Harbours in Kiel on the Kiellinie: arrival, harbour information and cruising destinations

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Right in the centre of Kiel, along the Kiellinie — the waterfront promenade on the western shore of the inner fjord — three municipal marinas lie close together: Düsternbrook, Blücherbrücke and Reventlou. Here you'll find out how to get to the Kiellinie for your trip departure, which harbour is where, where to park and shop, what the sailing weather is like on the fjord, which sailing destinations are within reach and what skippers need to watch out for when entering and berthing.

Which harbours are there in Kiel along the Kiellinie?

Along the Kiellinie, yachts berth at three marinas, all operated by Sporthafen Kiel GmbH for the city. At the northern end lies Sporthafen Düsternbrook, the largest of the three. Directly to the south, around 300 metres further on, is the small Sporthafen Blücherbrücke. A good 400 metres further south again, by the state parliament building and at the ferry landing stage, lies Sporthafen Reventlou.

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Further towards the city centre comes Sporthafen Seeburg. Kiel's harbours outside the city centre — the Tiessenkai in Holtenau on the Kiel Canal and the Olympic harbour Schilksee on the outer fjord — lie several kilometres further north.

Feature	Sporthafen Düsternbrook	Sporthafen Blücherbrücke	Sporthafen Reventlou
Location on the Kiellinie	northern section, by the Institut für Weltwirtschaft	directly south of Düsternbrook, in front of the Staatskanzlei	by the state parliament, at the ferry landing stage
Water berths	around 300	around 20	around 40
Water depth	2 to 4 m	3 m	3 m
Boat length	up to 24 m	up to 17 m, at the customs pier up to 28 m	up to 15 m
Showers	yes, with coin launderette	in neighbouring Düsternbrook	yes
Mastenkran	yes	no	no
Walking to city centre	around 30 minutes	around 25 minutes	around 20 minutes

Arriving in Kiel at the Kiellinie for trip departure

Kiel has a mainline railway station in the city centre; the nearest major airport is Hamburg, around 80 kilometres away as the crow flies. From the main station to the harbours on the Kiellinie it's a good two to three kilometres.

From Hamburg airport to Kiel

The Kielius airport coach is convenient: it connects Hamburg Airport with Kiel via Neumünster daily, up to 19 times a day, less frequently in winter.

By train you take the S1 to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof and change there for the train to Kiel. In total you'll be travelling for at least a good hour and a half to Kiel Hauptbahnhof, with around another ten minutes by bus to the Kiellinie.

By car, train, bus or ferry

From Hamburg you can reach Kiel with around 40 trains daily, nearly all run direct, the fastest arrive in just over an hour. From the main station, bus routes 41 and 42 run along the fjord heading north. For Reventlou get off at the Landtag stop, for Blücherbrücke at Institut für Weltwirtschaft and for Düsternbrook at Carl-Loewe-Weg. Current timetables are available from Kieler Verkehrsgesellschaft. On foot you walk from the station along the waterfront via the Ostseekai to the Kiellinie; with luggage a taxi is more convenient.

By car you reach Kiel from Hamburg via the motorway. By ferry you can reach Kiel from Oslo, with ships docking at Norwegenkai opposite the station, and from Gothenburg, these ships arrive at Schwedenkai, around ten minutes' walk from the station. From the Reventlou landing stage, fjord ferries also run to Laboe and the eastern shore.

Which harbour is mine?

If you're arriving as crew: which harbour and which pontoon will be stated in your trip documents. As all three harbours lie on the same promenade, any mistake is quickly rectified: Reventlou is at the southern end with the ferry landing, Blücherbrücke in the middle in front of the state chancellery, Düsternbrook with its four basins in the north. Give the taxi driver the full harbour name, not just "Kiellinie".

Parking

A large car park is the Parkplatz Ostseekai Nord on Düsternbrooker Weg, around 800 metres south of Reventlou and a good kilometre and a half from Düsternbrook. The first ten minutes are free, after that parking costs 1 euro per 45 minutes, maximum 18 euros for 24 hours. During the cruise season it's occasionally closed; the times are shown on the display boards. Closer to Düsternbrook and Blücherbrücke there's a pay car park on Bernhard-Harms-Weg.

Showers and sanitary facilities

The Sporthafen Düsternbrook has showers, toilets and a coin-operated launderette; these are also intended for crews at Sporthafen Blücherbrücke. Sporthafen Reventlou has its own showers and toilets. A shower costs one token for 1.50 euros in the city's marinas.

Shopping for the trip

The nearest supermarkets, a REWE and an Aldi, are next to each other at Blücherplatz in the Düsternbrook district, around 1.3 kilometres as the crow flies from Reventlou and around 1.7 kilometres from Düsternbrook. On foot reckon on about 20 minutes; for a big weekly shop a taxi or car is more practical. Coffee, ice cream and snacks are available at Blücherbrücke.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

The nearest pharmacies are also inland: the Holsten Apotheke near Blücherplatz and the Ring Apotheke at Dreiecksplatz, each around 1.3 kilometres as the crow flies from Reventlou. The nearest A&E is at the Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Straße 3, around 2.5 kilometres from Reventlou and 3 kilometres from Düsternbrook.

