Symbolic image
This page was translated automatically from German. View the original
Kappeln is located on the Schlei in Schleswig-Holstein, a good four nautical miles from its mouth into the Baltic Sea, and has several harbours: the town harbour in the town centre, the museum harbour at the south harbour and the marinas in Grauhöft to the north of the town. Here you can read how to travel to your trip departure in Kappeln, which harbour is where, where to shop, what weather to expect, which sailing destinations are nearby and what skippers need to bear in mind at the swing bridge.
The essentials at a glance
- Kappeln does not have a railway station with regular train services. You travel by train to Schleswig or Eckernförde and from there by express bus X600 in 55 to 65 minutes or by X710 in around 39 minutes to Kappeln.
- The nearest major airport is Hamburg, around 115 kilometres away as the crow flies to the south.
- A swing bridge spans the Schlei at Kappeln. As things stand (October 2026), it opens once per hour from April to October, and from November to March only on request. Boats that can pass under the closed bridge sections may go through at any time.
- The town harbour and museum harbour are right in the town centre; you can reach shops and restaurants on foot from both. From the harbours in Grauhöft you can reach the Baltic Sea without a bridge opening.
Which harbours are there in Kappeln?
For sailing trips, three berths are important in Kappeln: Kappeln town harbour in the town centre on Am Hafen street, Kappeln museum harbour about 0.8 km further south at Südhafen, and Grauhöft with two boatyards about one kilometre north of the town harbour. Between the town harbour and the museum harbour, the bascule bridge spans the Schlei. All three lie on the western shore of the Schlei on the town side and are within walking distance of each other.
Map from OpenStreetMap. When the map is displayed, data is transmitted to the provider.
More InformationThe 35 berths in the town harbour are for visitors only. They were created in 2004 and 2005 when the harbour was redeveloped; the fish landing stage and the excursion boat moorings are very close by. In the museum harbour there are restored fishing cutters, sailing vessels and steamers; day visitors of all vessel types are welcome there. In Grauhöft, the Henningsen & Steckmest and Stapelfeldt shipyards operate their own marinas.
Other facilities in Kappeln include the marina at Mittelmann's Werft in the south of the town and the Kopperby harbour between Kappeln and Arnis, which only has permanent berths. The marina at Ostseeresort Olpenitz lies a few kilometres further towards the Schlei mouth and is not covered in this article.
Arriving in Kappeln for the trip start
For travel to all three harbours, Kappeln town centre is the destination. Buses from Schleswig and Eckernförde stop at Kappeln ZOB (bus station); the X710 also stops at Kappeln, Hafen.
From Hamburg Airport to Kappeln
The nearest large airport is Hamburg, around 115 kilometres as the crow flies from Kappeln. By hire car you drive on the A 7 towards Flensburg as far as Schleswig and continue via the B 201 to Kappeln.
By public transport you take the S-Bahn line S1 in around 25 minutes to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof and from there by train to Schleswig or via Kiel to Eckernförde. You cover the final stretch by bus, as described in the next section.
By car, train or bus
The former Kappeln station at Südhafen is now only used by the museum railway. By train you therefore travel as far as Schleswig, Süderbrarup or Eckernförde and change there to the bus.
- From Schleswig: The express bus X600 runs from Schleswig station via the ZOB and Süderbrarup to Kappeln ZOB. The journey takes 55 to 65 minutes. Mondays to Fridays it runs roughly hourly during the day, at weekends and on public holidays roughly every two hours.
- From Eckernförde: The express bus X710 runs from Eckernförde station to Kappeln in around 39 minutes and stops en route at Kappeln, Hafen. Mondays to Fridays it runs roughly hourly, on Saturdays roughly every two hours.
If you are coming from the direction of Kiel, the route via Eckernförde is the easier one. Anyone travelling by train between Kiel and Süderbrarup must, as things stand (October 2026), walk across a temporary bridge at Lindaunis swing bridge to change to the connecting train, because the bridge is being rebuilt. You can find current timetables at the local transport authority NAH.SH.
Within Kappeln itself, a local bus connects the town with Ellenberg and Olpenitz on the other side of the Schlei.
Which harbour is mine?
The town harbour is on the street Am Hafen in the town centre, the museum harbour at Südhafen. The two boatyard harbours in Grauhöft have the addresses Grauhöft 7 (Henningsen & Steckmest) and Grauhöft 17 (Stapelfeldt).
