Ostseefjord Schlei
If you want to discover your own homeland in 2021, you should plan a trip to one of the most beautiful destinations in northern Germany. Between Kiel and Flensburg, the holiday region around the Ostseefjord Schlei is waiting for its guests. The heart of the former Viking country is the Schlei, with 42 kilometers of Schleswig-Holstein's longest branch of the Baltic Sea. At its end lies the more than 1,200 year old Viking city of Schleswig with its cultural monuments and museums.
These five things should not be missed when visiting Schleswig.
1. Haithabu-Danewerk
The Viking people lived in the Schlei-Baltic Sea region between the 8th and 11th centuries. One of the most important settlements and trading centers was the port city of Haithabu. The cultural center of the Viking settlement is the Viking Museum Haithabu with the reconstructed Viking houses and the medieval, formerly Danish fortification Danewerk. Both the Danewerk and Haithabu are part of the Unesco World Heritage.
2. Holm
The fishing settlement of Holm was founded around the year 1000 and was separated from the mainland by the Holmer Noor until the 20th century. All houses were built directly on the water to ensure optimal fish processing. Today the Holm is a district of Schleswig and is connected to the mainland.
3. Gottorf Castle
The history of Schleswig is inextricably linked with German-Danish history. The city and especially Gottorf Castle have long played an important role in changing political events. Today the castle is the seat of the Schleswig-Holstein State Museums and houses the most important collections of art, culture and archeology in Northern Europe. Among the most famous exhibits are the bog bodies in the Ice Age exhibition.
4. Schleswig City Museum
The city museum shows the more than 1,200 years of Schleswig's history, from the Middle Ages to the present, from the Viking settlement of Haithabu to the city's heyday in the time of the Gottorf dukes to the German-Danish conflict in the 19th century.
5. St. Peter's Cathedral
The most important medieval monument is the almost 900 year old Sankt Petri Dom with its imposing interior and the three king altar from the year 1300. The most famous work of art is the three-winged carved altar by Hans Brüggemann from 1521; its 500th anniversary will be celebrated in 2021. The altar panel contains almost 400 figures carved from oak.
