29 Aug '05 - + 17 - 12 Along the Ostsee
This weekend we continued our attempt to see as much of Germany as
possible before we head back to the States (more on that in the coming
weeks). So, we headed north into the state of
Schleswig-Holstein,
visiting
Eutin,
Flensburg, and
Schleswig.
Eutin is a really small town, and we felt like we saw all we needed to
see by stopping there for an hour between trains. In that time,
we saw the cute market square (which was hosting the weekly market) and
walked to the castle. If we had needed to fill time, we could
have had lunch at a brewery or toured the castle, but we decided to
move on further north instead.
Eutin church with political campaigners
The Eutin castle
From Eutin, we went to Flensburg, the northernmost city in
Germany. It's only a couple miles from the Danish border, so
Danish influence is everywhere, from Danish libraries to tourism signs
to Hot Dogs. Yes,
hot dogs.
Our first hour there was stressful because we had arrived without a
reservation for the night (something Eugene and I did a lot when I was
22, but something that I'm not so fond of anymore). Adding to the
stress and the lack of hotel rooms, our habit of stumbling upon
athletic events (Lifeguard competition in
Lübeck, triathlon in
Hamburg) continued, as Flensburg was hosting a triathlon when we arrived. Fortunately, the
tourist information office
was very nice and helpful, and they found us the last room at the very
cute and highly recommended Gästehaus Petersen. With accommodation settled, we headed out.
We really liked Flensburg. In addition to the Danish influence,
it also has a strong water-based feel. Unlike Lübeck, which really
has only a memory of being an inland port, Flensburg is still an active
port today, with many ferries heading out to Scandinavia through a long fjord.
Fortunately, the working port is kept about a mile from the historic
center, so the old city gets the harbor influence and fresh fish and
history without the current industry. So, there are some nice
seafood restaurants, some impressive old buildings, and a picturesque
harbor (when you look in the right places).
Also, some pretty good
beer is brewed there.
Cute old street with many courtyards
The Flensburg harbor
The triathlon in Flensburg
Nordertor, one of the gates of the old city wall
On Sunday, we headed to Schleswig, another old town at the end of a
long fjord. We didn't expect much out of Schleswig, but we ended
up staying all day, having a great time with the old Viking and fishing
town.
If you are considering visiting Schleswig, we highly recommend renting
bicycles at the train station. Unlike most other smaller cities,
the train station is pretty far from the old city and the main
attractions. We really wished that we had rented those bikes
instead of walking the eight kilometers or so that day. At least
we need the exercise.
Schleswig was founded not far from the old Viking settlement of
Hedeby,
which was the largest city in Northern Europe in its time. Now,
all that's apparent there is a semi-circular mound that contains the
ruins of the city wall. They are planning to rebuild parts of the
settlement for tourists, but fortunately there's an informative
museum to show what was once there, the lives and practices of the Vikings, and many artifacts discovered in excavations.
Rebuilt Viking Ship in the museum
After a quick ferry ride across the fjord, we discovered the old
city. Schleswig has one of the prettiest old cities I've ever
seen, particularly in the old fishing village of Holm. Holm was
its own island until a few decades ago, and it still has a different
feel than the rest of the town. The streets are lined with
nearly-identical two-story houses from the 18th century and later, and
all of the houses have well-maintained Rose bushes in front of
them. Additionally, the center square for the village is a
cemetery with a toy-like Chapel. Although the idea of a cemetery
as a focal point might not sound great, the trees, bushes, and shrubs
throughout the village are kept in such symmetry and harmony that I
can't think of a better place to rent a bed-and-breakfast and stay for
a while.
Rose-covered houses in Holm
The cemetery in Holm
The other impressive part of the old town is the Cathedral, St. Petri
Dom. The Dom has the most intricately-carved wooden altar that I
have ever seen. One guide book claimed that it has 400 distinct
individuals carved in its panels telling the story of the crucifixion
and resurrection. I didn't count them, but I wouldn't doubt it if
there were more.
St. Petri Dom from the ferry
St. Petri Dom's Altar
A strange skeleton carving in the St. Petri Dom
Finally, we walked a few kilometers through the new part of town to the
castle. The exterior of the castle wasn't that impressive, but
the guidebooks said that the art and architecture inside are
amazing. Unfortunately, we were tired from out weekend, and we
decided to skip the museum and go home.
Schleswig Castle
All told, it was an enjoyable weekend. The sights weren't as monumental or famous as the sights we saw in
Prague or
Berlin, but we had a relatively relaxing time seeing some beautiful history and culture in Schleswig-Holstein.
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