 (Creative Commons)

"Fest an der Faehre" - a festival for free with a firework celebrated at the port of the ferry. The blue column is the support of the overhead line supplying Straussee Ferry with electric power Zonk43

Western support of the overhead line supplying Straussee Ferry with electric power Zonk43

Plaque commemorating Daniel Gepke, the initiator of Straussee Ferry on the western support of the overhead line supplying Straussee Ferry with electric power Zonk43

Vessel "Steffi" of Straussee Ferry Zonk43

Overhead wire of Straussee Ferry - the longest span (369 metres) of an electric line used for power supply of a vehicle in the world Zonk43

Information table of the history of Straussee Ferry in the vessel Zonk43

Eastern support of the overhead line supplying Straussee Ferry with electric power Zonk43

"Steffi" the only ship of Straussee Ferry Flickr User: Mr. Wissenschaft

Information board at the Strausberg side skhg (Atlas Obscura User)

Ferry berth from the forest side skhg (Atlas Obscura User)

Straussee Ferry is the only free-floating electric ferry in Europe, getting its power through an overhead wire.

The Strausberg Railway launched the Straussee Ferry in 1915. It uses a single vessel named “Steffi”, which is however not the boat used at inauguration, as it was built in 1967 and can transport 192 people at a time—more than enough to earn its keep in this picturesque German community.

While the United States has some passenger cable ferries like Steffi, the boat seems to be the only one of its kind in Europe. Running purely off of electricity, its overhead line is a power supply consisting of a single wire fed with AC of 230 volts, using the cables for the guidance of the ferry and the lake as a return conductor.

The overhead wire of Straussee Ferry, which is fixed at the eastern shore on a 9.6 metres high and on the western shore on a 9.7 metres high pylon, has a span width of 369 metres. It may have the largest span width of all overhead wire systems used for power supply of vehicles in the world.

The boat gliding across Straussee Lake as it shuttles passengers between the city of Strausberg and a forested area. Its travel distance spans a distance of 309 metres, the journey lasting around seven minutes.

Straussee Ferry travels all year round, but only if the Straussee doesn’t freeze over completely, and as long as the waterway can be kept free of ice. Otherwise, Steffi ceases operation until warmer weather allows.