Discover Schleswig through its different layers of time: on the Museum Island at Gottorf Castle, you can explore archaeological finds as well as art and cultural history; at Holm, historic and more recent photographs tell the story of change in a former island district. Other highlights include the cathedral tower rising above the old town and the town harbour, where boat trips set off along the Schlei. If you are planning a trip that combines culture, history and time by the water, Schleswig offers various starting points for choosing your own priorities.
Museum Island and Sculpture Park
The Museum of Archaeology and the Museum of Art and Cultural History are located together on the Museum Island at Gottorf Castle. The Museum of Archaeology preserves more than 10 million finds spanning 80,000 years of human history. The Nydam Boat and bog bodies are also on display on the Gottorf Museum Island. The collection spans far more than a single era, while the named exhibits offer concrete points of reference within this long period. If you are choosing Schleswig primarily for its cultural history, the Museum Island offers a broad introduction to a range of historical subjects.
The Sculpture Park on Schleswig’s castle island offers a different perspective. It features more than 50 figurative and abstract sculptures dating from the late 19th century to the present day. This time span brings together works from different eras, while the variety of forms invites you to shift your perspective. Here, the focus is on works of art, while the archaeological collection takes you far back into human history.
Old Town and Holm
The cathedral tower is a prominent landmark rising above the old town. The town hall complex contains a hall built in the second half of the 13th century, where extensive remains of medieval wall paintings have been uncovered. Two distinct historical points of reference thus meet in the old town: the tower rising above the city and a hall whose construction date and wall paintings bring its history into focus.
The Holm Museum documents changes in the Holm district through historic and more recent photographs. The area’s history adds particular significance to these changes: Holm was an island for centuries before the fishing district was connected to the Schleswig mainland in 1933. The photographs draw attention to a single district and its development, while the archaeological finds at Gottorf Castle cover a much longer period. This allows you to consider different time scales in the city’s history as you plan your trip.
Town Harbour and Excursions on the Schlei
Schleswig’s town harbour has 185 berths for visiting and long-term boats. Facilities include bicycle hire, and boat trips on the Schlei also depart from here. Cafés, bistros and restaurants serve food including fish sandwiches. The harbour brings together berths, a rental service, boat trips and places to eat. When planning your day, you can treat these as different options: a trip on the Schlei, a bicycle ride or a break for a regional snack.
Schleswig in the wider destination of Schleswig-Flensburg
The wider destination of Schleswig-Flensburg also offers further historical and landscape-related themes. Haithabu and the Danewerk have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2018. Near Schleswig, the World Heritage Site is associated with Viking Age trade, border fortifications and the Schleswig isthmus; visitor museums include the Haithabu Viking Museum and the Danevirke Museum. In the Schlei Nature Park, the landscape is shaped by gentle hills, forests, hedgerow landscapes, rapeseed and grain fields, sandy beaches and bathing coves. The Schlei’s brackish-water areas provide habitats for numerous endangered bird species.
Discover more destinations: Eggebek, Maasholm, Harrislee, Kappeln-Land, Kappeln, Husby, Arensharde, Oeversee.
View the wider travel guide: Schleswig-Flensburg.
