Neither river nor fjordStrictly speaking, it's not a fjord either. Sometimes surprisingly deep, then again as shallow as a pond. Here narrow and winding, there wide like a lake. Melt water that collects at the bottom of aice age glacier meandering its way, formed its bed. Later, the sea flowed in and turned the Schlei into what it is today: an arm of the Baltic Sea. It runs for around 23 kilometres from Schleimünde inland to Schleswig. But not just like that. It wanders through aSchleswig-Holstein's picture-book landscapepast manor houses, villages and gently rising hills, which turn a dusky yellow colour when the rape blossom is in bloom.
The maritime infrastructure is excellent, as is the tourist infrastructure. The best conditions for a charter cruise.
We booked with Renz-Yachting in Schleswig. The small, prosperous marina is located to the west of the Viking yacht harbour. The panorama here is magnificent: Gottorf Castle, Schleswig's St Peter's Cathedral and the Viking Tower. An immaculate marina awaits us at the jetty.Greenline 33. Its highlight is a hybrid drive - either diesel or electric. Claudia Renz explains how the galley in the saloon is transformed into a galley open to the cockpit.
Very nice, but will we actually be able to indulge in this comfort? Mediterranean lightness meetsNorth German slippery weather. It's blowing like crazy. Tomorrow there's supposed to be a good capful of wind on top of that. We decide to postpone the start of our week-long tour. Didn't Claudia Renz say that Schleswig was worth a day in the harbour anyway?
It was a long, arduous journey that Ibrahim ibn Ahmed At-Tartûshi set out on in the middle of the 10th century.
It was to take the Arab merchant and chronicler from the Iberian Peninsula to the inhospitable north. Ibrahim ibn Ahmed At-Tartûschi arrived there around 965the "far end of the world's oceans". And he saw a "very large city" -the Viking settlement of Haithabu on the banks of the Schlei. From here, goods from the Baltic Sea region were transported almost 20 kilometres inland to the Treene, which has access to the North Sea via the Eider (see BOOTE 10/2013). This eliminated the risky passage around Jutland.
Haithabu rose to become the most influential trading centre in Northern Europe at the time and was able to hold its own well into the 11th century. Nowhere can the world of Haithabu be traced more intensively than in theViking Museum ( www.haithabu.de ), which is located close to the original site. From Renz-Yachting you can reach it by car in about 5 minutes, on foot it is about 3.5 km. You can also moor your boat in the Haddeby marina (72 berths, www.tus-busdorf.de ). A nice place to stop for a bite to eat is right next door.
After the fall of Haithabu, a new town developed on the opposite bank of the Schlei, today's Schleswig.
As early as 1100, the construction of theSt Peter's Cathedral ( www.schleswiger-dom.de ) began. From around 1200, the Benedictine nunnery of St. Johannis ( st-johannis-kloster.de ). It is considered Schleswig-Holstein's best-preserved medieval monastery complex. The Schleswig Bible Centre has been housed there since 1994. Symbolic plants and those mentioned in the Bible thrive in a themed garden. Here you can findCelestial key next to Solomon's seal and broad beans - the latter as evidence of Old Testament eating habits.
Who in theSchleswig city harbour (148 berths, www.hafen-schleswig.de ) is just a few minutes' walk from the heart of the old fishing village of Holm. Two tips for the city harbour: treat yourself to fresh fish, for example in the "Bistro Esch", and afterwards aIce cream from the "Cape Squirrel" - It is said to be the best in the area. If you stroll overland from Renz-Yachting towards Holm (approx. three kilometres), you will come across a first-class cultural monument along the way:Gottorf Castleonce the residence of the Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf and today home to two state museums ( www.schloss-gottorf.de ).
This gem with a history stretching back over 800 years rises not far from the westernmost tip of the Schlei. We want to reach its easternmost point, Schleimünde.
We only have to deal with two "obstacles" on the 42-kilometre route, theBascule bridges in Lindaunis and Kappeln (see info box). We could pass the former in a closed state, they say. In Kappeln, however, it is likely to be tight. As we don't know the exact height of our boat or thecurrent water level we would like to wait for the Kappeln Bridge to open. Its operation tends to run like clockwork, so we shouldn't expect much delay. The long stretch from Schleswig to Schleimünde is thereforeNo witchcraftmaybe five hours of relaxed travelling. On the way back, harbour hopping is the order of the day, true to the motto: stay where you like!
We leave the silhouette of Schleswig behind us and follow the marked fairway, heading for Schleimünde. As the Schleivery flat in places we stick meticulously to the buoy line and chart. Manoeuvring is no problem at all, the Greenline willingly follows the rudder. On a small beam andStexwiger Enge follows the Great Width. Suddenly it rattles and jerks. We've got a good choppy sea across, typical of the Great Latitude. Nothing earth-shattering, but still surprising. So the gentle Schlei "can" also be scratchy.
Immediately after the Great Latitude, which stretches for around 4 kilometres, we have the next extreme under the keel: the narrows of Missunde, at around 140 metres the narrowest part of the Schlei.
