Kiel: My Sailing Capital

We watched the ship squeeze through the Kiel Canal locks from the top deck – inches from the walls, engineers waving like it was normal. The maritime quarter is pure sailing porn – German frigates, classic tall ships, and the Olympic rings still painted on the harbor from 1936/1972. Laboe Naval Memorial 20 minutes away – the U-boat museum inside is claustrophobic and humbling.

We had lunch at the fish market – rollmops and Labskaus (corned beef mash that tastes better than it sounds) while watching sailing teams practice in the fjord. In the afternoon we walked the Kiellinie promenade – 4 km of parks, beaches, and views of million-dollar yachts. The pros: genuine working maritime city with almost no cruise crowds. The cons: industrial in parts, but that's authentic Kiel.