Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig) is in Schleswig-Holstein. The region around the city of Schleswig was a major centre during the Viking Age. The original viking settlement Hedeby and the Dannevirke defensive wall are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Understand
[edit]One of the northernmost cities in Germany, Schleswig was part of the Duchy of Schleswig that was ruled by the Danish king until the 1864 German-Danish war in which Prussia and Austria defeated Denmark, annexing Schleswig and Holstein. A dispute over the administration of those two territories would trigger the 1866 Prussian-Austrian war and in 1870/71 Prussia would lead the German states (sans Austria) into a war against France leading to the first unified German state under Prussian leadership.
Get in
[edit]By train
[edit]By car
[edit]Autobahn A7 between Hamburg and Flensburg passes next to the city.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]- 1 Hedeby (Haithabu). The remains of an ancient Viking settlement, which is now considered the most important archaeological site of Schleswig-Holstein. There is a museum and reconstructed houses where you can learn about the history of Hedeby and the everyday life of the Vikings.
- 2 Danevirke. Literally meaning the Earthworks of the Danes, the first of these walls were constructed already around 500 AD as a protective wall against the south. A few centuries later, it was expanded by the Vikings into a system of trenches and walls. Interestingly, the Danevirke was used in the war against Prussia in 1864 when the Danes lost the area.
- 3 Schleswig Cathedral (St. Peter), Norderdomstr. 4, ☏ +49 4621 989595. M-Su 10ː00-16ː00.
- 4 Gottorf Castle, Schloßinsel 1, ☏ +49 4621 813222. M closed, Tu-F 10ː00-17ː00, Sa-Su 10ː00-18ː00. Houses two museums these days
Do
[edit]Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- 1 Happy Rancho, Lange Straße 5, ☏ +49 4621-24419, info@happyrancho.de. A steak house
- 2 Schleimöwe, Süderholmstr. 8, ☏ +49 4621 24309. M-Su 11ː30-14ː00 and 17ː00-22ː00. North German Fish Restaurant
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Hotel Alter Kreisbahnhof, Königstraße 9, ☏ +49 46 21 30 20-0. single from €74, double from €83.