86 Best Sights in Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast, Germany

One of the island's best-known features is this dune cliff on the northern end of the Kampen beaches, which turns an eerie dark red when the sun sets.

This small fishing town is the island's harbor for ferries to Sweden. Sassnitz is surrounded by some of the most pristine nature to be found along the Baltic Coast. Ten kilometers (6 miles) north of Sassnitz are the twin chalk cliffs of Rügen's main attraction, the Stubbenkammer headland. From here you can best see the much-photographed white-chalk cliffs called the Königstuhl, rising 350 feet from the sea. A steep trail leads down to a beach.

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Housed in a listed hall of the old fish market, this museum pays tribute to Kiel's impressive maritime history as a port city, as a naval and shipyard location, and as a place of sailing sports. 

The impressive baroque Schloss Gottorf, dating from 1703, once housed the ruling family. It has been transformed into the Schleswig-Holsteinisches Landesmuseum (State Museum of Schleswig-Holstein) and holds a collection of art and handicrafts of northern Germany from the Middle Ages to the present, including paintings by Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Despite Husum's remoteness, surrounded by the stormy sea, wide marshes, and dunes, the city used to be a major seaport and administrative center. The Husum Castle, which was originally built as a Renaissance mansion in the late 16th century, was transformed in 1752 by the dukes of Gottorf into a redbrick baroque country palace.

This Gothic cathedral is the oldest building (built 1222–48) in the city. The bronze baptismal font is from the 14th century; the altar was built in 1440. Religious scenes painted on its walls date from the late Middle Ages. Sweeping views of the Old Town and lake await those with the energy to climb the 219 steps to the top of the 320-foot-high cathedral tower.

An excursion to this little museum, inside an original 19th-century warehouse, gives you a sense of the trade that flowed through the Speicherstadt in its heyday. Sacks of coffee and spices, chests of tea, and scales and mills are scattered throughout the museum, and there is information detailing the history and architecture of the district, as well as historical photographs and diagrams.

Hamburg's proud past as Europe's gateway to the world comes to life at the tiny but fascinating Spicy's Gewürzmuseum, where you can smell and touch more than 50 spices. More than 900 objects chronicle five centuries of the once-prosperous spice trade in Hamburg.

One of northern Germany's biggest Gothic churches, built between 1315 and 1404, St. Georgen zu Wismar stands next to the Fürstenhof. It was a victim of the war, but has been almost completely restored. A platform on the roof affords wonderful views of Wismar's Old Town.

This 15th-century church was almost completely destroyed during World War II. Only the interiors survived, and reconstruction was completed in 1963. The interior is not to be missed—it houses such treasures as a massive baroque organ and three Gothic altars from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Founded in 1250 and completed in 1660, this house of worship was severely damaged during World War II, but has since been carefully reconstructed. The interior was once dotted with plaques honoring different people, but only two of the epitaphs remain.

This enormous church is the largest of Stralsund's three redbrick Gothic churches. With 4,000 pipes and intricate decorative figures, the magnificent 17th-century Stellwagen organ (played only during Sunday services) is a delight to see and hear. The view from the church tower of Stralsund's old city center is well worth climbing the 349 steps. However, during church services at 10 am on Sunday, the sanctuary is closed to visitors who are not attending the services.

The treasures of the 13th-century Gothic church include a 15-foot-high crucifix from the 14th century, an astronomical clock from 1394, and a famous baroque altar.

The Hamburg bunker, a massive, 190-feet-high World War II-era structure, served as an air-raid shelter and anti-aircraft defense. It withstood Allied bombings and now houses cultural spaces, including music venues and art studios. Since 2024, the green rooftop garden, accessible via the Bergpfad (mountain path) that leads 360 degrees around the enormous building, is open to the public, but unfortunately doesn't offer barrier-free access.

