The Best 6 Locations to Row in Europe

The best locations to row in Europe are the River Thames, Lake Bled, Lago Maggiore, Lake Lugano, Cork Harbour with the Carbery Islands, and Split on the Adriatic. If you only pick one, make it Lake Bled for flat, repeatable water, unless club culture matters more to you (the Thames) or you want the sea (Cork or Split).

The six compared

Water	Type	Size	Best for	Main hazard
River Thames, England	River, tidal below Teddington	346 km long	Clubs and regattas	Locks, weirs, winter flow, tides
Lake Bled, Slovenia	Small lake	2,120 m long, 1,380 m wide	Timed pieces, camps	Crowding on a small lake
Lago Maggiore, Italy and Switzerland	Large Alpine lake	About 65 km long	Long, scenic outings	Wind and chop on open water
Lake Lugano, Switzerland and Italy	Narrow Alpine lake	48.7 sq km	Calm mornings	Afternoon wind, limited launching
Cork Harbour and Carbery Islands, Ireland	Sheltered sea water	Large natural harbour	Coastal rowing	Tide, weather, shipping
Split, Croatia	Adriatic coast	Open sea, sheltered stretches	Coastal rowing in the sun	Summer heat, afternoon wind

River Thames, England

The Thames is the heart of English rowing, with clubs along its 346 km and events such as Henley Royal Regatta, raced over 1 mile 550 yards (2,112 m). The non-tidal river above Teddington is calm and well served by clubs, with locks and weirs you need to learn to handle. Below Teddington the river is tidal and far more demanding, so book a coached session there rather than exploring alone. Our guide to the best rivers in the UK has the alternatives.

Choose it if you want to row where the sport’s culture is thickest. Skip it if you want open, empty water.

Lake Bled, Slovenia

Bled is a small, beautiful lake, and its rowing course hosted the World Rowing Championships in 1966, 1979, 1989 and 2011. Lake Bled measures 2,120 m by 1,380 m, so a 2,000 m piece only just fits along its length. Calm conditions make it a favourite for training camps.

The small size is the point. Five lengths is 10.6 km, which gives you a repeatable steady row, and you can compare timed pieces from one day to the next.

Lago Maggiore, Italy

A large Alpine lake shared between Italy and Switzerland, about 65 km long and mostly 3 to 5 km wide. It sits at 193 m above sea level and covers about 213 sq km, so wind has room to raise a chop. Go early, and hug the sheltered shores.

Its length suits rowers who like long, steady outings rather than short laps. As a rule of thumb, turn for home before you have used half your time, because a headwind on the return can add a lot to the second leg. Local clubs are the best source of advice on which bays are sheltered.

Lake Lugano, Switzerland

Lugano is deep (288 m at its deepest) and narrow, averaging about 1 km wide and reaching about 3 km at the bay of Lugano. Around 63 per cent of it lies in Switzerland and 37 per cent in Italy. The Melide causeway splits it into a northern and a southern basin, with a bridge that lets boats pass.

Like Maggiore, it has calm mornings and can get windy later in the day. Shore access varies, so confirm where boats can be launched before you arrive.

Cork Harbour and Carbery Islands, Ireland

These are sheltered waters and islands in the south-west of Ireland, popular with coastal and sea rowing. Cork Harbour is one of several harbours that claim to be the world’s second-largest natural harbour by navigational area, and it is a working port with the Irish Naval Service based on Haulbowline Island. Rowing clubs also sit on the River Lee between Cork city and Blackrock.

Tide and weather need local knowledge, and the boats here tend to be sturdier than flat-water shells. Row with a local crew rather than on your own. Start with our list of rowing clubs in Ireland.

Split, Croatia

Split is a Dalmatian coast city with sheltered sea rowing in the Adriatic and a serious history. Its best-known club, HVK Gusar, was founded in 1914, moved to its Spinut home in 1974, and supplied the four rowers who won coxless four gold at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

This is coastal water, so use suitable boats and take local advice. Summer heat and afternoon winds are the main considerations, so plan to be off the water by mid-morning.

Seasons and weather

Timing a trip matters as much as choosing the venue.

Water	Usually best	Watch for
Alpine lakes	Late spring, early autumn	Wind and storms on midsummer afternoons
Thames	All year round	High flows and red flags in winter
Adriatic	Dawn sessions in summer	Heat by midday
Cork and west coast	Settled spells	Tide and weather changes

If rough water is new to you, read our advice on rowing in the wind before you travel. Clubs have their own flag systems and minimum standards for going afloat, so ask about both.

Planning a trip

1. Pick the water that matches your goal, using the table at the top.
2. Email a local club four to six weeks ahead. That lead time is a rule of thumb, but it gives them room to find a boat and a coach.
3. Say what you row, how often and at what level, and confirm you can swim.
4. Ask about weather, shipping, water levels and launch points.
5. Pack your own rowing shoes, and bring your own blades only if the club agrees.
6. Book your first outing for the morning after you arrive, with a local on the water.

The clubs hub is a good starting point, and our round-up of popular rowing locations widens the search beyond Europe. If you’re heading to California instead, see the best places to row in Los Angeles.