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Discover Kiel

July 31, 2012

Kiel is an ideal place to start and end a cruise. More than 100 cruise ships stop here annually. It's an impressive show when the enormous ocean liners come into Kiel and moor nearly in the center of the city.

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Kiel is an ideal place to start and end a cruise. More than 100 cruise ships stop here annually. It's an impressive show when the enormous ocean liners come into Kiel and moor nearly in the center of the city.
Image: Deutsche Welle

When tourists disembark their cruise ship, they find themselves right in the city center. The train station is just a five-minute walk, as is shopping in the Holstenstrasse, one of the oldest pedestrian zones in Germany.

The Kiel Maritime Museum tells the story of seafaring and ports, but the biggest museum in the state capital is the art museum, the Kunsthalle Kiel. It is home to the collection of the Schleswig-Holstein Art Association, which was established in 1843 and includes 19th-century art, classical modern art and post-1945 international art.

Sailing boats sail during the Welcome Race on the Kiel Bay off Kiel
During the annual Kieler Woche, all kinds of seafaring vessels pass through KielImage: AP

Anyone who wants to experience the full diversity of Kiel and the surrounding area should definitely take a tour around the port. It includes the naval port, the Kiel Yacht Club and down the Firth of Kiel to Laboe. Once a Slavic fishing and farming village, it has developed into a popular beach resort in the last 800 years. The historic village of Laboe is worth a visit, as are the expressionistic naval memorial and the U-995 - a submarine from World War II.

Many envy Michael Gruber for his workplace, which is located between the seals and the fish at the Kiel Aquarium. He shows us his favorite sights in his city.

Kiel - Three Travel Tips

From Visit Germany
Editor: Kate Bowen