Marina Heiligenhafen: Berthing, approach, arrival, destinations

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Marina Heiligenhafen lies on the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein opposite the island of Fehmarn, between the old town and the Graswarder spit. Here you can read how to approach the harbour, how to berth and register, what's available ashore, how to get there and which destinations around Fehmarn and in Denmark are within easy reach.

Where is Marina Heiligenhafen?

The marina lies right in the centre of town, directly north of the old town. To the north it is sheltered by the Graswarder, to the west it is bounded by the bridge to Steinwarder with beach and pier, to the east by the stone mole.

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The old town, promenade and beach are all within walking distance from the pontoons. East of the stone mole lie the municipal harbour with fishing harbour and museum pontoon, as well as the club harbour of Seglervereinigung Heiligenhafen. This article covers the town's large marina.

Feature	Details
Position (approximate)	54° 22,6′ N, 010° 59,0′ E
Operator	Heiligenhafener Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH & Co. KG (HVB)
Address	Am Yachthafen 4a, 23774 Heiligenhafen
Berths	nearly 1,000 on 15 pontoons, berths from 3 × 12 m to 6 × 20 m
Harbourmaster's office	Yachthafenpromenade at Pontoon 1b
Harbour services	ServicePoint at Pontoon 8, telephone 0174 5866871
Mooring fees for visiting yachts 2026	14 to 36 € per day for yachts up to 15.99 m, electricity 3 € per day
Fuel	Diesel at the fuel station on the east mole
Slipway	at Pontoon 6

The complete list with weekly prices and surcharges for larger yachts can be found on the Marina price page. Prices and opening times: as of October 2026.

How do you approach Heiligenhafen Marina?

You enter via a buoyed channel and stay strictly within the line of buoys. It becomes shallow quickly either side of them.

The buoys are widely spaced, and shallow-water areas follow immediately on the south side of the fairway. At Graswarder the water depth drops from 5 to 1 metre over a short distance, and this shoal is constantly shifting. If you are approaching from the west, you first round the east cardinal mark (shoal buoy) at Graswarder and then head directly for the approach buoy without cutting the corner.

Between the marina, the sailing club harbour and the municipal harbour lies a green-red-green buoy. You pass this to the east. If you pass it on the wrong side, you have only 50 to 80 centimetres of water. An up-to-date chart is therefore essential on board, even for a short passage.

The maritime traffic regulations for sea shipping routes apply in the harbour and fairway. The harbour regulations only permit engines whilst the boat is actually under way. In strong north-westerly winds you lie well protected in the marina.

How do you berth in Heiligenhafen Marina?

Visitors moor at a free berth and report to the harbour office immediately afterwards. You also pay your berthing fees there. The harbourmaster can assign you a different berth.

The marina does not give a VHF channel. If you want to know in advance whether a berth is available for your boat, call the harbour service by telephone. Channel 16 is the distress and calling channel, not the harbour's working channel.

The berths are sized by beam and length, from 3 by 12 to 6 by 20 metres. You only see how each individual berth is constructed when you enter. Therefore lay out lines for bow and stern and fenders for both sides before you turn into the pontoon.

The berths in the sight line of the Heiligenhafen-Warder leading light are a special case. No sailing yachts may lie there. The notices at these berths are binding; anyone disregarding them risks a fine.

What does the harbour regulations cover?

The regulations for use of the marina apply equally to permanent and visiting berth holders. These points are important for a visit:

• On your day of departure you leave the berth by 12 noon at the latest.
• If you are away for more than 24 hours and want to return, you notify the harbourmaster in advance, otherwise he can allocate the berth to someone else.
• Abgepumpt wird an der Entsorgungsanlage an Steg 1c.
• Swimming, diving and fishing are prohibited in the marina. You keep dogs on a lead throughout the site.
• Noisy work such as grinding or using an angle grinder is not permitted. You keep gates and barrier chains on the pontoons closed.

What facilities does Heiligenhafen Marina offer?

Visitors find electricity and water at all berths, four sanitary buildings, internet access throughout the marina, washing machines, diesel, a crane and a slipway.

The sanitary buildings with showers and WCs are located on the promenade at pontoons 1c, 3, 8 and 10. You receive the door code at the ServicePoint at pontoon 8. Washing machines and tumble dryers are available in the buildings at pontoons 3 and 8. You use electricity and water on the pontoons after registering, without coins or cards.

You fuel with diesel at the bunkering station on the east mole, where the fishing harbour begins. From April to October it is open Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays from 12 noon to 6 p.m. Petrol is not available there.

