How Popular is Canoeing in Europe?
13-minute read
Canoeing—paddling an open canoe either solo or tandem—is a centuries-old form of transportation here in North America. Modern canoeing, for recreation and adventure trips, made its way to Europe over the years and enjoys popularity there as well.
Canoeing in Europe can be a historical and cultural experience as well as a natural one (photo courtesy of Paul Villecourt)
In contrast to its more dramatic and high-adrenaline cousins—sea kayaking coastal areas and kayaking whitewater rivers—canoeing in Europe is viewed as a wonderful way to explore slow-moving rivers and lakes at a more relaxed pace.
It’s known as a great way for families, groups and individuals to enjoy the natural world that surrounds these waterways. And there are many options for adventurers to experience multi-day wilderness expeditions in the wilder parts of the continent.
In addition, there are a ton of great urban canoeing options, especially for history and culture lovers. Many of Europe’s famous cities sit along large, slow-moving rivers or canals.
As here in the US and Canada, beginning canoeists will find rental and guide options throughout Europe. And intermediate and advanced paddlers have access to dedicated paddle shops that can outfit them with everything they need.
We’re committed to helping support and grow this paddlesport among Europeans and to find new participants who will make it a lifelong pursuit. Part of our commitment has been to pursue partnerships with retailers there and to invite several native Europeans to join our Prostaff team.
We believe it’s a win-win for all of us to provide quality gear, instruction, access and encouragement to those who wish to try canoeing and to those who are already enthusiasts.
To give you an authentic feel of what the canoe culture is like across the pond, we thought you’d appreciate hearing from these partners themselves. We reached out to ask each of them three questions to get their take on the state of canoeing in their country.
We hope you enjoy what they have to say, and maybe even plan a trip overseas to check out some of the European waterways that are perfect for canoeing:
Lisa Tardieu, La Maison du Canoë • France
Lisa Tardieu owns and runs La Maison du Canoë in southeast France. She was just 22 years old when she started her retail shop that caters to canoeists and kayakers of all skill levels. (You can read more about her and her business here)
Lisa Tardieu (at the bow) and friend canoe a whitewater river in France (photo courtesy of Alain Duquesnay)
BENDING BRANCHES: How popular is canoeing in your part of Europe?
LISA: In France, canoeing is not very popular, certainly less so than in Germany or countries further east. I think this is largely because we have so much whitewater here, which makes canoeing less accessible for the general public. It quickly requires certain skills to paddle safely. (I'm mainly speaking about the south of France; I don't know the northern regions as well.)
I would even say the practice is slowly fading, as people today are more likely to invest in a stand-up paddleboard if they live near a lake, rather than a canoe. Sit-on-top kayaks have also taken a lot of space in the market here, mainly because of their safety aspect (again linked to the whitewater factor: people want something stable that won't sink if you fall out).
BRANCHES: AI says canoeing in Europe is seen as nature-focused, family-oriented and relaxing. Do you agree?
LISA: Yes, that image fits well with how canoeing is perceived here. People see it as a family-friendly activity, close to nature and a way to “disconnect.” It's not something most people do in their daily life, though. It’s more of an adventure or a one-off holiday activity.
BRANCHES: How can we partner to help increase the interest and popularity of canoeing?
LISA: Honestly, I'm not sure what the solution is. As I mentioned, the trend has shifted more towards SUP and sit-on-top kayaks in France. But I do think that highlighting canoeing as an adventure and a way to reconnect with nature could be a good direction.
The famous Ardèche Gorge in France is Lisa’s personal favorite canoe trip route (photo courtesy of Lisa Tardieu)
Antti Vettenranta, Canoeing Influencer • Finland
Antti Vettenranta loves canoe camping in his native Finland and other great canoe destinations. He makes and posts videos of his trips to his YouTube channel, "Kanootti & Tomaatti" (“canoe and tomato”), which has become the largest canoe camping channel in Finland.
Antti on a canoe trip in his native Finland (photo courtesy of Antti Vettenranta)
BENDING BRANCHES: How popular is canoeing in your part of Europe?
ANTTI: I think canoeing is slightly less popular in Finland than kayaking. It's probably because the majority of the population lives in southern parts of the country and we have a long coastline of the Baltic Sea. (And some people think that kayaking is a better option for sea conditions.) But, I really have a feeling that canoeing is getting more popular all the time.