• 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

If there's been a fire or an accident in the harbour, report it to the harbour authority on 0171 649 7373 in addition to the emergency services, as required by the City of Kiel's marina regulations.

Where is the Sporthafen Düsternbrook?

The Sporthafen Düsternbrook lies on the northern part of the Kiellinie, right by the Institut für Weltwirtschaft and the clubhouse of the Kieler Yacht-Club. It's the old Olympic harbour from 1936. Its four basins are sheltered from all wind directions, with the entrances on the eastern side.

The building in front of the so-called Millionenbecken once housed the Kaiserliche Yacht Club; today it's used by the Kieler Yacht-Club, which organises the Kieler Woche regattas.

Sporthafen Düsternbrook facilities

The pontoons have electricity and fresh water, plus Wi-Fi, showers, a coin-operated launderette and a mast crane. An engine workshop and marine electrician are on site, waste oil is accepted, and a defibrillator is located in the harbour. A security service patrols the harbour.

Where is the Sporthafen Blücherbrücke?

The Sporthafen Blücherbrücke adjoins Düsternbrook directly to the south and lies in front of the state chancellery of Schleswig-Holstein. With around 20 berths it's the smallest of the three harbours. At the customs pontoon even large vessels up to 28 metres in length and 9 metres beam can moor. During Kieler Woche traditional sailing vessels berth here.

Sporthafen Blücherbrücke facilities

At the pontoons there is electricity, drinking water and Wi-Fi. You use the showers, toilets and laundry facilities in the neighbouring Sporthafen Düsternbrook. Right by the harbour there is a café and other venues, and the bus stop is just next door.

Where is the Sporthafen Reventlou?

The Sporthafen Reventlou is at the southern end of the three harbours, by the Landtag and directly next to the Reventlou landing stage, from which the fjord boats depart for Laboe and other places along the fjord. It is the harbour with the shortest walk to the city centre: across the Ostseekai you're in the old town on foot in about 20 minutes.

Facilities at Sporthafen Reventlou

Some of the berths are on floating pontoons. At the pontoons there is electricity, drinking water and Wi-Fi, plus showers and toilets. An engine workshop and a marine electrician are available; there is no mast crane. Around the harbour there are several restaurants.

What is the sailing weather like in Kiel?

Along the Kiellinie, wind from the southeast matters most: it blows across the inner fjord and pushes swell into the Blücherbrücke and towards Reventlou; the basins of Düsternbrook remain calm. Otherwise westerly and south-westerly winds dominate the sailing area. In summer they are usually moderate and often come from the north-west; in autumn and winter it blows more strongly more often and more from the south-west. The Deutscher Wetterdienst issues a wind warning for the coast from 6 Beaufort and a storm warning from 8 Beaufort.

You hardly notice tides; the water usually rises and falls by only 10 to 30 centimetres. Wind has a stronger effect: persistent east or north-east wind pushes water into the fjord, strong south-west wind lowers the level. In late spring, sea fog can suddenly reduce visibility sharply when warm air meets the still-cold Baltic water.

What sailing destinations are near Kiel?

From the Kiellinie you first sail through the inner fjord and the Friedrichsorter Enge northward, beyond which the Kieler Bucht opens up.

Distances given are rounded over-water distances on the usual course from the Kiellinie; for precise planning the chart applies.

• Kiel-Holtenau: around 2 nm, at the mouth of the Kiel Canal
• Laboe: around 4.5 nm, on the east shore of the outer fjord
• Schilksee: around 6 nm, on the west shore of the outer fjord
• Eckernförde: around 20 nm
• Schleimünde: around 21 nm, off the Schlei
• Bagenkop on Langeland: around 31 nm
• Marstal on Ærø: around 33 nm
• Heiligenhafen: around 35 nm

With a week's time, a circuit of Langeland and Ærø is worthwhile; alternatively you head west into Eckernförder Bucht and onto the Schlei. If you want to go through the Kiel Canal, you'll find the locks and berths in the portrait of Tiessenkai in Kiel-Holtenau; the large harbour on the outer fjord is featured in the article on Olympiahafen Kiel-Schilksee .

What can you do on a harbour day along the Kiellinie?

What there is to see here you can reach from all three harbours in a few minutes on foot.

Seal pool and aquarium

Right on the Kiellinie is the seal pool, where you watch the animals playing and being fed. Just next door, the small aquarium of the GEOMAR ocean research centre displays the underwater world of the seas.

