Kiel Overview

Site of the 1936 and 1972 Olympic sailing events, the waters around Kiel fill with sailboats and ocean liners, and its borders are studded with piers. The city’s infatuation with ships culminates in the Kieler Woche, which turns the harbor into a massive party, flooding the town with music, beer, and two million tourists annually (☎0431 90 19 05; www.kieler-woche.de). During the rest of the year, this city of 250,000 quiets down considerably. Residents steer newcomers away from the shopping-heavy downtown and towards the small parks at the city’s fringes, the gigantic Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, and of course, the sea.

• Transportation

Ferries:Most ferries leave from the west side of the harbor (port information at www.port-of-kiel.de). Stena Line, on the west side near the station at Schwedenkai, runs to Sweden. (☎ 01805 91 66 66 ...more

• Practical Information

Tourist office: Andreas-Gayk-Str. 31, (☎ 0431 67 91 00; www.kiel-tourist.de), The staff books rooms for a €3 fee. Open M-F ­9am-­6pm, Sa ­10am-­2pm, in winter from ­10am. Pharmacy: Apotheke Sophienhof ...more

• Accommodations And Camping

Peanuts Hostel, Harriesstr. 2 has a cozy kitchen and living room where 20-somethings gather to get their bearings. Reception ­8:30-­11am and ­5-9pm. Quads €17, doubles €20, singles €28 Jugendherberge ...more

• Food

Neukauf, at the Sophienhof Mall, sells groceries (open M-F ­8am-­8pm, Sa ­8am-­6pm). Produce stands line Holstenstraße, Germany’s oldest pedestrian-only zone. Kieler Brauerei, Alter Markt 9 serves ...more

• Sights

North of the Kunsthalle along the Kiellinie, the Institut für Meereskunde runs a small Aquarium. (Open Apr.-Sept. ­9am-­7pm, Oct.-Mar. ­9am-­5pm. €3, children and students €2, families €9.) ...more

• Nightlife

Clubs and bars line Bergstraße, which turns into a bar-hopping free-for-all every weekend filled with students from the local university. Luna Club, Bergstr. 17a (☎ 0431 519 2176; www.lunaclub.com) ...more