To the north now goes theBrodersbyer Noor southwards towards Missunder Noor - a dozen or so outcrops on the Schlei. Ahead on the starboard side, a ruffled little thing appears: Kieholm, one of several islets in the Schlei. The island bearsthe nickname "Love Island"as it has a rudimentary heart shape (more romantic interpretations not excluded). Unfortunately, Kieholm is subject to the whims of Mother Nature. Now the "island of love" is becoming less and less.
We slip under the Lindaunis bascule bridge, take the bridge opening in Kappeln at 11.45 a.m. and soon recognise theSchleimünde lighthouse. There it goes out to sea. It wasn't always like this. For centuries, shipping had to make do with the natural connections betweenSchlei and Baltic Sea which were a good distance further north of the current passage. The first of these routes silted upalready in Viking times. The second, a little further south, could not be kept clear either and was abandoned. At the end of the 18th century, the current breakthrough was constructed. The lighthouse, which still exists today, went into operation in 1871.
Since then, the good one has been completely repainted seven times. A record, says the WSV. Since this summer, the 15 metre high oldie has been wearing green and white for the first time.
For many, the formerSchleimünde pilot station a special place. Not only because it can only be reached from the water and thus has something enchanting about it. There is the sheltered harbour with its legendary"Poison shack". A cosy meeting place with a small restaurant. The beach is a wonderful place to look out for chicken gods and fool's gold, typical Baltic Sea stones. And perhaps harbour porpoises are passing by? No less exciting is a guided tour through the neighbouringSchleimündung nature reserve ( www.jordsand.eu ). And even that is possible on the Lotseninsel: taking a sauna. It's understandable that Schleimünde's harbour (19 berths, www.lotseninsel.de) is overflowing on nice days.
The wind has picked up,Showers on the horizon. Under such circumstances, we can't stay in secluded Schleimünde. We call at the Maasholm marina (450 berths, www.maasholm.de ) and come across two adjacent boxes without a mooring sign. We take one and, as soon as the mooring lines are in place, we are allowed to dismantle everything and move to the other. It is actually free. The owner of the other berth had taken his sign with him on the trip. Ergo: No sign is not the same as no sign!
Maasholm is a pretty fishing village with pubs, a small supermarket, bakery and fishmongers.
Everything is within easy walking distance of the harbour. We eat very good cod in the "Restaurant Raub" and walk around the village a bit. Towards the west we noticeIndentations on the shore the so-called "Kahnstellen". These sites were built in the early 20th century for the flat-bottomed boats of the Schleifischer. 48 "Kahnstellen" still exist. They have been renovated and placed under a preservation order. We also recommend a hike to theMaasholm Nature Experience Centrejust under 4 km from the marina ( www.nez-maasholm.de ).
Our next stops areKappeln and Arnis. We moor the Greenline in Kappeln's guest harbour (35 berths, www.kappeln.de). You moor across the fairway, so you have to reckon with current. Basically no problem, especially as safety lines between the pits provide guidance.The swell can be annoyingthat some skipper colleagues produce outside in anticipation of the next bridge opening. Otherwise, the guest harbour is a fantastic place (for more mooring options, see the cruising literature). Here, on the quay, there is one pub after another. Shopping is also possible. The whole thing continues up in the centre.
And it feels like it's always around you: "The Country Doctor". The ZDF series of the same name was set on the Schlei, was broadcast from 1987 to 2013 and ran for an incredible 297 episodes.
The traces of the TV dinosaur have not been lost, on the contrary, you can walk in them, for example in Kappeln ( www.ostseefjordschlei.de ). Later we walk along an idyllic path over to Arnis (approx. 3.5 km). Festival in Kappeln, on footto dreamy ArnisYou could also do it the other way round. Spending the night in Arnis has the higher romance factor, there's more going on in Kappeln. In any case, Arnis has plenty of moorings.
In Arnisser Noor, the Arnis water sports association maintains a well-kept marina (265 berths), www.wsg-arnis.de ). There are further mooring options on both sides of the small peninsula on which Arnis extends. Whether on your own keel or on foot, the magic ofGermany's smallest city nobody will be able to escape.
With a fish stall and bakery, the shopping opportunities are manageable, but there are several restaurants to choose from.
On the southern edge of the villagea wooden bell tower to the historic Schifferkirche. "This is the most beautiful place on earth", someone wrote in the visitors' book on display. There's nothing to add to that. Just these recommendations: on your way back, stop by Marina Hülsen, a cosy spot in the countryside ( www.marina-huelsen.de ). The "Hafencafé" serves delicacies such as fragrant fresh tarte flambée. AndSmoked fish on Fridaysdirectly from the smoke.
The perfect place for an enjoyable end to your cruise is not least the"Fährhaus Missunde" at the Missunder Enge. You can moor along the northern shore, but beware that the current ( www.faehrhaus-missunde.de ). The large width ismirror-like this time. We switch off the diesel, switch to "electric" and restart. The electric drive starts up and takes us home, almost silently and towards the evening sun.
