Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Kiel, Germany

The capital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel is a maritime city located within the 17-kilometre Kiel Fjord. This vast natural harbour serves as an ideal docking location for Germany’s Navy to berth its Baltic fleet. Furthermore, the city stands at the eastern lock of the world’s busiest artificial waterway, the Kiel Canal, which seamlessly connects the North Sea to the Baltic.

During Kiel Week in June, thousands of competitors arrive to participate in the largest regatta globally, accompanied by a vibrant celebration that engulfs the entire city. Kiel’s museums and attractions predominantly highlight a nautical theme, ranging from a preserved U-Boat, a lighthouse, a monumental naval memorial, to a maritime museum.

Let us explore the most notable attractions in Kiel:

1. Kiel Week

The world’s largest sailing event commences during the final week of June, drawing millions of attendees and approximately 4,000 ships to the city from both Germany and abroad.

Originating in 1882, Kiel Week embodies a Volksfest. Thus, it provides an excellent opportunity to immerse oneself in the city’s maritime culture and capture remarkable photographs.

This event encompasses 2,000 scheduled activities throughout the week, including boat races spanning various categories departing from the Schilksee harbour, the site of the sailing events during the 1972 Olympics.

Additionally, over 100 historic vessels dock in the city, many of which welcome guests aboard.

On land, attendees can enjoy live music performances, an international market in Rathausplatz, and diverse street entertainment throughout the city center and along the waterfront.

2. Kiellinie

Situated on the western bank of the Kiel Fjord is a scenic waterfront promenade, starting from the naval base in the north.

This path leads past numerous boathouses used by rowers, sailors, and canoeists, as well as the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, which features an outdoor seal aquarium.

During Kiel Week, the promenade bustles with activity, as concert stages attract crowds gathered to witness the races in the fjord.

At all other times, visitors may find several cafes ideal for warming up during the cold winter months.

The area offers stunning views across to the ThyssenKrupp shipyards on the eastern bank, as well as the chance to observe colossal cruise ships entering the harbour.

3. German Submarine U-995

Located on a beach along the eastern edge of the fjord in Laboe, a wartime U-boat has been transformed into a technical museum.

Accessible via the 100 or 102 bus routes from Kiel, U-995 was constructed by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg in 1943. The submarine suffered damage in 1944 and was docked in Trondheim for the rest of the war.

Post-war, it was commissioned by the Norwegian Navy and remained in service until the 1960s, subsequently being positioned near the Naval Memorial in Laboe, where it opened as a museum in 1972. Much of the interior remains unaltered, enabling visitors to explore the engine room, control station, bunks, and torpedo tubes, although the spaces are notably cramped.

4. Marine-Ehrenmal Laboe (Naval Memorial)

This prominent landmark can be easily identified from several kilometers away along the Kiellinie.

The Naval Memorial, standing at 72 meters high, was constructed between 1927 and 1936. Originally designed to honor sailors who perished during the First World War, the edifice now serves as a monument to peaceful seafaring and commemorates victims from all nations who lost their lives during both World Wars.

Visitors can access the viewing platform via two elevators or climb 341 stairs for a panoramic view of the Kiel Fjord. Below the observation area lies a memorial hall and a small exhibition museum.

The museum showcases a model of the Bismarck battleship, the size of a car, and a porthole window salvaged from the MV Wilhelm Gustloff, a military transport ship that tragically sank in the Baltic during an evacuation.

5. Schifffahrtsmuseum Kiel

Located by the waterfront, the city’s Gothic Revival fish auction house was converted into a maritime museum in 1978. The museum’s interior has been refined, with this open space highlighting exhibitions that detail Kiel’s rich fishing and seafaring heritage.

One of the exhibitions focuses on the construction of the Kiel Canal, completed in 1895, linking the North Sea and the Baltic.

Additionally featured are logbooks, maps, model ships, navigation tools, and a cross-section of the Seehund midget submarine from the Second World War.

The museum possesses its own dock where several historical vessels are moored, including a fireboat, a lifeboat launched in 1944, and a buoy tender, the Bussard, from 1966.

6. Kieler Rathaus

The City Hall is an iconic component of Kiel’s skyline, distinguished by its 106-meter-high tower.

This Art Nouveau structure, constructed in the early 1900s, was initially situated in the suburbs to the west of the Old Town.

A glance at the tower reveals its striking resemblance to St Mark’s Campanile in Venice.

At present, the tower is undergoing renovation, though it typically accommodates visitors keen to explore its Art Nouveau interiors and ascend to the observation platform at 67 meters.

A noteworthy feature is one of the last remaining paternosters in the world, a slow-moving, open two-passenger lift that operates continuously.

7. Nikolaikirche

As the city’s principal church, Nikolaikirche has occupied its location on Alter Markt since the 13th century.

Over the years, it has undergone numerous transformations.

Two of the most substantial renovations occurred in the 1870s, when it was updated in the Gothic Revival style, and again after World War II, whereby modern materials such as reinforced concrete were utilized.

Despite alterations, the church still holds significant historical value.

