Kiel
Seaside town Kiel is one of the most interesting places to visit in northern Germany. It is the capital of Bundesland Schleswig-Holstein.
The port city is located in a small bay between the Baltic and North Sea.
There are several major attractions in Kiel. The most popular is St. Nicholas Church, located on the so-called "Old Market". In front of the ancient religious temple is a unique sculpture of the artist Ernst Barlachs, called the Mind Warrior.
One of the architectural masterpieces of Kiel is the building of City Hall. The building was erected in 1911 and at City Hall was built a beautiful square, surrounded by a lake.
In close proximity to the city government building is the Opera. The distinguishing feature of the magnificent building is its soft red color. The scene of the opera is a place for expression for local and foreign operettas, ballets and musical groups and performers. Compared to other historic buildings in Kiel, the Opera House was built in a recent period - during 1905-1907, the building was renovated in 1952-53, and managed to retain much of its original face.
At Kiel, the University has been located for a few hundred years. Kiel University was founded in 1665, after bombing during World War II, however, the main campus of the university was erected a new location. The prestigious educational institution named after the Duke Christian Albrecht. It trains over 20, 000 students.
According to historical sources Kiel received official city status by 1233. The founder of the city is Adolf IV. Before this, the land was under the dominion of the nomads and the Vikings.
An interesting detail is that Kiel is the hometown of the famous Russian Tsar Peter III. His birthplace is the admirable Kiel Castle. The buildings of the ancient complex impress with their exquisite architecture, part of which was also restored after World War II. There is the tomb of the founder of the city, Duke Adolf IV.
Admirers of flora can see interesting plants in the two botanical gardens of Kiel - the "Old" and "new" botanical gardens.
Do everything possible to visit Kiel during the last week of June. At this time every year is held "Kiel Week" - the largest event in the pageant world and the most popular festival in Northern Europe. During the event, gather the best sailors from all points on the planet, which with their small or large vessels fill the water areas around the city. Each year, 5000 amateur or professional sailors take part in the regatta, with over with more than 2, 000 ships and yachts.
The geographic location of Kiel quickly became an important transportation and economic center of Germany. Kiel Canal is the busiest artificial waterway in the world. In addition, in the ports of Kiel stop huge cruise ships which give color and variety of the German city.
Kiel is today considered the most populous city in the northern provinces of Germany. The city residents number 237 000 people.
The northern city is a main port in the country for ship builders. Kiel is located only 90 kilometers from Hamburg. It is located southeast Jutland peninsula, to the southwest of the shores of the Baltic Sea.