BRANCHES: AI says canoeing in Europe is seen as nature-focused, family-oriented and relaxing. Do you agree?
ANTTI: There are a ton of summer cottages in Finland, and I think canoes are mostly used during the summer holidays for day trips on local lakes. Longer trips are also quite common because, like Canada, Finland is full of lakes. There are probably almost 200,000 lakes here, even though our country is quite small.
Finland, and especially Lapland, is a place that many people from Europe travel to. In the summer, Lapland is full of paddlers from Central Europe. Hardcore whitewater canoeing and sea kayaking are also practiced here, but perhaps to a lesser extent. Finns like to go to the peaceful wilderness, fish, and enjoy the wilderness life.
Parts of Europe offer a true wilderness experience for canoeists (photo courtesy of Antti Vettenranta)
BRANCHES: How can we partner to help increase the interest and popularity of canoeing?
ANTTI: Good question! I already have a YouTube channel, which is the biggest canoe camping channel in Finland. My long-format videos have been watched over 1.5 million times. I have a long collaboration with local canoe dealer Bear & Water, which sells Bending Branches paddles. I get a lot of feedback that I have "sold" a lot of canoes in Finland!
Will Copestake, National Prostaff Team • Scotland/UK
Will Copestake is an experienced canoeist and kayaker in Scotland. He’s the co-owner of Kayak Summer Isles, along with Tim Hamlet, who’ll meet next. He holds several BCU canoe and kayak certifications, and guides and coaches both canoeing and sea kayaking.
For those interested in canoeing the wilds of Scotland, Will gave us an interview about his favorite canoe trips there.
BENDING BRANCHES: How popular is canoeing in your part of Europe?
WILL: I will speak of this from what I know in Scotland. Canoeing is certainly a stable growth sport, if not slightly increasing, as seems to be a general trend with watersports across the country. We’ve seen a big boost since COVID and the rise of social media. I know that in Scandinavia, open canoeing is a big sport, likely due to the incredible river systems and lochs in the area.
For us in the northwest of Scotland, there is a growing community of canoeists, which I would put into two camps: Recreational outings (families) and adventure sport (whitewater/multi-day expedition travel).
Will is an adventure canoeist, guide and coach (photo courtesy of Will Copestake)
BRANCHES: How can we partner to help increase the interest and popularity of canoeing?
WILL: The greatest hurdle in Scotland to overcome is to communicate with the younger audience that canoeing is a 'young' sport. There is an underlying attitude that canoeing is an old person's game, which can be hard to overcome in the UK.
Typically, when canoe is mentioned, people's go-to thought is childhood scout camp trips or family excursions, which both are fabulous in their own right and also a big market.
This perception, however, is slowly shrinking in opinion with the rise of more 'intrepid' canoe adventures being pushed on social media. Multi-day expeditions (like Rannoch Moor crossings, Inverpollaidh loch expeditions and Great Glen traverse) and the whitewater canoe community is also growing.
As a paddle manufacturer, one thing I have heard from people interested in your paddles is longevity in shallow water environments. Scotland tends to be quite brutal on canoe paddles—shallow rocky rivers with loch portages, etc.
It may be worth having a “bombproof” fibre-glass paddle in your range. I am a big proponent of your Expedition Plus Paddle, which I have given serious abuse to in Scotland. It has held up extremely well in these environments.
[NOTE: Good news for Will and his Scottish friends—check out our new Horizons fiberglass canoe paddle with our bombproof Lam-Lok™ edge protection! It’s exactly what these folks are looking for.]
BRANCHES: AI says canoeing in Europe is seen as nature-focused, family-oriented and relaxing. Do you agree?
WILL: I would agree with AI in terms of its outward assessment of where the masses are. However, the “high octane” adventure community is strong and niche in the UK. These are the relatively smaller group of people who push the boundaries and inspire others to take it up as a more encompassing adventure sport.
A family canoes together in Scotland (photo courtesy of Tim Hamlet)
Tim Hamlet, National Prostaff Team • Scotland/UK
Tim Hamlet is the co-owner of Kayak Summer Isles in northwest Scotland, along with Will Copestake. He’s an experienced guide and adventurer with many expeditions under his belt around the world.
BENDING BRANCHES: How popular is canoeing in your part of Europe?
TIM: I would say canoeing is stable and maintaining its presence within the paddlesports community in the UK.
