Flensburg

Flensburg (Danish: Flensborg) is a city in Schleswig-Holstein located on the east coast. The 90,000 (2018) inhabitants live around the Flensburger Förde (Flensborg fjord). Its main claim to fame besides being a border town is the fact that the central registry for traffic offenses committed throughout Germany is headquartered in Flensburg. While Flensburg, like much of Schleswig Holstein, had received an enormous number of refugees after the war and thus its population jumped above 100 000 in 1945, making it a Großstadt according to the German definition of the term, it had lost this status again by 1952 when the population fell through refugees moving on to more permanent housing. As population has been on the uptick in the 21st century, there is talk locally of achieving the population of 100 000 again in the near future.

Understand

"Flensburg Government"

In the last few days of World War 2 most leading Nazis were either in Berlin and going down with their Führer or had tried to escape, sometimes offering to make separate peace with the Western Allies (which Hitler deemed "treason" signing execution orders against anybody who tried it). When Hitler committed suicide, he named various people to various posts in his testament (a thing that was of course against all laws or legal precedent - but the Nazis did not exactly care about such things) but his appointed "successor", Propaganda Minister Goebbels committed suicide after a single day "in office"(as was expected of him) so whatever semblance of a German "government" there still was fell to a bunch of Nazis in and around Flensburg under "President" Karl Dönitz (formerly an admiral) and "Chancellor" Johann Ludwig Graf Schwerin von Krosigk appointed by Dönitz. While the Brits initially let the sham happen under their eyes, because they hoped it could help in ensuring an orderly surrender of German forces (which was signed May 7th by the military leadership) by May 23 the Brits had had enough and arrested the ridiculously top-heavy "government" that had barely "governed" over even Flensburg for less than a month.

Flensburg has long been a bi- or even trilingual community with a strong Danish minority and a German majority that gradually switched from speaking High German ("Hochdeutsch") only with out-of-towners and speaking Low German ("Niederdeutsch" or "Plattdeutsch") in virtually all other situations to speaking less and less Low German - though there are efforts to preserve the language.

As the Danish border is just across the fjord, virtually all government offices and museums (even smaller ones) will offer their website in German and Danish and often also English. Dutch and Low German historically formed a dialect continuum and written Dutch is close enough to written German that competent speakers of one can make out the gist of a text in the other, but don't count on mutual intelligibility.

Due to the border, many Danes come to Flensburg to buy goods which are either unavailable or more expensive in Denmark, particularly booze, which is highly taxed in the Nordic countries. On the other hand, people from Flensburg like hopping across the border to places like Sønderborg to sight-see or shop.

The tourist information center is in the old town centre.

Get in

By bus or train
  • 🌍 Flensburg station. Sadly the historic main station built in the 1880s which was much closer to most points of interest was shut down and so if you're arriving by train, you'll be somewhat out of town. (updated Nov 2023)

There are bus and train connections both from Denmark and Hamburg. Search Bahn.de for public connections in Germany, and DSB for Denmark.

  • 🌍 Zentraler Omnibusbahnhof Flensburg (ZOB) (Central bus station). Built as one of the first central bus stations in Germany in the 1930s and sometimes jokingly referred to as "Gummibahnhof" ("rubber station") it sits at the site of the old central train station and is thus much closer to many points of interest. 

By car

Most people arrive here by car. Flensburg is situated at the border of Germany and Denmark, beside the motorway ( in Denmark) leading to Hamburg in the south and to Kolding and further north in Denmark. It's one of the most important routes between the Nordic countries and Central Europe.

By plane

The nearest airports are Hamburg (HAM IATA) about 150 km (93 mi) away offering a wide array of flights to domestic and international destinations and Sønderborg (SGD IATA, in Denmark 50 km (31 mi) away; flights from Copenhagen only). Hamburg airport is served by the Hamburg S-Bahn and from Hamburg main station direct RE and Intercity trains leave for Flensburg with a travel time a bit under 2 hours. From Sonderborg airport take a taxi to the rail station and then DSB train.

By boat
  • 🌍 Flensburg harbor. Served by the occasional cruise and able to accommodate private boats. Also includes a "museum harbour" exhibit. 

Get around

Walking is the best way to get around in the city centre.

See

Flensburg offers a nice shopping district with old houses and gardens as well as a variety of museums and churches. The harbour is the hosting place for sailing regatta and events.

"Museum mountain"

There are combined tickets for all the museums on "Museum mountain" (which are rather close to each other) which cost €8 for adults and €4 for people who qualify for reduced entry.

Other museums
  • 🌍 Phänomenta. Oct-May: M-F 09:00-17:00, Sa Su 11:00-18:00; Jul-Sep: M-F 10:00-18:00; Sa Su 11:00-18:00. An interactive science museum, where you can try experiments on your own, especially interesting for families and children and anybody interested in science from €9.50 for adults to €7.00 for youth and €2.00 for children. (updated Aug 2019)
  • 🌍 Museumswerft (Shipyard museum) (directly on the harbour.), ☏ +49 461 - 18 22 47, . M-F 08:00-17:00, Sa Su 10:00-17:00; tours are available when booked in advance. This museum shows and builds old ships and boats and offers courses for children, teenagers and adults. €1, donations welcome. (updated Aug 2019)
  • 🌍 Wehrgeschichtliches Ausbildungszentrum (Kommandeursvilla). Tuesdays 14:00-19:00. A naval museum in the famous Naval Academy Mürwik. The "Mürwik area" was the last part of Germany left under Nazi German control in May 1945 before the British forces in the area decided to put an end to the charade by having the "government" of "president" (former admiral) Dönitz arrested. free but visitors must show their identity cards. (updated Aug 2019)
  • 🌍 Eiszeit-Haus (Ice Age House). As the last Ice Age has had a significant impact on the local geology and geography, this house holds a number of interesting fossils and geological samples. Free, donations welcomed. 
  • 🌍 Robbe & Berking Yachting Heritage Centre, ☏ +49 461 31803063, . Tu-Su 11:00 - 18:00. A yachting museum opened in October 2016 run by the local silversmithing company of the same name 

