Vacation as far as the eye can see” is the motto under which Tourismus-Agentur Schleswig-Holstein advertises this “land between the seas”. Some 4.5 million people visit the seaside resorts on the Baltic Sea and on the North Sea islands annually to enjoy sun and sand, wind and waves, towns and beaches. Schleswig-Holstein is thus one of the most popular tourist destinations in Germany. Walking in the mudflats of Schleswig-Holstein is a very special experience. In the Wattenmeer, the largest national park in Central Europe, you can not only discover the world of the tidal flats, but also walk from island to island, at ebb tide needless to say, and only with a local guide. Another highlight is the regatta known as the Kiel Week; yet another is the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, with concert performances at different venues throughout the whole state.
www.sh-tourismus.de
Sea and medallists: water is the determining feature in Kiel. The sea extends right into the heart of the state capital. The huge cranes and passenger liners in the Kiel Firth imbue the city with a maritime spirit. The university’s 20,000 students also add a further touch of life. Kiel sprat, tasty little smoked fish, are a local delicacy. An annual high point is the Kiel Week, with its world famous regatta and popular cultural festival. Every June, more than three million people come to this, the largest summer festival in northern Europe.
Bricks and Buddenbrooks: Lübeck offers 1,000 years of living history and impressive examples of medieval brick Gothic. The Holsten Gate is the symbol of the Hanse; the complete oval-shaped old town centre is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. Lübeck marzipan is a speciality. And Lübeck also has a place in literature. Thomas Mann’s novel Buddenbrooks is set in the old town centre. The house at Mengstrasse 4 is the focal point of the novel. Today it is called Buddenbrookhaus, in remembrance of the author. Yet another Nobel Prize laureate, the writer Günter Grass, lives in Lübeck.
Wharfs and mud flats: the Halligen in the Wattenmeer between Föhr and Nordstrand are marsh islands unprotected by winter dikes and therefore inundated at high tide. The houses are built on artificial embankments up to four or five metres high.
Cliffs and birds: Heligoland, Germany’s only island in the open sea, lies about 70 kilometres off the mainland in the North Sea. Long Anna, a 47-metre high cliff, is visible from quite a distance. Another attraction is the Lummen cliff, on which thousands of sea birds brood.
Sailing and surfing: Flensburg is regarded as a prime example of European integration. For more than 400 years, the border city was ruled by the Danish crown. Today, every fifth person in Flensburg claims Danish as his or her mother tongue. The city has a Danish newspaper, Danish kindergartens, schools and clubs. The Danish minority, while being integrated, also preserves its identity. There are many examples of Danish architecture in the historical old town centre. Today, the traditional merchants’ courtyards house galleries, boutiques and bistros. Before the gates of the city lies the 35-kilometre-long Flensburg Firth, one of Europe’s most beautiful sailing and surfing areas, with alternating marinas and beaches.
Sun and sand: Sylt is the largest German North Sea island. The elongated island, linked with the mainland since 1927 by the Hindenburgdamm, has 40 kilometres of sandy beach, between List in the north and Hörnum in the south. The island’s metropolis of Westerland and Germany’s most prominent village, Kampen, are meeting places for the rich and beautiful. Some 1,750 hours of sunshine a year are a persuasive argument.
Bikes and rapeseed: Fehmarn is Schleswig-Holstein’s only island in the Baltic. Tourists arrive on the flat 185-square-kilometre island by bridge, the Fehmarnsundbrücke, which is about one-kilometre-long. A cycling tour through the rape fields is quite an experience. The Fehmarn golf course on Wulfener Bergen is said to be the most beautiful in Germany.