Shopping for the trip
Shops, cafés and restaurants are in the town centre directly behind the town harbour and the museum harbour. For provisions there are two REWE supermarkets in Kappeln, one at Mehlbydiek 2 and one in Glücksburger Straße 3.
You can get fish at the Föh eel and fish smokehouse, regional produce around the clock at the Regiomat vending machine in Schleswiger Straße 1 by the historic sawmill.
Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services
For emergencies these numbers apply throughout Germany:
- 112: Ambulance service, emergency doctor and fire brigade
- 110: Police
- 116 117: out-of-hours medical service
- 0800 00 22833: pharmacy emergency service, from mobiles 22 8 33
- At sea: Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) in Bremen on VHF channel 16 or by DSC on channel 70, call sign "Bremen Rescue", by telephone 24 hours on +49 421 53687-0
Harbours in Kappeln at a glance
Fixed berths are offered by the town harbour in the town centre; at the museum harbour you stay as a day visitor. The Stapelfeldt boatyard in Grauhöft allocates its berths on request.
| Feature | Stadthafen Kappeln town harbour | Museumshafen Kappeln museum harbour | Grauhöft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Town centre, Am Hafen 14a | Südhafen, Am Südhafen 6 | North of the town, Grauhöft 7 and 17 |
| Position (approximate) | 54° 39,7′ N, 009° 56,1′ E | 54° 39,3′ N, 009° 56,2′ E | 54° 40,2′ N, 009° 56,3′ E |
| Berths | 35 guest boxes, around 14 × 4.3 m, for guests only | Day, summer, winter and annual berths | at Stapelfeldt more than 40 berths for boats up to 24 m |
| Water depth | 3,5 m | – | – |
| Electricity and water | Columns at the wooden pontoon | included in the day price | at Stapelfeldt at the pontoon |
| Phone | 04642 3156, mobile 0172 4106702 | 0157 37256251 | Henningsen & Steckmest 04642 3805, Stapelfeldt 04642 4634 |
At the museum harbour, day visitors pay 2 euros per metre per day including electricity and water (as at October 2026). From six days onwards a flat rate of 10 euros per metre overall length applies.
The town harbour is surrounded by a wooden pontoon around 160 metres long; there is free Wi-Fi throughout the harbour. The Stapelfeldt boatyard has a mast crane and a slipway for vessels up to 30 tonnes, plus a barbecue area.
What is the weather like in Kappeln for sailing?
In the western Baltic Sea the wind usually comes from the west and south-west. In summer it blows more lightly on average and more frequently from the north-west; in autumn and winter it freshens more often and veers more strongly to south-west. For the coast the Deutscher Wetterdienst issues a wind warning from force 6 and a gale warning from force 8.
Tides play hardly any role; typical water level changes are 10 to 30 centimetres. Wind has more effect: persistent north-easterly or easterly wind piles up the water on the coast, strong south-westerly wind lets it fall.
In late spring, when warm air moves over the still-cold water, sea fog forms and visibility can drop suddenly.
Which sailing destinations are near Kappeln?
From Kappeln you have two sailing areas to choose from: the sheltered inner Schlei as far as Schleswig and the open Baltic Sea beyond Schleimünde with Kiel Bay and the Danish islands.
Symbolic image
Distances are rounded water distances on the usual course from the town centre; for precise planning the sea chart applies.
- Arnis: around 2 nm, up the Schlei
- Maasholm: around 3 nm, just before the mouth of the Schlei
- Schleimünde: a good 4 nm, exit to the Baltic Sea
- Damp: around 10 nm, along the coast heading south
- Schleswig: around 18 nm, at the inner end of the Schlei, through the Lindaunis bridge
- Eckernförde: around 22 nm
- Sønderborg on Als: around 22 nm
- Marstal on Ærø: around 24 nm
For a week's sailing trip a circuit via Als and Ærø through the Danish South Sea Islands is ideal, or a passage into Kiel Bay. To the Flensburg Fjord it is around 33 nm to Flensburg; more on this in the profile of Marina Flensburg. The harbour at the end of Eckernförde Bay is presented in the article on Stadthafen Eckernförde .
Up the Schlei you can only pass through the bridge at Lindaunis at fixed times. As things stand now (October 2026), the temporary bridge opens eight times daily during the reconstruction, on the half hour from 10.30 to 17.30.
What can you do on a harbour day in Kappeln?
Herring fence
In the Schlei in front of the town stands the last herring fence in Europe. Its history goes back to the 15th century; at that time there were still almost 40 such wattle fences in the Schlei. Around 2,000 ash-wood stakes form a large W, in whose narrowing point the herring are caught.
