Kiel
Kiel is the Gateway to the Baltic Sea
Located about 90 kilometers north of Hamburg, Kiel was originally a Viking settlement. The city faces the Baltic Sea and as a result, is the host of several international sailing events.
Kiel was also a huge German port during WWII, and was nearly destroyed in the war. One of the last remaining bits of wartime structures is at Flandernbunker. For the ultimate WWII experience, tour the inside of the U-Boot U 995, a German submarine that now exists as a living museum.
There’s also culture to behold in Kiel, such as the huge Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. Take in opera at the fjord-side Kiel Castle, or a performance at Kiel Theatre, the Low German Theatre, or the Polish Theatre.