Churches


  • 🌍 St. Nikolai (Lutheran). (updated Oct 2018)
  • 🌍 St. Marien (Lutheran). (updated Oct 2018)
  • 🌍 St. Johannis (Lutheran). (updated Oct 2018)
  • 🌍 St. Marien, schmerzhafte Mutter (Roman Catholic). (updated Oct 2018)
  • 🌍 Helligåndskirken (Church of the Holy Spirit, Danish church, Lutheran). (updated Oct 2018)
  • 🌍 Lutheran Church St. Jürgen. A typical photo subject. The church is good to see from the harbour on the eastern shore. 
  • 🌍 Christuschurch (in the borough Mürwik). A garrison church built in the 1950s. The Christuschurch owns a beautiful triumphal cross (rood) from the 16th century. Otherwise the church is as unadorned and austere as one would expect of a Lutheran church. 

Architecture
  • 🌍 Nikolai-Apotheke (at the "Südermarkt", an old marketplace). One of the oldest buildings in the city. It was built in the 15th century. The architecture inside as well as outside is very much worth visiting. 
  • 🌍 Naval Academy Mürwik. Built to look like a castle on the orders of German Emperor Wilhelm II and opened in 1910. It was modelled after Marienburg, the Castle of the Teutonic Order, which lays today in the Polish town Malbork. The naval academy has churned out German naval forces under four different political systems (Imperial Germany, Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany and finally the Federal Republic). 
  • 🌍 Marinesportsschule (Naval sports academy) (in the borough Mürwik). This part of the Naval Academy was built in 1936/37. In May 1945 it was the seat of the "Flensburg Government" (see infobox). 
  • 🌍 Glücksburg Castle (just outside Flensburg). Beautiful old white castle. €5. 

Do

Spectator sports
  • 🌍 Flens-Arena (Campushalle), Campusallee 2. Home to SG Flensburg-Handewitt, one of Germany's — and therefore the world's — premier Handball teams which is among the top contenders for the German championship in most seasons. (updated Jun 2020)

Ferries

A nice way to enjoy the maritime atmosphere of Flensburg is to take a tour on one of the 5 different ferries.

Theater

Buy

Lots of people arrive in Flensburg from Denmark and the other Nordic countries for shopping. In the old centre of Flensburg are numerous shops along the pedestrian street Holm (Danish: Holmen) and Große Straße.

  • 🌍 Flensburg Galerie, Holm 57-61. 
  • 🌍 Twedter Plack. The borough Mürwik (Muerwik) owns also an separate little centre, named Twedter Plack. The centre is on the edge of the military where also located is the Naval Academy Mürwik. 
  • 🌍 Rote Straße (Red Street). As part of the traditional "Ochsenweg" the Rote Straße represents a big part of Flensburg's history. Many little shops can be found there. 

Malls

Thanks to being close to the border with Denmark and being served by a major Autobahn, the surroundings of Flensburg boast many major malls. Price differences between Denmark and Germany may make a certain item a bargain for Danish people but it might be expensive for Germans.

Eat

Budget

All these are in the city centre:

  • 🌍 Strandgut, Große Str. 77B, ☏ +49 461 17240. M-Sa noon-16ː00. German cuisine. Vegetarian options available. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Burrito, Schiffbrückstraße 1, ☏ +49 461 22079. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Pizzateca da Tonis, Norderstraße 39, ☏ +49 461 14662112. Italian Restaurant (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 dönerWERK Flensburg Galerie, Holm 57-61. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 China Imbiss China Bai, Norderstraße 4, ☏ +49 461 1828345. M-Su 11ː30-21ː30, Tu closed. (updated Sep 2022)

Mid-range
  • 🌍 Dionysos, Glücksburger Straße 174, ☏ +49 461 140-800. A Greek restaurant in the first floor of Hotel Fruerlund. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Goldene Lilie, Angelburger Straße 10-16 (opposite of the side entrance of the Fensburg Galerie), ☏ +49 461 26294, fax: +49 461 1505443. 11:30-15:00 and 17:30-23:00. A Chinese restaurant offering a tasty buffet and a good menu. (updated Sep 2022)
  • 🌍 Restaurant Galerie, Holm 66 (located in a garden, opposite the Holm). A restaurant offering a variety of pizza and pasta, non-vegetarian and vegetarian food. (updated Sep 2022)

Splurge
  • 🌍 Piet Henningsen, Schiffbrücke 20, ☏ +49 461 24576. M-Su 17ː00-23ː00. (updated Sep 2022)

Sweet

Sleep

Go next
Routes through Flensburg
Aalborg ← Åbenrå ←  N  S  → Rendsburg → Hamburg


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