You book the crane online through the marina's website. The slipway is located at pontoon 6; one launch costs 5 euros. Waste oil is collected at a collection point at pontoon 3, and waste stations are located at pontoons 1b, 3 and 8. Between pontoons 6 and 7 there is a playground, and along the promenade there are two covered barbecue areas which you can use free of charge.

When is the harbour office staffed?

From April to October the harbour office at pontoon 1 is staffed Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and at weekends and public holidays from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and noon to 3 p.m. In winter it opens only on weekdays and for shorter hours. The ServicePoint at pontoon 8 is staffed from mid-April to mid-October in the mornings and from late afternoon into the evening, during high season until 8 p.m.

Good to know for your first day in Heiligenhafen

For shopping, the pharmacy and the doctor you don't need to leave Heiligenhafen. The nearest hospital with emergency medicine is in the neighbouring town of Oldenburg in Holstein.

Shopping

The nearest supermarket is a REWE at Am Strande, around 500 metres or about 5 minutes' walk from the marina. For a big shop before a longer trip you drive to the larger stores in the industrial estate, such as Famila in Industriestraße or Lidl on Sundweg. The marina's trolleys will help you get provisions and boxes to the pontoon.

Parking

Car parks are located directly at the harbour. On Kapitän-Will-Freter-Platz there are also twelve charging points for electric cars which you can use without prior registration.

Doctor, pharmacy and hospital

Several pharmacies and doctors' surgeries are located in the town centre. Outside surgery hours you can reach the on-call doctor service on 116 117, and the pharmacy emergency service on 0800 0022833.

The nearest acute hospital with emergency medicine is AMEOS Klinikum Oldenburg, Mühlenkamp 5, in Oldenburg in Holstein, around 11 kilometres as the crow flies from the marina.

Which emergency numbers apply in Heiligenhafen?

• 112: Ambulance service, emergency doctor and fire brigade
• 110: Police
• At sea: VHF channel 16 or DSC on channel 70, call sign "Bremen Rescue Radio". There the maritime rescue coordination centre of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) in Bremen monitors continuously; by telephone around the clock on +49 421 53687-0.

A defibrillator is located at the ServicePoint at pontoon 8.

How do you get to Heiligenhafen?

Most easily by car on the A1, which runs directly to Heiligenhafen. By public transport you currently need a replacement bus and a local bus from Lübeck.

By car

From Hamburg it is around 120 kilometres, from Lübeck around 60. Follow the A1 towards Fehmarn and take the first exit to Heiligenhafen. In town you drive along Bergstraße past the tourist information office towards Binnensee and then turn into the street Am Yachthafen. At its turning circle you'll find the building of the transport company and the harbour office. Coming from Kiel you take the B202 to Oldenburg in Holstein and from there join the A1.

By train and bus

By train you travel to Lübeck Hauptbahnhof. From there the replacement bus X85 runs hourly to Oldenburg in Holstein; the journey takes just over an hour. In Oldenburg you change to bus route 580 to Heiligenhafen. From Kiel, route 310 runs to Oldenburg.

The nearest bus stop is no more than 300 metres from the marina at the corner of Am Strande and Schlamerstraße; the town bus within Heiligenhafen is free. Current timetables can be found with the regional transport authority NAH.SH.

By air

The nearest major airport is Hamburg, around 105 kilometres as the crow flies. By hire car you can be in Heiligenhafen in about an hour and a half. By public transport you take the S-Bahn to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, the regional train to Lübeck and from there continue as described above.

What is currently different with the railway and Fehmarnsund bridge?

Two construction sites affect trips from Heiligenhafen: the railway line to Fehmarn and the Fehmarnsund bridge (as at October 2026). Both may change, so check the current status shortly before your trip.

From Lübeck, trains on route RB85 continue to run as far as Neustadt in Holstein. North of Neustadt towards Fehmarn the line has been closed since late August 2022 because it is being rebuilt for the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel connection. According to current railway planning, trains are expected to run there again from around the end of 2029. Until then the replacement bus X85 runs hourly from Lübeck Hauptbahnhof.

A construction scaffold hangs under the main channel of the Fehmarnsund bridge between piers 5 and 6. The clearance height is therefore currently reduced by around 3 metres, leaving approximately 18 metres above mean water level. The notice is valid until 31 December 2026; an end is not in sight. Before passing through, check the current notices to mariners published by the Waterways and Shipping Administration on ELWIS. With a tall mast you must factor in aerials and water level.

Which sea weather forecast applies to Heiligenhafen?

For Heiligenhafen the sea weather forecast of the German Weather Service (DWD) for the North and Baltic Seas applies, together with the DWD coastal warnings for the section Flensburg to Fehmarn.