BRANCHES: How can we partner to help increase the interest and popularity of canoeing?
TIM: I do think that a lot of the social media content is aimed at the high adrenaline paddlesports rather than the slow tourism style, which would fit more with canoeing. So perhaps some content aimed at enjoying the landscape from a slower journeying perspective might be helpful.
BRANCHES: AI says canoeing in Europe is seen as nature-focused, family-oriented and relaxing. Do you agree?
TIM: I would agree with that statement. I advise the use of pictures of families in canoes, and highlight the opportunity for canoe journeys with overnight adventures. Dogs in canoes is also a really good idea, as it allows pet owners to enjoy time on the water as well.
Tim paddles one of the many scenic Scottish canoe routes (photo courtesy of Tim Hamlet)
Joey Chapman, National Prostaff Team • Wales/UK
Joey Chapman is a guide and coach with Llandysul Paddlers Club and Canoe Centre in southwest Wales. He loves helping people build confidence in their paddling skills and create memories on every paddling trip.
BENDING BRANCHES: How popular is canoeing in your part of Europe?
JOEY: Canoeing in our part of Europe definitely holds its own, though kayaking tends to steal a bit more of the spotlight—especially in the whitewater scene. That said, open canoeing has a strong and passionate following here in Wales.
There's something timeless about paddling a canoe through the lush Welsh valleys or down the River Teifi. It’s slower, more connected to nature, and perfect for those looking to unplug and unwind.
In terms of growth, I'd say we're holding steady but with some really positive momentum. More families, schools, and community groups are getting involved, especially through programmes we run at Llandysul Paddlers.
People are looking for meaningful, active ways to spend time outdoors—and canoeing ticks all those boxes. There's also a growing appreciation for traditional paddling skills and expedition-style trips, which is great to see.
So while kayaking might have the edge in popularity for now, canoeing is definitely alive and well—and quietly gaining ground!
Joey Chapman is an experienced canoeist, guide and coach in his native Wales (photo courtesy of Joey Chapman)
BRANCHES: How can we partner to help increase the interest and popularity of canoeing?
JOEY: Partnership is everything when it comes to growing interest in canoeing. At Llandysul Paddlers, we're all about community, collaboration, and creating unforgettable experiences on the water—so teaming up with like-minded organisations is right up our alley.
To increase the popularity of canoeing, we could start by co-creating events or taster days—something fun and accessible for newcomers. We'd bring the canoes, the coaches, and the energy! Add in some storytelling, maybe a bit of Welsh culture, local food, and you've got a proper experience that gets people hooked.
We're also really keen on educational partnerships—working with schools, outdoor centres, or youth groups to build canoeing into their regular activities. Or, we could produce joint content—photos, short films, blog posts—highlighting the beauty and simplicity of canoeing, especially here in Wales. People connect with stories, and we've got plenty to share.
Bottom line: if you're passionate about getting more people outside, connecting with nature, and learning new skills, then let's chat. Because that's exactly what we're paddling towards every day at Llandysul.
BRANCHES: AI says canoeing in Europe is seen as nature-focused, family-oriented and relaxing. Do you agree?
JOEY: Yeah, I'd say that's a pretty fair take—especially from a general public perception. Canoeing in Europe, and here in Wales in particular, does tend to be associated with nature, calm waters and quality time with family or friends.
It's that slower rhythm, the open boat, the space to pack a picnic or even a tent, and just glide down a river like the Teifi. There's a kind of quiet magic to it, and it appeals to people looking for a peaceful outdoor experience, not necessarily a thrill ride.
That said, I think the line between canoeing and kayaking isn't always so clear-cut. There are some seriously skilled open boaters out there running whitewater that would turn most kayakers' heads! But yes, overall, canoeing tends to carry that 'slower adventure' vibe, while kayaking—especially sea and whitewater—often gets the adrenaline-fuelled branding.
At Llandysul Paddlers, we try to show that it doesn't have to be one or the other. Canoeing can be chill, wild or somewhere in between. It's all about how you want to experience the water—and we're here to help you find that perfect balance.
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A huge thanks to these men and women who contributed their thoughts on the canoe culture of Europe! We hope you’ll look them up for a rental package or guided trip when you’re next in their countries.
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or bbinfo@bendingbranches.com, or choose our online chat option.
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