At home on the water since 1990
What started as a canoe school for children has grown into one of the most experienced providers of guided canoe tours in the northern Eifel. Here you'll learn who is behind Kanu Petry.
Since 1990, Kanu Petry has stood for guided canoe tours with heart, safety and educational roots. What began as a canoe school for children today brings families, school classes, companies and clubs onto the water, on the Rur and at the Heimbach Reservoir right in the middle of the Eifel National Park.
How a children's canoe school became Kanu Petry
- 1990
Founded as a canoe school
Wolfgang Petry, and no, not the singer, founds Kanu Petry as a canoe school for children. From the very start his approach is educational: teaching children safety, team spirit and respect for nature out on the water.
- the years after
Summers on the water, around the world
For many years Kanu Petry leads canoe tours abroad during the summer. A large part of the experience that goes into every guided tour today comes from there.
- until 2015
Home waters: the Sieg
For many years the Sieg is our home waters for guided tours. Generations of paddlers get to know the water here.
- 2022
Handover to the next generation
On 1 January 2022, Dastin Lenz takes over Kanu Petry. The educational spirit and the love of the water stay, while the home waters move to the northern Eifel.
- today
The Rur and the Heimbach Reservoir
Today our guests paddle with us on the Rur and at the Heimbach Reservoir, right in the middle of the Eifel National Park. The canoe school for children has become a provider for families, school classes, companies and clubs that has not forgotten its roots.

Dastin Lenz
„For me, canoeing is more than just an outing. It brings people together, forces them to work as a team and takes them out into nature, which you experience completely differently from a boat. That's exactly the spark we want to pass on with every tour."
Dastin Lenz
Four things you can count on
Experience since 1990
Over 35 years on the water, from the children's canoe school to guided group tours. You can feel that routine in every briefing.
Safety first
Checked equipment, a clear briefing, trained guides. We'd rather cancel a tour once than take a risk.
Nature and national park
We paddle in the Eifel National Park and treat it accordingly. Quiet on the water, taking our litter back with us, respecting animals and riverbanks.
Educational roots
Kanu Petry started as a canoe school for children. That teaching mindset still shapes how we work with school classes, families and beginners today.
The people behind your tour

Behind every tour is a well-rehearsed team of permanent staff and seasonal helpers. Many of them started paddling with us as teenagers and are guides today. We're a fun, friendly and easygoing team that lives this work as a hobby, refreshingly relaxed in otherwise hectic times. And where it matters, above all when it comes to safety, we're fully professional.
Owner and tour management
Planning, safety and pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Canoe guides
They accompany the groups on the water, give the briefing and keep the mood high.
Drivers and logistics
They bring equipment, boats and colleagues to the water and lend a hand wherever needed.
Want to become part of the team? We're looking for guides and drivers for the season.
What our guests say
The briefing was relaxed and entertaining, and out on the water it was fun and enjoyable. You can feel the experience in every move. All round a really lovely experience.
Great service, fantastic staff and a beautiful setting at the reservoir in Heimbach. Perfectly organised, we'll be back.
Ages ranging from 9 to 50, everyone was thrilled. A huge compliment to the team, who explained everything perfectly.
Want to get out on the water with us?
Whether a day trip, a family outing or a company event, we'll find the right tour for you.

