Originally starting out as a Danish settlement, the town of Flensburg managed to become one fo the most attractive German ports on the Baltic Sea thanks to its old architecture and sailing tradition.Also a great shopping center, today the city offers a look back to the days of the Hanseatic League
General Info
One of the most northern German cities from the Schleswig-Holstein state and the whole country even, Flensburg is also the close to the Danish border, just 7 km separating the town’s center from Denmark. The area corresponding to its shores is called the Flensburg Fjord, a part of the Kiel Bay.
Ironically enough, the city was founded by Danish settlers around 1200 and the main reasons why this particular site was chosen are obvious to this day: shelter from heavy winds, access to trade routes and a plentiful bounty of herring in the nearby waters. Perfect for any tourist and resident.
Travel & Arrival
You’d think that for such an important port most of the traffic would be by sea, but the fact of the matter is that the majority of visitors get here by car. Flensburg lies near the number 7 motorway running from Hamburg and continuing into Denmark under the name E45. There are both busses and trains available back and forth from Denmark into Germany.
The closest airport is the one in Kiel, at a distance of about 94 km if you follow the motorway, but it’s only used for internal flights. For groups members coming in from other countries, the place to land is Hamburg airport. The trip to Flensburg in this case is 150 km via the same number 7 motorway and it takes about an hour and a half.
Avant & Apres Sail
The overall appearance of the town, especially in the old center, is the one from back in the days of the Hanseatic League. A lot of old brick churches, houses and museums which are particularly attractive to foreign tourists can be found here.
Among the most visited museums by crowds are the Museumsberg Flensburg, Science Museum and Ice-age House, the Phänomenta (interactive science museum) and the always-popular Shipyard Museum.
There are also a number of churches that are worth seeing: the St. Nikolai, St. Marien, St. Johannis, St. Marien and the Hellingandskirken (Chuch of the Holy Spirit- a Dutch church). These all have interesting architecture and are located within walking distance in the city center.
Not just a center, the town is also known as a shopping Mecca, with people arriving from Denmark and other Nordic countries to do their shopping here. Like in most old towns, there is a pedestrian street, Holm, which is lined with shops, cafes and galleries.
When it comes to eating, you’ll find that Flensburg is not that old-fashioned, quite the contrary, it’s rather cosmopolitan with various international cuisines ranging from Greek to Italian and from Chinese to Mexican. However, the sailor is advised to try some of the local seafood, especially the fresh smoked herring.
Events & Actions
Unlike many of the old sleepy towns, Flensburg is very busy organizing all sorts of parties. foreigners are sure to enjoy one of the many lively events like the Apple Run(in mid October) in which ships sail over to Glücksburg, load up on apples and come back as soon as possible then sell them right from the deck, or the Christmas Market.