This church was created in 1195 and has been in continuous use since then. St. Petri is the only one of the five main churches in Hamburg that came out of World War II relatively undamaged. The current building was built in 1849, after the previous building burned down in the Great Fire of 1842. Every Wednesday at 5:15 pm is the Stunde der Kirchenmusik, an hour of liturgical organ music.

The 800-year-old church was built on the highest elevation in the region. Its tower once served the island's fishermen as a beacon. Strangely enough, the tower also served as a prison until 1806. Now a Lutheran church, it is a popular site for weddings.

This small museum tells the centuries-long history of the island's seafaring people. It presents traditional costumes, tools, and other gear from fishing boats and relates stories of islanders who fought for Sylt's independence. In the same street (at No. 13) stands the Altfriesisches Haus (Old Frisian House), which offers a glimpse of the rugged lives of 19th-century fishermen and a time when most seamen thrived on extensive whale hunting.

This is the most famous house on Wasserreihe, where writer Theodor Storm (1817–88) lived between 1866 and 1880. It's a must if you're interested in German literature or if you want to gain insight into the life of the few well-to-do people in this region during the 19th century. The small museum includes the poet's living room and a small Poetenstübchen (poets' parlor), where he wrote many of his novels.

One of the country's oldest and most popular zoos, the Tierpark Hagenbeck was founded in 1907 and is family owned. It was the world's first zoo to let wild animals such as lions, elephants, chimpanzees, and others roam freely in vast, open-air corrals. The Tropen-Aquarium, on the same property as the zoo, is like a trip around the world. Detailed re-creations of deserts, oceans, rain forests, and jungles are home to sea life, marvelous birds, fish, exotic mammals, insects, and curious reptiles from almost every continent.

A grim reminder of one aspect of Kiel's marine past is exhibited at this museum in Kiel-Laboe. The vessels of the much-feared German submarine fleet in both World Wars were mostly built and stationed in Kiel before leaving for the Atlantic, where they attacked American and British supply convoys. Today the submarine U995, built in 1943, serves as a public-viewing model of a typical World War II German submarine. The 280-foot-high Marineehrenmal (Marine Honor Memorial), in Laboe, was built in 1927–36. You can reach Laboe via ferry from the Kiel harbor or take B502 north.

One of the best-kept secrets on Usedom, this 12-km-long (7½-mile-long) beach is quite busy in the north but almost deserted farther south. The area is quite rustic and the perfect place to feel like you have the beach to yourself. Amenities: food and drink; parking. Best for: nudists; solitude; sunrise; sunset.

The triangular University Square, commemorating the founding of one of northern Europe's oldest universities here in 1419, is home to Rostock University's Italian Renaissance–style main building, finished in 1867.

Tucked away on the west coast of Hiddensee Island is a 5-km-long (3-mile-long) beach with shimmering turquoise waters and sand so fine that you might mistake it for the Caribbean. The 50-yard-wide beach is ideal for families with children. The water is quite shallow and it's easy to walk out to the sandbanks. Vitte is divided between a nudist section to the south and a "textile" section to the north. Locals decorate the beach with baskets of flowers in summer. Amenities: showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; nudists; swimming; walking.

The island's major town is not quite as expensive as Kampen, but it's more crowded. An ugly assortment of modern hotels lines an undeniably clean and broad beach. Each September windsurfers meet for the Surf Cup competition off the Brandenburger Strand, the best surfing spot.

The most thrilling museum in Schleswig is at the site of an ancient Viking settlement. This was the Vikings' most important German port, and the boats, gold jewelry, and graves they left behind are displayed in the museum. Be sure to walk along the trail to the Viking village, to see how the Vikings really lived. The best way to get there is to take the ferry across the Schlei from Schleswig's main fishing port.

At the northwest tip of Usedom, 16 km (10 miles) from land-side Wolgast, is the launch site of the world's first ballistic missiles, the V-1 and V-2, developed by Germany during World War II. You can view these rockets as well as models of early airplanes and ships at the extensive Historical-Technical Museum Peenemünde.