Landtag and Landtag steps

The Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein has sat since 1950 in a building from 1888, the former Kaiserliche Marineakademie, near the Sporthafen Reventlou. The gallery in the building is free; the steps in front are a popular meeting place with views over the fjord.

Bathing at Bellevue

North of Düsternbrook is the Bellevue bathing spot with changing rooms and toilets; access is free. From Sporthafen Düsternbrook it's about 700 metres.

Kiel Week

In the second half of June, Kiel celebrates Kieler Woche every year, with regattas on the fjord and the Windjammer Parade. During this time, traditional sailing vessels berth at the Blücherbrücke, at the Sartorikai in the city centre and at other quays, on which you can book guest trips. Berths for recreational craft during this period are allocated by Sporthafen Kiel GmbH; for traditional vessels by the Hafenamt. The harbour authority announces any changes to berths.

For skippers: Berthing and marine weather in Kiel on the Kiellinie

In all three marinas on the Kiellinie, the harbourmasters allocate visitor berths on site. Entry by day or night is straightforward.

Registration and Berthing

The same harbourmaster's office is responsible for Düsternbrook, Blücherbrücke and Reventlou, manned daily in summer and reachable by telephone on 0431 26 04 84-26. A red or green sign at the berth shows whether the permanent mooring holder is returning.

A yacht up to 10 metres pays 20 euros per day, up to 12 metres 26 euros, up to 14 metres 30 euros. Prices are for the 2026 summer season including VAT, electricity and water (as at October 2026). If you stay longer, one day is free after five full days. Multihulls requiring more space than a monohull pay half as much again. The key card for the facilities costs 5 euros, the mast crane in Düsternbrook 18 euros.

Harbour rules for visiting yachts

All three harbours are subject to the City of Kiel's marina regulations. As a visitor you pay particular attention to:

• Maximum speed in the harbour is 6 km/h, around 3 knots, with engines at minimum throttle.
• Vessels leaving have priority, and harbour entrances must be kept clear – do not cross in front of them.
• Only run the engine when it is moving the boat.
• Swimming and fishing are not permitted in the harbour, nor are any works that produce sparks.

Approach

From Kiel Bay you enter the fjord past the Kiel lighthouse. Its red sectors warn at night of the shoals on Stollergrund. Through the Friedrichsort Narrows you reach the inner fjord; at night follow the lit fairway and only turn at right angles towards the harbour entrance when level with the harbour.

In the inner fjord you share the water with large vessels: the ferries to Oslo and Gothenburg depart daily from the city centre, plus cruise ships at Ostseekai and the fjord ferries that berth and depart at Reventlou landing stage directly next to the marina. Keep to the right-hand edge of the fairway and give commercial shipping plenty of room.

Which marine weather forecast applies to Kiel?

The authoritative forecast is the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) marine weather report for the Western Baltic sea area, and for trips to Denmark also for the Belts and the Sound, plus coastal warnings for Flensburg to Fehmarn. You will find it on the DWD sea weather page and in the WarnWetter app; underway it comes via VHF coast radio, NAVTEX and radio on board.

Trips departing from Kiel on Törnfinder

In October 2026 there are 11 sailing trips on Törnfinder over the next twelve months departing from or arriving in Kiel. Most depart in July, May and April, with 8 days being typical.

Further offers can be found in the trip overview, trips in the whole sailing area under Sailing in the Baltic Sea and from other German harbours under Sailing in Germany.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Kiel Hauptbahnhof to the harbours on the Kiellinie?

By bus lines 41 or 42 in around ten minutes: Landtag stop for Reventlou, Institut für Weltwirtschaft for Blücherbrücke and Carl-Loewe-Weg for Düsternbrook.

How do I get from Hamburg Airport to Kiel?

By the Kielius airport bus without changing or by S-Bahn and train via Hamburg Hauptbahnhof; by rail you are travelling at least a good hour and a half. From Kiel Hauptbahnhof the bus runs to the Kiellinie.

Where do I park at trip departure on the Kiellinie?

The nearest large car park is Ostseekai Nord on Düsternbrooker Weg, around 800 metres south of Reventlou, where you pay a maximum of 18 euros for 24 hours.

Are there showers in the harbours on the Kiellinie?

Yes, in Düsternbrook with coin laundry and in Reventlou. Crews at Blücherbrücke shower in the neighbouring Düsternbrook marina; a shower token costs 1.50 euros.

What does a visitor berth on the Kiellinie cost?

A 12-metre yacht pays 26 euros per day, a 10-metre yacht 20 euros; electricity and water are included (as at October 2026).

Are the harbours on the Kiellinie open in winter?

No. Düsternbrook, Blücherbrücke and Reventlou are closed from 15 November to 14 March.

Are the harbours on the Kiellinie the same as the Olympic Harbour Schilksee?

No. The harbours on the Kiellinie are in the city centre on the inner fjord, the Olympic Harbour Schilksee is about ten kilometres further north on the outer fjord.