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City Round Tour
We start our walk at the Tourist Information in the Neues Rathaus (New City Hall) in which the Stadtgalerie (Gallery), the Stadtbücherei (Library), and the Statt-Café are located. From here it is just a couple of steps to the shops in the Holstenstraße or to Karstadt, the large department store. If you walk south you will come to the Sophienhof shopping center with its Mediterranean-style food court. A covered pedestrian bridge connects the
Sophienhof to Kiel´s revamped Railway Station, where Kaiser Wilhelm II once ruled over his own separé! The three naves of the hall enclose six rail platforms; the service area offers you a variety of choices for your travel, eating, or shopping enjoyment.
From the Main Station try a detour to the Norwegenkai (Norway dock). It is worth it! Exit the Railway Station going East through the so called Kaisertreppe (Kaiser Stairs). From this place you have a view of the Hörnbrücke (Hörn Bridge) over to the tip of Kiel’s firth. The pedestrian side bridge built in 1997 connects the City center on the west bank of the Hörn River with the Gaarden district and the Norwegenkai (Norway dock) on the
east bank. As one of the few folding bridges in Europe it is part of the architectural and technical attractions of the City. The bridge offers one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the Kiel Harbour, and further to the Germania Hafen. Each year more than 100 cruise-ships navigate these ports. Their imposing silhouettes bestow the capital city of Schleswig-Holstein with a world-embracing charm, and make for superb photographs.
But perhaps you would prefer to visit first Germany´s oldest but very vital pedestrian zone! You only need to cross the Andreas-Gayk Str. over to the side opposite the Tourist Info. There lies the Holstenstraße, which carries its name since 1525. In 1953 stretches of the street were closed to private automobile traffic. Each year a number of cultural events and folk festivals are held in the five parks along this classic shopping lane.
The Holstenplatz is where Germany`s largest sandbox built each year offering children purest digging delight. Those looking for a refreshing break will be gratified by the wave forming effects of the Europaplatz fountains.
From here you can see the Sparkassen-Arena-Kiel, where Kielers and visitors enjoy concerts, congresses and shows featuring international stars. The exciting home games of Kiel`s very own THW Kiel handball team also take place in the arena. The team has won the German title 13 times! After extensive refurbishing it is no longer obvious that the highly modernized arena with room for 13,000 visitors was once an airplane hangar.
Within just a few steps north you will find the Asmus-Bremer-Platz. The sculpture under the large oak tree reminds us of Asmus Bremer, one of Kiel´s former Mayors. The son of a shoemaker began his Law studies at the Christian-Albrecht University in 1670. In 1702 he was elected to the Mayor of Kiel. Asmus Bremer and his wife are now symbolic characters of the Kieler Umschlag, a folk festival that has catching “Asmus Bremer sien
Büx” (Asmus Bremers trousers) as prelude to the event. This winter festival goes hand in hand with an Open-Shops Sunday.
Going further North over the Asmus-Bremer-Platz, towards the building of the Kieler Nachrichten - the local daily - you will arrive at the old City Hall (Altes Rathaus) erected between 1907 and 1911. The 106 m tower is considered the town´s landmark, and its design emulates the Venetian Campanille. Both, the Old City Hall, and the Opera (Opernhaus) are alongside two small lakes (Kleine Kiel) made out of the precedent part of
the Firth. The Hiroshima Park, and the Jeppe Hein Fountain (Jeppe Hein Brunnen) enclose these City lakes. On sunny days the fountains entice everyone, particularly children, to splash and play!
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