The sea weather forecast describes wind, sea state and visibility for fixed sea areas. For Heiligenhafen and Kiel Bay the relevant area is Westliche Ostsee; for trips to Denmark, Belte und Sund is also relevant. A wind warning is issued from 6 Beaufort, a gale warning from 8 Beaufort.

You can read the current report on the DWD sea weather page or in the WarnWetter app. At sea you receive it via VHF coastal radio, NAVTEX and on the radio. From April to October a current weather forecast is also posted daily at the marina.

Which sailing destinations lie near Heiligenhafen?

Fehmarn is directly opposite and can be reached with a short passage. For longer day passages, Kiel Bay, Lübeck Bay and the Danish islands of Langeland and Ærø are all good options.

The distances are rounded nautical miles over water on the usual course from the marina; for precise planning refer to the chart.

• Fehmarnsund Bridge: approximately 5 nm
• Orth auf Fehmarn: approximately 6 nm
• Burgstaaken auf Fehmarn: approximately 9 nm, through the Fehmarnsund
• Bagenkop on Langeland: approximately 26 nm
• Marstal on Ærø: around 34 nm
• Kiel-Holtenau: approximately 37 nm
• Travemünde: approximately 35 nm, through the Fehmarnsund (note restricted bridge height, see above)

For a week-long trip you can sail around Langeland and Ærø into the Danish South Sea Islands, or head to Kiel and return along the coast. Read more about Kiel Fjord and the entrance to the Kiel Canal in the profile of Tiessenkai in Kiel-Holtenau, and about Lübeck Bay in our article on harbours in Travemünde.

What is there to do ashore in Heiligenhafen?

Heiligenhafen is a Baltic Sea resort with an old town, a fishing harbour, approximately 4 kilometres of sandy beach and the Graswarder nature reserve. Most attractions are within walking distance of the marina.

Old town and local history museum

The old town with market square, cafés and shops begins directly south of the marina. The local history museum next to the town church displays finds from the first settlers, fossils from the Ice Age and the history of fishing and seafaring in the area.

Museum jetty at the municipal harbour

Historic vessels from the years 1935 to 1993 are moored at the north mole of the municipal harbour, just east of the marina. Each vessel has an information board and a pavilion at the entrance tells the history of the harbour. Benches and wooden loungers invite you to pause.

Adventure pier

The pier extends approximately 435 metres into the Baltic Sea, with rest areas, wooden loungers, a play area and a bathing deck. From there you can see across the open water as far as the Fehmarnsund Bridge. It is located at the beach on the Steinwarder, a few minutes' walk from the marina.

Graswarder nature reserve

The Graswarder is a spit approximately 2.5 kilometres long and 300 metres wide with 230 hectares of land, a nature reserve since 1968. From March to May more than 40 bird species live here. Large parts are closed to visitors; from Easter to October nature guides lead tours through the area. On the Graswarder stand thatched half-timbered and wooden villas, the first of which were built around the turn of the 20th century, many of them listed buildings.

Cliff coast

West of the town begins a cliff coast with wide views over the Baltic Sea. You walk along the beach westwards from the holiday park in the west of the town and are there after a short while. In bad weather the Aktiv-Hus with its play world and sauna area offers an alternative.

Trips from Heiligenhafen on Törnfinder

Whether trips from Heiligenhafen are currently on offer you can see in the trip overview. An overview of the whole sailing area is on the Sailing in the Baltic Sea, trips to the islands beyond the Fehmarnbelt you will find under cabin charter in Denmark.

Frequently asked questions

How many berths does Heiligenhafen marina have?

Nearly 1,000, spread across 15 pontoons. Berths range from 3 by 12 to 6 by 20 metres; visiting yachts can stay for a single day.

How do I check in at Heiligenhafen marina?

Immediately after berthing at the harbour office on pontoon 1, where you also pay the berthing fee. The marina does not give a VHF channel; you can reach the harbour service in advance on 0174 5866871.

Can you refuel at Heiligenhafen marina?

Yes, diesel is available at the fuel station on the eastern mole at the beginning of the fishing harbour, five days a week from April to October. Petrol is not available there.

Will my yacht fit under the Fehmarn Sound Bridge?

The clearance height is currently reduced by around 3 metres due to scaffolding, leaving approximately 18 metres above mean water level. The notice is valid until 31 December 2026, with no end in sight. Measure your mast height including aerials and check the current notices to mariners before passing through.

How do I get to Heiligenhafen without a car?

By train to Lübeck, then by replacement bus X85 to Oldenburg in Holstein and onwards with bus line 580. The nearest stop is no more than 300 metres from the yacht harbour.