Kiel
Kiel, Germany, is a port city known for its maritime history, particularly its naval significance and the Kiel Canal. Founded in the 13th century, it became a major Hanseatic League trading port. In the 19th century, it rose in prominence as the home of the Imperial German Navy and became a key shipbuilding center. The construction of the Kiel Canal in 1895 further solidified its strategic importance, linking the North Sea to the Baltic. Later, it served as a crucial German naval base and was heavily impacted by World War II bombings. Kiel was also the site of the 1918 sailors’ mutiny, which helped spark the German Revolution and the end of the monarchy. Today, Kiel is a vibrant city with a strong connection to the sea, hosting events like Kiel Week, one of the world's largest sailing regattas.
💡Kiel: Good to Know
🛂 Visa: Canada, Australia, the US, Korea, and Japan are visa-exempt for a stay of up to 90 days
✈️ Closest Airport: Hamburg Airport (HAM)
💬 Language: German, but English is widely spoken
🏷️ Price Level: Germany offers a price level that is very much in line with what you would find in the United States
🍔 Big Mac Index: US: US$5.69 / Germany US$ 7.19
💰 Currency: Euro (EUR)| 1 USD = ca. 0.90 EUR)
☀️ Best Times to Visit: The best time to visit Kiel is the months between May and September when 70-degree temps sweep through the city.
🚘 Transportation: local trains, ferries, city buses, and taxis
🔌 Adapter: Germany uses type C and F plugs. No adapter is needed if you are from Europe, but one is needed when coming from the US
🛜 WiFi: widely available; “#SH_WLAN” is a free, government-provided WiFi service that can be accessed citywide
🏧💰ATM and “Cash or Card”: While some stores take only cash, payments with cards are generally accepted; ATMs are available throughout the city
💸 Tipping: A 5–10% tip is standard in restaurants — round up and hand it to the server rather than leaving it on the table. Tipping is also common for taxis and hotel staff.
✈️ 🚇🚕 Getting There and Around
🎟️ To pay for KVG Kiel public transport tickets, you can purchase single, short journey, and day tickets directly from the bus driver with cash. Alternatively, you can buy tickets from ticket machines, through the NAH.SH app, or at the KVG service center “Umsteiger”. Tickets need to be validated before travel. Online tickets must be presented to the bus driver to be scanned and validated.
✈️ Hamburg Airport (HAM) is located around 57 miles ( 92 km) south of the city center of Kiel. The airport bus “Kielius” departs several times a day from the airport to Kiel with tickets starting at 24.50 EUR for a one-way ticket. The journey takes around 2 hours, depending on traffic. More info can be found here.
🚇 The distance from Kiel's cruise terminals to the city center varies depending on the specific terminal, but generally it's a short distance. The Ostseekai terminal is very close, just a few hundred meters, making it easily walkable. Other terminals like Norwegenkai and Schwedenkai are also within walking distance, though slightly further.
🚌 Two different companies offer hop-on-hop-off buses that connect the main sights throughout the city. Both “Die Roten Doppeldecker” and “Stadtrundfahrt Hamburg” offer one city route each.
⭐️ Top Sights in Kiel
"The Kiel Woche is the largest sailing event in the world."
📸 Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal): The Kiel Canal (German: Nord-Ostsee-Kanal) is a 98-kilometer (61-mile) long artificial waterway in Germany, connecting the North Sea to the Baltic Sea. It was originally constructed between 1887 and 1895, primarily to facilitate the movement of the German navy but also offering a significant commercial benefit by shortening voyages and avoiding the rough seas around the Jutland Peninsula. It is currently the world's busiest artificial waterway, handling a large volume of shipping traffic annually and playing a crucial role in European maritime transport, connecting major ports and facilitating international trade.
📸 Kiellinie: Kiellinie is a popular waterfront promenade in Kiel, Germany, stretching along the western shore of the Kiel Fjord. It's a key part of Kiel's identity as a maritime city, offering picturesque views of the harbor, shipyards, and various vessels, from sailing boats to large cruise ships. The promenade provides opportunities for walking, cycling, jogging, and picnicking, with plenty of cafes, restaurants, sailing clubs, and attractions like the seal basin of the GEOMAR Institute for Marine Research located along the way.
