Kiel
Kiel is a working Baltic port on the Kieler Förde, home to Kiel Week, the world's largest sailing event, and ferries to Sweden and Norway.
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Kiel is the capital and largest city of Schleswig-Holstein, on the Baltic Sea in northern Germany, about 90 km northeast of Hamburg. It sits at the end of the Kieler Förde inlet and is the only German state capital on the sea. The harbor is a naval and shipbuilding center, and the Kiel Canal, the world's busiest artificial waterway, ends here at Kiel-Holtenau.
Kiel Week, held in the last full week of June, is the world's largest sailing event, with regattas, a ship parade and a fair. Ferries sail from Kiel to Gothenburg in Sweden and to Oslo in Norway. Spring and summer are the best months for the beaches north of town. Laboe, reached by ferry across the fjord, has a naval memorial and the submarine U-995, which you can visit.
Kiel in five
- Check the Kiel Week dates earlyThe sailing festival takes over the harbor for about a week in late June and rooms rise in price. Book accommodation months ahead or choose a different week.
- Book the Norway ferry cabin before the carOvernight ferries leave the Kiel fjord terminals for Oslo and Gothenburg. Cabins sell out in summer; check each operator's schedule and bag rules before you plan the rest of the trip.Northern Germany travel guide
- Take the Kiel Fjord ferry to LaboeLocal fjord ferries run to the Laboe naval memorial and the U-995 submarine museum. Allow half a day and check the seasonal timetable.
- Pair Kiel with Lübeck and HamburgHamburg is about 1.3 hours by train, Lübeck about 1.5 hours. A Schleswig-Holstein day ticket covers regional trains for several travelers.Lübeck travel guide
- Look at the Nord-Ostsee Canal from Rendsburg or HoltenauThe canal is one of the busiest artificial waterways in the world. Watch ships at the Holtenau locks in Kiel; a short bus or train ride gets you there.
Need to know
- Airport
- Hamburg (HAM), about 1.5 hours by train; Kiel has a small airfield
- Getting there
- Regional train or IC: Hamburg about 1.3 hrs, Lübeck about 1.5 hrs
- Getting around
- Walkable center; buses and fjord ferries
- Best base
- Near the Hauptbahnhof or the Hörn harbor
- Time needed
- 1 day for the city; 2 with Laboe and a ferry
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Snowy days
- Festival
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryRain15 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh4°Low0°Cold, windyJanuaryRain
Poor
- High
- 4°
- Low
- 0°
- Precipitation
- 80 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, windy
- FebruaryRain12 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh6°Low1°Cold, quietFebruaryRain
Poor
- High
- 6°
- Low
- 1°
- Precipitation
- 75 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, quiet
- MarchPartly cloudy11 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh9°Low2°Cool, windyMarchPartly cloudy
Mixed
- High
- 9°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 59 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Cool, windy
- AprilRain12 rainy daysHigh12°Low4°Mild, springAprilRain
Good
- High
- 12°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 65 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, spring
- MayPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh17°Low8°Warm, long daysMayPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 17°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 67 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, long days
- JuneRain12 rainy daysHigh21°Low12°Kiel Week, busyJuneRain
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 12°
- Precipitation
- 74 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Kiel Week, busy
- JulyRain16 rainy daysHigh21°Low13°Warm, sailingJulyRain
Best
- High
- 21°
- Low
- 13°
- Precipitation
- 94 mm
- Rainy days
- 16
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, sailing
- AugustRain13 rainy daysHigh22°Low14°Warm, sailingAugustRain
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 14°
- Precipitation
- 67 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Warm, sailing
- SeptemberPartly cloudy11 rainy daysHigh19°Low11°Mild, quieterSeptemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 64 mm
- Rainy days
- 11
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Mild, quieter
- OctoberRain15 rainy daysHigh14°Low8°Autumn, stormsOctoberRain
Mixed
- High
- 14°
- Low
- 8°
- Precipitation
- 86 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Autumn, storms
- NovemberRain14 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh8°Low4°Grey, rainNovemberRain
Poor
- High
- 8°
- Low
- 4°
- Precipitation
- 59 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Grey, rain
- DecemberRain14 rainy days1 snowy dayHigh5°Low2°Christmas marketDecemberRain
Poor
- High
- 5°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 75 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 1
- Days with storms
- 0
Christmas market
Average daily high and low in Kiel, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Festivals: Jun Kiel Week
Right now in Kiel
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
9
- Feels like
- 7°
- Humidity
- 91%
- Wind
- 9 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 88%
Kiel
09:46 PM
Monday, November 2
- Today11°8°88%Monday: Rain. High 11°, Low 8°. Chance of rain 88%.
- Tue11°6°13%Tuesday: Rain. High 11°, Low 6°. Chance of rain 13%.
- Wed10°5°0%Wednesday: Cloudy. High 10°, Low 5°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Thu10°4°0%Thursday: Partly cloudy. High 10°, Low 4°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Fri8°3°0%Friday: Cloudy. High 8°, Low 3°. Chance of rain 0%.
- Sat8°2°5%Saturday: Partly cloudy. High 8°, Low 2°. Chance of rain 5%.
- Sun3°0°7%Sunday: Cloudy. High 3°, Low 0°. Chance of rain 7%.
Updated 07:16 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Every year
- Mar–DecHamburger DomHamburg, a day trip
- JunKiel WeekKiel
Day trips by train
- Lübeckabout 1.5 hours by regional trainUNESCO old town with gates, brick churches and marzipan.Read the guide
- Hamburgabout 1.3 hours by trainHarbor, Elbphilharmonie and Speicherstadt.Read the guide
- Laboeabout 30 minutes by fjord ferryNaval memorial, beach and the U-995 submarine.
Before you go to Kiel
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Rules for Kiel, checked
- Check entry rules for your nationality on the Federal Foreign Office site before you book, since Germany is part of the Schengen area.Source
- Dial 112 for fire or an ambulance and 110 for police anywhere in Germany.
- Check storm surge warnings from the German Weather Service before walking the seafront, since surges above 1.5 m hit Kiel about every six years.Source
- Tipping in restaurants is customary: round up the bill or leave a small extra amount when you pay.
Plan around Kiel
Cities, coasts and castles
Read the guideLübeckHanseatic old town, 1.5 hours away
Read the guideNorthern GermanyCoasts, islands and harbor cities
Read the guideHamburgHarbor city and gateway to the north
Read the guideRügen IslandChalk cliffs and Baltic beach resorts
Read the guideIs a Eurail pass worth it?Regional tickets or a pass in the north
Read the guideKiel FAQ
Is Kiel worth visiting?
Yes, if you like harbors and sailing, or you are catching a ferry to Scandinavia. It is not a classic old-town city: much of it was rebuilt after the war. The water is the draw.
When is Kiel Week?
Usually the last full week of June. Check the official calendar before booking, because dates move slightly each year and rooms sell out.
How do you get from Hamburg to Kiel?
Take a regional train or IC from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof; the ride takes about 1.3 hours. Trains are frequent, and a Schleswig-Holstein day ticket works for several travelers on regional services.
Can you take a ferry from Kiel to Norway?
Yes. Overnight ferries run to Oslo and Gothenburg from Kiel's terminals. Check each operator's schedule, check-in time and cabin rules before you book.
How many days do you need in Kiel?
A day covers the harbor, the maritime museum and a ferry to Laboe. Two days add the Holtenau canal locks or a coastal cycle ride along the Baltic.