From Wikitravel

Kiel[1] is the capital city of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein and has a population of roughly 240,000. It is located at the Baltic Sea at the end of the "Kieler Förde".

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By boat 2.2 By train 2.3 By bus 2.4 By plane 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Buy 7 Eat 8 Drink 9 Sleep 10 Get out

Understand

During the second World War, Kiel was severely bombed, because of its submarine-producing shipyard. Both civil and military ships are being built in Kiel nowadays and the high cranes dominate the eastern shore of the Förde.

The bombing destroyed almost all historic buildings in Kiel and even the older looking buildings, like the town hall, were build after WW2.

Get in

By boat

Kiel serves as the German ferry terminaus for the ferries to Oslo, Finland and Gothenburg, Sweden, with a summer service to the Danish Island of Langeland.

As many vessels pass through Kiel-Holtenau on their journey through the locks of the Kieler Canal, you could try your luck there for freighter travel.

By train

Kiel Hauptbahnhof is located directly adjacent to the main bus terminal and across the road from the central shopping district. Kiel is connect to the DB rail system with regular RE and IC services to Hamburg and beyond. Transfers can be made in Flensburg or Lubeck to Danish Rail.

By bus

A number of bus lines run services to - or through - Kiel. A weekly bus leaves Kiel and travels via Poland and the Baltic states to Tallinn, Estonia.

By plane

Kiel has its own airport in "Holtenau" (north-west). Planes of the size of a BAe 146 can start and land. The nearest major airport is Hamburg. There are regular services to Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin. Charter flights leave for other Scandanavian destinations.

Get around

Kiel has a relatively good public transport system based on buses and ferries, both operated by VRK [2]. The taxi service is good, but expensive.

Kiel is very flat, and bicycles can be hired at various places. It is quite an easy day to ride from Kiel to Laboe, catch a ferry to Strande, and cycle back to Kiel.

See

• The main tourist attraction is the Kieler Woche [3] ("Kiel Week") at the end of June, the largest sailing event of the world and one of Germany's largest festivals. Apart from the sailing, the entire centre of the town is transformed into an international food and craft fair, with regular big name performers appearing nightly. Due to Kiels proximity to the North Pole, it stays light until well into the evening making for a spectacular event.
• Also famous is in Laboe (part of Kiel on the east-side) a submarine from the 2. World War at the shore and the "Marine-Ehrenmal" (Navy Memorial) with a high tower.
• Kiel is famous for the Nord-Ostsee Kanal, the worlds busiest canal. It is possible to walk almost the entire the length of the canal from Kiel to Hamburg, overnighting in the town of Rendsburg.
• Kiel is the home of the German Baltic fleet, and it is common to see all types of german warships and submarines in the "Förde", including the sail training vessel Gorch Fock [4].

Do

There are two free city-magazine where you can check for things to do. Get a paper copy in a cafe or shop in the begining of the month or check online Ultimo [5] and Station [6].

Online this one has some more information too: Kiel Magazin [7].

Buy

A lot of shops are located at the pedestrian zone "Holstenstraße" and in the mall "Sophienhof". There is also a number of good ships and cafes in the old town centre near the "Nikolaikirche" (Nikolai church), and on "Holstenaustraße" near "Dreicksplatz".

Eat

The best ever German/Turkish Doner kebabs can be gotten from the Kieler Hauptbahnhof. For something different, try the "Kartoffel Keller" (Potato cellar), where everything has potato as the theme - the potato pizza is very good. Other good cafes and pubs can be found in the old city centre. Nice breakfast buffet in the weekend in Cafe Loft next to the water near the "Reventlobrücke".

Drink

Sleep

The Youth Hostel is close to the Hauptbahnhof. There are a number of moderatly priced hotels in the city centre. For some Olympic history, stay at Olympiazentrum in Schilksee, the sailing athletes village for the 1976 Munich Games. Top end is the Strande Hotel in Strande, or the Kieler-Kauffman just north of the city centre.

Get out

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!