Kiel
Discover Kiel
Kiel is a maritime city and has been for a long time, it remains one of Germany main passenger ports. It is on the Baltic Sea at the end of the "Kieler Förde". Kiel is the capital city of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and has a population of roughly 248,000 (2018). It is on the Baltic Sea at the end of the "Kieler Förde".
What to Experience in Kiel
Taste of Kiel...
There are food courts in Kieler Hauptbahnhof (train station) and the shopping mall across from the train station (Sophienhof). Local specialties to try include Fischbrötchen (fish buns), which are available with a variety of fresh or processed fish and other seafood (notably shrimp). There is a local ice cream manufacturer, Packeis, whose wares are sold at many kiosks, beaches and so on in the summer; be sure to sample their wares. There is also an old local brewery, the aptly-named Kieler Brauerei (Kiel Brewery), which also has its own restaurant, and at least one new one, Czernys Küstenbrauerei, which produces not just a variety of beers but also spirits. Good cafes and pubs can be found in the old city centre. Kiel's clubs are spread out all across the city. Although some locals prefer doing the one-hour drive to Hamburg to go out, Kiel has some clubs that are worth being checked out. Make sure you have had a look at the site Fördeflüsterer before going out to get the most accurate information on all night live events. Most clubs have a €5 cover fee. Not exactly in the category of clubs are the various parties that take places in different parts of the city. Traditionally on Thursdays between October and April all the big university departments organize Studentenparties on and off campus. Expect somewhat cheap drinks and hundreds of university students dancing to a mix of pop, rock and r'n'b. Sometimes there are even live bands or second dance floors.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsKiel serves as the German ferry terminus for the ferries to Oslo, Norway with Color Line and Gothenburg, Sweden with Stena Line. It is the endpoint of the Kiel Canal, which connects the North Sea to the Baltic Sea (allowing ships to avoid rounding Denmark). At the Auguste-Viktoria-Straße, bus lines run services to, or through, Kiel. A weekly bus leaves Kiel and travels via Poland and the Baltic states to Tallinn, Estonia. A comfortable bus operates daily from Berlin to Kiel via Lübeck (6 hours). Further bus operators serve domestic routes. Kiel is connected to two Autobahns, the A210 to Rendsburg and the A215, both of which also connect to the A7 (which is part of the European road E45). Alternatively, take the B503 from the north (Dänischenhagen), B76 from the northwest (Eckernförde) or southeast (Plön), B404 from the south (Bad Segeberg), B4/L318 from the south (Neumünster, though taking the A7/A215 will likely be faster), or the B502 from the northeast (Wisch)....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Kiel has a public transport system based on buses and ferries operated by VRK. 1-, 3- and 7-day tickets are available, and offer good value for tourists. You can use the NAH SH app to purchase tickets. The group ticket "Kleingruppenkarte ohne Sylt-Bus" can be a particularly good value: for a total of €45.90 (as of May 2024) for unlimited transit starting 09:00 on Monday-Friday or starting 12:00 on Saturday, Sunday and holidays until 06:00 the subsequent day, a group of up to 5 adults (children free) can ride all buses and trains in the entire SH-Tarif Network (Schleswig-Holstein state plus Hamburg, excluding the island of Sylt). The taxi service is expensive but good. Taxis are always available at the main train station, and will otherwise come quickly to pick you up when ordered. Kiel is very flat, and bicycles can be rented at various places. The main train station has a large bicycle garage and bicycle rental centre (Radstation), with regular bicycles and e-bikes available.
Where to Stay
The Youth Hostel is close to the Hauptbahnhof. There are a number of moderately priced hotels in the city centre. For some Olympic history, stay at Olympiazentrum in Schilksee, the sailing athletes village for the 1972 Munich Games. Top end is the Strande Hotel in Strande, or the Kieler Kaufmann just north of the city centre. Kiel's public library, the Stadtbücherei, is open to all visitors. There's the main library downtown and a couple more throughout the city, of which the ones in Gaarden and Mettenhof offer the largest selection. Anyone can come in and read; a membership is required to check out media, with 1-month memberships being available for €3. Kiel University operates its own libraries. The central library (Leibnizstr. 9, 24118 Kiel) is open to everyone; checking out books requires membership, but this is not restricted to university members. Departmental libraries may or may not be open to the public. The focus is on scientific literature.
Money & Budget
A variety of shops are located in the pedestrian zone Holstenstraße and the mall Sophienhof. Another relatively big mall is the Citti-Park, which is also home to the Citti-Markt, Kiel's best (but probably also most expensive) supermarket. Several large furniture store are in the same general area as the Citti-Park: Ikea, Möbel Höffner and Sconto, Höffner's low-cost companion. Numerous cafés are located in the old town centre at the northern tip of the Holstenstraße near the "Nikolaikirche" (Nikolai church). An outdoor shopping area is the busy Holtenauer Straße with lots of cafés and more upscale stores towards the south end near the Dreiecksplatz. There are food courts in Kieler Hauptbahnhof (train station) and the shopping mall across from the train station (Sophienhof).
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Kiel
an aerial view of a city with a river running through it
a cruise ship docked in a harbor next to a city
A dockyard with cranes and structures.
A modern building stands near parking and bike racks.
A group of boats that are sitting in the water
A cruise ship is docked at a seaside port.
white and brown boat on the body of water
A view of the ocean from a pier on a foggy day
Kiel Harbour with Vintage Ships
A ship sailing past a beautiful coastal landscape.
an aerial view of a city with a river running through it
a cruise ship docked in a harbor next to a city
A dockyard with cranes and structures.