Laboe combines a sandy beach stretching for several kilometres with a diverse dune landscape and maritime experiences—from the submarine museum to watersports and trips on the Kiel Fjord. When planning your stay, it’s worth sorting the options by interest: beach and water, nature, culture or travelling from Kiel each offer a different focus.
Beach and Experiences on the Water
Laboe’s resort beach is a one-kilometre stretch of fine sand. Its designated features include an area for beach sports and shallow water. In addition to U 995, Surfer’s Paradise offers windsurfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, dinghy sailing and catamaran sailing. Availability and booking conditions may change, so it’s best to check them before your trip.
Another way to experience the water is the one-hour marine biology excursion aboard the MS SAGITTA. It travels between shallow seagrass areas and the shipping lane of the Kiel Fjord. An introduction to the seabed fauna is given using a net. Before you set off, check whether the excursion is running and when departures are scheduled.
Dune Landscape and a Green Retreat
Near the Naval Memorial lies the ten-hectare “Laboe Dune Landscape” nature experience area. Its landscape includes a steep coastal slope, dunes, a shoreline with a sandbank and a coastal lake. Sand paths and information boards lead visitors through the area; guided walks with expert guides take place seasonally. The dune landscape is also botanically distinctive: the presence of three Mediterranean-Atlantic grass species is considered exceptional on the coast of Schleswig-Holstein.
The spa gardens offer a quiet green retreat close to the beach. They feature a children’s playground, mini golf and a lawn for Viking chess. Laboe therefore offers different ways to spend time at the beach: sports on the water, a nature area with seasonal guided tours, and a park with several leisure activities.
Maritime History and Culture
The U 995 Technical Museum is a Type VII C submarine on display on the beach in front of the Laboe Naval Memorial. The Naval Memorial is considered to have limited barriers to access; conditions may vary from one area to another. Both places have a maritime focus, though they offer different perspectives: one is the submarine on display, the other the memorial.
The Freya Frahm House, a beach villa dating from 1896, stands on the promenade. It hosts exhibitions, readings and workshops throughout the year. Theatre enthusiasts can also consider the Lachmöwen Theatre: a walking route through Laboe passes by it, and the theatre is associated with performances in Low German. The programme may change.
Getting There and Local Cuisine
The journey from Kiel takes about 45 minutes on bus route 14. Bus route 102 takes around 25 minutes on weekdays. From April to October, the Fördedampfer ferry reaches Laboe in about 70 minutes. These are approximate journey times and depend on the timetable, so check the latest times before setting off. When choosing between the bus and the ferry, the day of the week and the season also play a part.
Laboe’s connection with fish is useful when planning meals: the yacht harbour is associated with fresh fish from fishing boats, and there are also fish restaurants in Laboe. This means you can complement a stay focused on the beach, nature or culture with regional fish cuisine, without having to plan a visit to a particular restaurant in advance.
Discover more destinations: Schönberg / Holstein, Barsbek, Lutterbek, Köhn, Prasdorf, Schönberger Strand, Kalifornien, Pülsen.
See the overview of the wider region: Probstei.