The Nikolaikirche was the venue for controversial sermons delivered by the Anabaptist Melchior Hoffman in 1528. Furthermore, the church’s art was preserved during wartime, featuring items like a highly ornate wing altar carved in 1460, a triumphal cross from 1490, and a Hanseatic bronze baptismal font cast in 1344.

8. Zoological Museum of Kiel University

The building housing this museum was designed in the 1870s by the distinguished architect Martin Gropius, the great uncle of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius.

The museum’s collections date back to the 1600s.

An unforgettable exhibit resides in the main hall, featuring 13 whale skeletons, including massive blue and sperm whales suspended from the ceiling.

A new exhibition titled “Ozean der Zukunft” (Ocean of the Future) presents current findings concerning topics such as rising sea levels, fishing practices, acidification, and ocean circulation patterns through interactive displays.

9. Schleusenanlage Kiel-Holtenau

The world’s busiest man-made waterway, surpassing both the Suez and Panama Canals, begins approximately a few kilometers north of Kiel’s center at Holtenau.

After more than 120 years of operation, the Kiel Canal serves 31,000 ships and 15,000 recreational boats, considerably shortening journeys by 460 kilometers around the Jutland Peninsula.

The easternmost locks in Holtenau mark the location where construction began in 1887. On the southern side, an outdoor visitor center provides information boards and telescopes for observing maritime traffic.

On the northern side, visitors can explore remnants of the old Eider Canal (1784-1887), a precursor to the Kiel Canal that was rendered obsolete with the introduction of steam shipping.

10. Kunsthalle Kiel

The majority of this art museum’s collection consists of works from the 19th and 20th centuries, featuring influential German artists such as Romantic painter Carl Spitzweg, along with Impressionists including Lovis Corinth, Max Slevogt, and Max Liebermann.

Transitioning into the 20th century, the collection includes Expressionists and New Objectivity artists such as Emil Nolde, Karl Hofer, and Alexander Kanoldt.

Another noteworthy aspect is the contemporary art represented by notable German artists like Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, and Georg Baselitz.

The museum is also recognized as one of the first in Germany to establish a video art collection, alongside sculptures from Rodin, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, and a contemporary installation by Kazuo Katase within the inner courtyard.

11. Leuchtturm Bülk

Situated on a small cape at the western entrance to the Kiel Fjord, this lighthouse was initiated by the Danes who controlled the territory in 1862. Construction was temporarily halted due to the Second Schleswig War, after which Schleswig-Holstein became part of Prussia.

Leuchtturm Bülk is the oldest lighthouse on the fjord, emitting a red signal to alert vessels to the hazardous sandbank at the entrance.

The lighthouse welcomes visitors, allowing them to ascend 25 meters to the lantern, from where they can spot various landmarks on the horizon, including the Naval Monument on the opposite bank.

At the base of the tower, a cafe provides hot beverages, cakes, and snacks starting at 10:00 a.m.

12. Stadtmuseum Warleberger Hof

As a significant naval base, Kiel experienced more bombing attacks than many other German cities during World War II.

Remarkably, the oldest surviving structure from that period is a noble residence erected for Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, in 1616. Warleberger Hof is designed in the style of the townhouses that once occupied the Altstadt, featuring a sandstone portal, elaborately painted stucco ceilings, silk wallpaper, and murals from an exquisite restoration in the 18th century.

The vaulted cellar also warrants a visit, where an exhibition of 18th-century faience and silverware showcases a well that still holds water.

On the first floor, rotating exhibitions highlight historic aspects of Kiel.

13. Kieler Sprotte

Fitting for a maritime city, Kiel’s traditional delicacy features smoked fish.

These sprats, similar to herring, are typically harvested when they reach approximately 10 centimeters in length.

Authentic Kieler Sprotte are smoked using wood-burning ovens, over beech and alder branches, and are presented in wooden boxes.

Traditionally, the fish is consumed whole—heads, tails, and bones included—as the fish is tender. However, it is also possible to remove the head and extract the bones through the tail in a single, straightforward motion.

14. Holstenstraße

Holstenstraße, one of the oldest streets in the city, connects the prominent Karstadt department store in the Vorstadt with the Nikolaikirche in the Altstadt.

This street witnessed extensive damage during the war; consequently, during the reconstruction period from 1953 to 1957, it was closed to vehicular traffic and consequently became the first pedestrian street in West Germany.

Historically, Holstenstraße has served as Kiel’s traditional shopping thoroughfare, lined with prominent international brands such as Foot Locker, TK Maxx, Starbucks, and hosting a shopping center at its upper end featuring C&A and the German department store Saturn.

15. Citti-Park

A great option for inclement weather or for parents accompanying fashion-conscious teenagers, Citti-Park is Kiel’s largest shopping mall, conveniently accessible via the 300 bus from the city center.

With over 60 stores spanning two levels, the mall features both German and international fashion brands such as H&M, NewYorker, and Esprit.

If you happen to be in Kiel for an extended period, you can shop for groceries at the ALDI located here. Additionally, if you feel hungry during your visit, there are cafes, bakeries, and tea houses, noted for their refreshing absence of fast-food establishments.