Flensburg and Schleswig Holstein
 

I am planning a 10 day trip to northern Germany for this fall. I have been to mid and southern Germany quite often over the years.

I will be spending time in Berlin, Hamburg, Luebeck and the other usual suspects in the far north area. But, I do not know much about the extreme northern area of Flensburg and Schleswig Holstein, and do not know how it compares to other areas in Germany.

I have two questions I would appreciate help with from anyone familiar with the area.

First, in your opinion, what are the two or three best things to see/do in the area?

Second, can Flensburg and SH be compared to any other areas in Germany or the USA so I can get a feel for what it may be like? Thanks.

IMO, Flensburg is not really scenic city.
I would not really know which US region one could compare Schleswig-Holstein with. It's flat as a pancake, lots of farming, with a strong maritime ambience since either North or Baltic Sea is never far away.
On the Western side of Schleswig-Holstein you will find Friedrichstadt, a nice "Dutch" town.
Near Schleswig you will find the the historic Viking settlement / open air museum of Haithabu which will deserve a visit if you are in the area.
In the far northwest there is the island of Sylt, a nice but bit pricey destination.

If your itinerary is still flexible, you may also want to check out alternatives like Rostock, Stralsund, the islands of Rügen and Usedom, which are north/northwest of Berlin on the Baltic Sea.

We were stationed in the north for about 18 months and found our best weekend retreats a short ways across the Danish border in Abrenra and Ribe.

Abenra is a port with whitewashed buildings and a nice shopping section. It reminded me of a Popeye cartoon. Perhaps that is the reason that I liked it.

Ribe is reported to be Denmark's oldest town. It is half-timbers and cobblestones. Most of all to us it was the Gothic cathedral finished in 1225. The outside is a mixture of different stone and styles. The interior is surprisingly homogeneous and quite beautiful, though not elaborately fancy.

Regards, Gary

We were in that part of Germany last summer.

The most interesting experience for us was walking on the mud flats in Wadden Sea National Park, near the quaint town of Husum. I do not know anywhere in the US where you can do this.

We also enjoyed Schleswig, partcularly the Globe House at Schloss Gottorf and the tiny fishing village of Schleswig-Holm.
www.schloss-gottorf.de

The interior of this region reminded me of the farming areas of the mid-west. The coastal area reminded me of the Atlantic coast. We loved the scenery. Many people tour the area via bike.

We did not like Freidrichstadt. We thought it was very, very touristy, and the "must see" places were disappointing. Maybe it was because we've been to the Netherlands.

We enjoyed Flensburg because of the interesting mix of German and Danish influences. If you want a "taste" of Denmark, it would be worth a stop.

Have fun!

The Baltic coast of Schleswig-Holstein is not flat. The area south of Flensburg is Angeln where the Angles originated. The Angles gave their name to England and the English language, and the landscape of the area is similar to the English countryside with little farms and gentle hills.
Flensburg has some historic buildings, but the town has evidently seen better days.

Thanks everyone,

Wanderfrau, it looks like Schleswig is an interesting possibility. And Husum looks like a unique little town. I am from the midwest so the fact that it looks like home is interesting to me. Which city do you prefer if I may ask?

Geoffhammer, is the Angeln area worth seeing? If its like England in geography it sounds pretty?

Bremen, Luebeck and Schleswig are all pretty interesting, especially if you enjoy maritime history.

Bremen has a very compact pedestrian area centered around the cathedral. A 5 minute walk to the quayside puts you in the middle of the hot nightspots. Some great bars and restaurants in the area. Depending on when in the Fall you go, you might be there during Christmas Market time. We heard that the Schüttinger restaurant was a great place for dinner and everyone in Bremen must've heard the same thing since it was completely booked the night we were in town. We had a very nice, substantial meal around the corner at the Kleiner Ratskelle.

Luebeck requires a bit more walking to take in the touristy spots, but my 70+ year old Mother-in-law did it without any problem. Alongside the river harbor are a number of cool lightships, tenders and fishing vessels. The Petrikirche and Marienkirche are UNESCO Heritage sites. There are many stirring monuments to sailor citizens who lost their lives at sea and to regular citizens killed during WWII. The area around the marketplace is also fascinating. Up at the top of the hill is a Medieval hospital with a highly recommended restaurant (Kartoffel Keller)next door.

And my favorite of the three is the smallest town - Schleswig. It's tourist center is also based around the cathedral (St. Petri-Dom zu Schleswig). The entire Old Town is devoid of cars. The old buildings you see are actual homes not museums. The streets are cobblestoned and narrow. You feel like you're in a different century. Just a couple steps away is the old harbor. The Viking museum at Schloss-Gottorf is 5 minutes away. In nearby Hedby is the site of an old Viking settlement. The Asgaard brewpub in Schleswig is a great, reasonably priced place for dinner. Excellent Hefeweizen beers.

hike

It's hard to say which "city" I prefer - it depends on what you're interested in and how big of a town you want.

Husum is tiny and there's not much to see and do, but it is quaint, quiet and not to be missed if you want to walk the mudflats. A tour is required, unless you can talk a guide into giving you directions to a "safe" place to walk alone. It also has its own brewery.

If you're not interested in the mudflats, and don't have time to do both, I'd say go to Schleswig. Like Zeus, we enjoyed a meal at Asgaard.

Here are some sites that may help


www.schleswig-holstein.de
click on “EN” in upper right- a great introduction to the land, the people and the culture, with maps and photos

www.schleswig-holstein.info/english/angebot.php General tourist information
Good video

www.schleswig.de/tourismus.php
click on “Schleswig-video” A video overview of the city of Schleswig, narrated in German

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFeF7Hwdg3s A German tourist’s home video of Schleswig-Holm

http://www.travelistic.com/video/sho...-Flair-am-Meer Overview of the town of Husum

http://www.iwss.org/germany.html?&L=0
Wadden Sea info

I'll be happy to answer any other questions you may have.

Thanks everyone.

Could anyone recommend from personal experience a nice hotel or accomodation idea in the Schleswig area?

I am open on the price and prefer places within walking distance of the city centers and train stations. Thanks again.

We stayed at the Hahn B&B
www.hotelhahn.de

We thought it was an exceptional value. It's on a residential street in a renovated turn of the century building about a 10 min walk to the pedestrian zone and even less to the bus station.

The young couple that runs the place speak excellent English and will help you with anything you may need.

Parking, wifi, breakfast, long distance calls (incl to the US) all included in the rate.

Room size varies, but ours was HUGE with a very modern and HUGE full bath.

wanderfrau,

I couldn't get much info on the rooms at the Hahn from the website but I book marked the hotel as a possibility. Thanks.

Would you know of any hotels in Husum? Looks like a charming little town also. I could possibly stay there and day trip over to Schleswig.

hike

Give the Hahn a call or e-mail them. They'll be happy to give you whatever info you need.

Sorry, I don't have any info on places to stay in Husum.