Museum harbour and waterfront
A walk along the museum harbour and the waterfront shows old fishing cutters, sailing boats and steamers. Along the waterfront there are pubs and restaurants serving fish dishes.
Amanda windmill and historic sawmill
The Amanda windmill is the town's landmark, but owing to building works can currently only be seen from the outside. Next to it stand the historic sawmill, which is run as a museum, and the miller's house with the tourist information office, renovated in 2024.
Angeln steam railway
From the old station at the south harbour next to the bascule bridge, the museum railway runs through the hilly Angeln countryside to Süderbrarup and back. At present the trains are hauled by a railcar or a diesel locomotive.
Schleimünde pilot station island and Weidefelder Strand
From May to October excursion boats run from Kappeln to the Schleimünde pilot station island with its lighthouse, sandy beaches and dunes. For swimming there is Weidefelder Strand on the Baltic Sea, lifeguarded by the DLRG in summer.
For skippers: Berthing and marine weather in Kappeln
In Kappeln town harbour you moor in a free box; you cannot reserve. Anyone heading into the inner Schlei should follow the opening times of the bascule bridge.
Registration and Berthing
- Town harbour: All 35 boxes are for visitors; you take a free one. The harbour master's office is on the south side of the basin; you can reach the harbour master on 04642 3156 or mobile on 0172 4106702.
- Museum harbour: You can reach the harbour mistress on 0157 37256251. For longer stays she can arrange discounts.
Kappeln Bascule Bridge
The two-leaf bascule bridge carries the B 203 over the Schlei and has been in operation since 2000. Boats that can pass under the closed leaves may transit at any time. Special openings are possible by prior arrangement with the bridge operator, telephone 04642 81548.
As of October 2026, the bridge opens for vessels 15 to 20 minutes before the hour:
- from 1 April to 31 October once per hour from 05:40 to 21:40
- from 1 November to 31 March between 07:40 and 17:40 only on demand
For maintenance work the bridge is temporarily closed or opens on a restricted schedule. Such closures are published by the Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsamt Ostsee in the Notices to Mariners at ELWIS.
Approach
Coming from the sea, you enter the Schlei at Schleimünde and reach Kappeln after a good 4 nm past Maasholm. The harbours in Grauhöft lie on the seaward side of the bascule bridge; from there you can leave without a bridge opening. Further up the Schlei towards Arnis and Schleswig, the route passes through the bridge.
Which marine weather forecast applies to Kappeln?
The sea weather forecast of the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) for the North Sea and Baltic Sea applies, together with the DWD coastal warnings for the section Flensburg to Fehmarn.
For Kappeln, the Schlei and Kiel Bay, the sea area Westliche Ostsee is relevant; for trips to Denmark, additionally Belte und Sund. You can read the current forecast on the DWD sea weather page or in the WarnWetter app; at sea you receive it via VHF coastal radio, NAVTEX and radio.
Trips from Kappeln on Törnfinder
Im Oktober 2026 gibt es auf Törnfinder 9 Törntermine in den nächsten zwölf Monaten mit Start oder Ziel in Kappeln. Die meisten starten im Juni, Mai und August, typisch sind 8 Tage.
All current offers are in the trip overview. An overview of the whole sailing area is on the Sailing in the Baltic Sea, trips to the islands of the Danish South Sea Islands can be found under cabin charter in Denmark.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Kappeln without a car?
By train to Schleswig or Eckernförde and then by bus. The X600 takes 55 to 65 minutes from Schleswig; the X710 takes about 39 minutes from Eckernförde to Kappeln.
How do I get from Hamburg Airport to Kappeln?
By hire car via the A 7 to Schleswig and the B 201, about 115 kilometres as the crow flies. Without a car, you travel by S-Bahn and train to Schleswig or Eckernförde and from there by express bus.
Which harbour in Kappeln is nearest to the town centre?
The town harbour in Am Hafen. It lies in the middle of the town; the museum harbour at Südhafen is also only a few steps from the shops.
When does the bascule bridge in Kappeln open?
As of October 2026, from April to October once per hour, 15 to 20 minutes before the hour between 05:40 and 21:40. From November to March it opens between 07:40 and 17:40 only on demand. You can arrange special openings with the bridge operator on 04642 81548.
Can I reserve a berth at Kappeln town harbour?
No, the 35 visitor boxes are not reservable. You make fast in a free box.
