Schleswig Holstein Top Attractions

Top 10 things to see and do in Schleswig Holstein

• 1 Gottorf Castle

  7.5 /10

  Located on an island in the Schlei, a narrow inlet of the Baltic Sea, Schloss Gottorf is a historic castle estate that served as the House of Oldenburg's ancestral home. It lies just a couple of kilometers from the Old Town of Schleswig and boasts two of the state’s most significant museums.

  The island was first settled as an estate in the 12th century as Bishop Occo of Schleswig's residence before being transferred to the Count of Holstein of the House of Schauenburg in 1340. It was later inherited by Christian I of Denmark, who was the first Danish monarch from the House of Oldenburg ...

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• 2 Eekholt Wildlife Park

  7.5 /10

  Located on the northern edge of the Segeberger Forest between the towns of Bad Bramstedt and Bad Segeberg, the Eekholt Wildlife Park is home to around 100 different species of native wildlife. It showcases the animals in their natural habitats while raising awareness about sustainability in nature.

  The Eekholt Wildlife Park was founded in 1970 and is still privately run to this day. It was created to convey awareness about plants, animals, and humans' ecological interdependence, with diagrams and exhibits illustrating the role each plant or animal plays in maintaining the ecological balance ...

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• 3 The Kiel Canal

  7 /10

  

  Stretching for 98 kilometers through the countryside of Schleswig-Holstein, the Kiel Canal links the North Sea with the Baltic Sea between the towns of Brunsbüttel and Kiel. It was built in the late 19th century to prevent ships from having to make the much longer journey around the northern tip of Denmark and was originally called the Kaiser-Wilhelm Canal.

  The first connection between the North and Baltic Seas was the Eider Canal that was completed under the reign of Christian VII of Denmark in 1784. It stretched 43 kilometers from Kiel to the Eider River’s mouth at Tönning, however, its shallow depth of only three meters significantly limited the vessels that could use it ...

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• 4 St. Anne’s Museum Quarter

  7 /10

  

  Home to Germany’s largest collection of medieval sculptures and altar-pieces, the St. Anne’s Museum Quarter is located in the former Augustinian nunnery of St. Anne’s Priory in Lübeck. In addition to the St. Annen Kunsthalle's ecclesiastical art, the museum quarter also encompasses an old synagogue, church and a range of medieval buildings to explore along its atmospheric streets.

  St. Anne’s Priory was originally constructed in the early 16th century in a late Brick Gothic style and housed Lübeck’s unmarried women ...

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• 5 Laboe Naval Memorial

  7 /10

  

  Dominated by a sweeping brick monolith that is dedicated to the fallen seamen and women of World War I and World War II, the Laboe Naval Memorial was established in 1936 in the town of Laboe near Kiel. It was originally designed to memorialize the dead of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy), with the World War II Kriegsmarine added after 1945. It has more recently been rededicated as a memorial to sailors of all nationalities who have been lost at sea.

  The monument was designed by architect Gustav August Munzer, without the intention of resembling anything specific but more to inspire positive feelings in the viewer ...

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• 6 Hansa-park

  7 /10

  

  Located in the town of Sierksdorf along the Bay of Lübeck, Hansa Park is a seasonal amusement park that’s packed with more than 125 different attractions. It was established as the home of Germany’s first Legoland in the early 1970s and has now grown to become the fifth largest amusement park in the country.

  Hansa Park is divided into 11 different themed areas, which include the Land of the Vikings, Bonanza-City and the Old-Time Fun Fair. Each area is clustered with rides and shows that reflect their individual themes, including thrilling rollercoasters, water-based attractions and kid-friendly carousels ...

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• 7 Holstentor

  7 /10

  

  Marking the western boundary of Lübeck’s historic core, the Holstentor is a charismatic red-brick gate that has become a symbol of the city. Built in 1464, the Medieval Gothic construction is one of just two city gates that remain from Lübeck's medieval fortifications (with the other being the Burgtor (Citadel Gate)) and together with the Altstadt of Lübeck has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  Having been beautifully restored after crumbling to ruins in the mid-19th century, the Holstentor is renowned for its twin pointed round towers and arched entrance ...

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• 8 Dom St. Petri

  7 /10

  

  With its turquoise steeple towering above the Altstadt (Old Town) of Lübeck, Dom St. Petri (St. Peter’s Church) is one of the city’s most important landmarks. Originally a three-naved Roman church built in the 12th century, it was expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries into a five-naved Gothic hall church. It was severely damaged during World War II, with the church roof completely destroyed, but was lovingly restored in the 1980s and has become a cultural hub of the city today ...

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• 9 Schleswig Cathedral

  7 /10

  

  One of the most important architectural landmarks in Schleswig-Holstein, the Schleswig Cathedral towers over the city of Schleswig. It was established as a Romanesque basilica in 1134, built using granite, brick and tuff from the Rhine, before being reconstructed as High Gothic hall church from the 13th century. It was here that the Danish King Niel’s headless body was laid out after being pulled from the Schlei by local fishermen and it’s believed that he still haunts the cathedral to this day.

  In 1888, a Gothic revival western tower was added at the request of King William II of Prussia and its viewing platform now offers commanding panoramas across the city of Schleswig, the Schlei and the charming fishing village of Holm ...

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• 10 Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park

  6.5 /10

  

  The most northeasterly park of the German Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site (the largest unbroken area of mudflats in the world) is the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park. It encompasses a magnificent landscape of untouched beaches, sand dunes, tidal flats, salt marshes and marsh islands while providing a haven for rare plant and wildlife species. This national park and UNESCO biosphere reserve extends from the German-Danish maritime border to the Elbe Estuary and is the largest national park in Germany.

  The Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park is home to common and grey seals, porpoises and rare-white tailed eagles, together with a huge diversity of starfish, mollusks and mud-dwelling organisms ...

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* Regular pre-pandemic touristic activity level.

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