Car Hire Kiel - Mini guide to Kiel

Kiel is one of Germany’s biggest passenger ports and a great place to watch huge vessels manoeuvring in the harbour, taste fresh salty air and enjoy the daily arrivals and departures of cruisers and intercontinental ferries. As an added bonus, Germany’s biggest indoor shopping centre is located here too.

Both professionals and amateurs love sailing in Kiel. Kieler Woche, in June, is the world's biggest sailing event. Sailors and visitors from all over the world flock to the 10-day festival.

Besides the gorgeous sights on the water and around the harbour area, there is much to see in town, including: the Maritime Museum, which contains model ships; the Warleberger Hof City Museum; the Oceanography Institute Aquarium; and the Kunsthalle Art Museum, which has an antiquities collection. The Stadtgalerie in the Neues Rathaus boasts regular exhibitions that are also worth seeing. If you tire of museums and galleries, go for a harbour cruise or take one of the North Sea boat trips.

Many people come to Kiel to shop at the mammoth Sophienhof shopping centre. You can also take one of the firth ferries to any of the many bathing resorts on the Kieler Förde (Kiel Firth). There are many pleasant pubs and cocktail bars on Alter Markt square and the culturally-minded will find excellent concerts at Ostseehalle, as well as theatre and opera performances.

Just 30 minutes away by car, Flensburg offers a picturesque waterfront view with its cafés and restaurants. The city retains its medieval architecture and has churches which are in perfect condition. Stroll along the curving cobblestone and brick pedestrian streets or embark on a peaceful boat ride around the harbour or to nearby towns in Denmark, which are within sight across the inlet.

Kiel lies around 100kms south of the Danish border, directly on the Baltic Sea and the 17-kilometre long Kiel Firth. By car, take autobahns A7/A215 to the city. Kiel-Holtenau Airport is 10kms from the city; while the larger Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel Airport is 99kms away. There are daily train services from many European cities. There are also ferries from Norway and Sweden.