📸 Submarine U-995: The U-995 is a Type VIIC/41 German submarine, a rare surviving example of a U-boat that served in the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. It was commissioned in 1943, participated in patrols primarily in the Arctic and North Atlantic, and after surrendering in 1945, was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Navy. Later returned to Germany, the U-995 was restored and is now a museum ship at the Laboe Naval Memorial near Kiel, Germany. Visitors can step inside and explore the cramped living and working conditions of a WWII submarine crew.
📸 Kiel Maritime Museum: The Kiel Maritime Museum, located in a historic former fish auction hall, showcases Kiel's rich maritime history, focusing on the city's shipbuilding and naval traditions. Visitors can explore exhibits on Kiel's role in global trade, its seafaring past, and maritime traditions. The museum also features ship models, nautical instruments, and monumental seascape paintings. Additionally, visitors can explore the museum pier where historic vessels like the Hindenburg lifeboat are docked.
📸 Dänische Str (Danish Street): Dänische Straße in Kiel is considered a charming and historic part of the city center, known as Kiel's noble promenade. It retains some of its original old-town charm, with cobblestone streets, imperial-era buildings, and small, often owner-operated shops. The street was originally established when Kiel was founded in 1242, leading to the Danish Gate at the edge of town, hence its name as "via danica". While much of Kiel was rebuilt after WWII, Dänische Straße preserves a glimpse of the older cityscape.
📸 Nikolaikirche: The Nikolaikirche in Kiel, also known as St. Nikolai, is the oldest building in the city and a Protestant parish church located at the Alter Markt. Originally built as a Gothic hall church around 1242, it underwent significant alterations throughout its history, including a 19th-century Gothic Revival remodeling. Although severely damaged during World War II, it was rebuilt with a simpler, contemporary interior while retaining important historic artifacts like a bronze baptismal font from 1340 and an altar from 1460. Today, the Nikolaikirche is a significant landmark, housing the oldest Coventry Cross of Nails in Germany and featuring the striking "Spirit Fighter" sculpture by Ernst Barlach.
🍽️😋 Regional Specialties
Kiel has a cuisine with a strong regional flavor, emphasizing fresh, local ingredients. The region's cuisine, Schleswig-Holstein, is characterized by its sweet-sour taste combinations, often referred to as "Broken sööt" (broken sweetness). This unique flavor profile is achieved through preparations like combining tangy meat dishes with sweet side dishes or incorporating dried fruits in various recipes.
🍽️ Kieler Sprotten: These smoked sprats, a member of the herring family, are traditionally prepared through a special smoking process using beech, alder, and oak wood, giving them their characteristic golden color and exquisite flavor. Although they originate from the Bay of Eckernförde, they became known as "Kieler Sprotten" because they were historically packed and transported from Kiel's railway station.
🍽️ Labskaus: Labskaus is a traditional dish from northern Germany, especially popular in Hamburg, Lübeck, and Bremen. It consists of corned beef or other salted meat, accompanied by potatoes and onions. There are variations on the dish (for example, some include an egg, beetroot, or herring), but this is its basic make-up.
🍽️ Fischbrötchen: It is a sandwich made with fish and other components such as fresh white or dried onions, pickles, remoulade, creamy horseradish sauce, ketchup, or cocktail sauce. It is commonly eaten in Northern Germany, due to the region's proximity to the North Sea and Baltic Sea. A common preparation is made with Bismarck herring or soused herring. Fischbrötchen are commonly served at fast food stands or take-out restaurants.
🍽️ Schnüüsch: Vegetarians have a delightful option in Schnüüsch, a local vegetarian soup or stew featuring a medley of green and broad beans, peas, potatoes, kohlrabi, and carrots. This hearty dish is slowly cooked in milk and enhanced with parsley, seasoning, and butter for a rich flavor. For those who enjoy meat, the non-vegetarian version often comes with a side of pickled herring or Holsteiner Katenschinken, a local specialty of cured ham.
🍽️ Rote Grütze: Rote Grütze, a cherished dessert in Northern Germany, holds a special place in Hamburg’s culinary tradition. This vibrant delicacy is crafted from a medley of red berries—such as redcurrants, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries—gently cooked to a thick, pudding-like consistency, and it is often served with a generous drizzle of vanilla sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
📍🗺️ Maps, Apps & Links
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