Town of Schleswig

The town of Schleswig traces its origins to the old Viking settlement of Haithabu and, at 1,200 years old, is probably the oldest continuously inhabited town in Schleswig-Holstein. Schleswig lies at the western end of the Schlei, a 42-kilometre-long meltwater channel formed after the last Ice Age. With its 112-metre-high tower, Schleswig Cathedral dominates the town’s skyline. The many museums are among the town’s biggest attractions. At their heart is the Schleswig-Holstein State Museums Foundation at Gottorf Castle, but other museums are also of national importance, such as the Haithabu Viking Museum on the outskirts of the town.
Between Schleswig and the “mouth” near Kappeln and Maasholm , the Schlei winds through a varied, flat landscape. The area offers excellent opportunities for an active family holiday on the Baltic Sea, with swimming, horse riding, surfing, canoeing, tennis, squash and other sports. Boat trips on the Schlei are very popular, and along its shores there are also numerous places to rent a boat and go fishing.
Highlights of the events calendar in and around Schleswig, and a magnet for thousands of visitors, include the Viking Days, held in Schleswig every other year; the annual Gottorf Country Market in May on the castle island, the region’s largest organic market; and the annual “Schwahlmarkt” arts and crafts market during Advent, held in the cathedral’s cloister, which is otherwise closed to the public.

Attractions in Schleswig and the surrounding area.