Marktplatz (market square)

Heide is in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, with 21,844 inhabitants as of 2021.

The city has the largest market square in Germany that has not been built upon, with 4.7 hectares. It is primarily used as a parking lot and has approximately 500 parking spaces.

Understand

History

Heide was first mentioned in 1404 and is a regional centre for administration, trade and transport (along with Meldorf, Sankt Peter-Oerding and Büsum as tourist alternatives) characterised by its rural environment.

Climate

Heide
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       64     6 2       67     7 2       50     9 2       33     13 3       55     16 7       53     22 11       77     21 13       72     23 13       74     19 11       75     15 8       45     9 4       65     6 2 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm Deutscher Wetterdienst
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       2.5     42 35       2.6     45 35       2     49 35       1.3     55 37       2.2     60 44       2.1     72 52       3     71 56       2.8     74 56       2.9     67 51       3     59 46       1.8     48 39       2.6     43 35 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

Heide had a maritime temperate climate with 4 distinct seasons.

Spring is mild. The first greeneries start blooming at the end of March. Due to the sea breeze of the North Sea Coast, the summer is not excessively warm. The hottest months are July and August with average high temperatures in the low 20s °C. In autumn there is a beautiful foliage, but this season also features the rainiest months of the year. In winter, frost months occur and there is occasionally snowfall.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Hamburg Airport, Flughafenstraße 1-3, ☏ +49 40 50 75 0, welcome@ham.airport.de. Closest public airport within 105 km. (updated Sep 2023)

By train

• 2 Heide (Holst) station, Güterstr. 13, ☏ +49 431 2479304. The regional express RE 6 (Hamburg-Altona to Westerland) stops here. The journey time from Hamburg-Altona to Heide (Holst) takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. (updated Oct 2023)

Bus and train tickets can be purchased on the official website of DB Deutsche Bahn (largest provider of train and bus connections in Germany).

By bus

There are intercity bus connections from Rendsburg, Büsum, Tönning to the ZOB (Central Omnibus Station) in Heide.

By car

The motorway A23 can be used from Hamburg.

Get around

Because the town is small, everything is easily accessible on foot or by bike. Nevertheless, there are some bus connections from the central bus station to the neighbouring towns, such as Rendsburg.

See

Buildings

• 

  Wasserturm

  1 Heider Wasserturm (Water Tower), Brahmsstraße, ☏ +49 481 685320. M-Th 11:00-21:00, F-Su 9:00-21:00. Constructed in 1903, the water tower is the highest in Schleswig-Holstein with 45,71 m. It was used until 1989 for the city's water supply. Today it is mostly used for administration and wedding purposes. (updated Sep 2023)

• 2 Marktplatz (Market Square), Markt, ☏ +49 481 6850 0, postoffice@stadt-heide.de. The largest marketplace in Germany. Due to its use as a large inner-city marketplace, locals and tourists from the surrounding area are also pleased that they will find sufficient parking space for shopping close to the city centre. (updated Sep 2023)
• 3 St. Jürgen Kirche, Markt 26 (southwest corner of the market square), ☏ +49 481 689110, kirche.heide@kirche-dithmarschen.de​. Church in a central location. Worship services, concerts and other events are held there. (updated Oct 2023)

Museums

St. Jürgen Kirche

• 4 Brahmshaus, Luettenheid 34, ☏ +49 481 63186, info@brahms-sh.de. M Tu closed, W Th 11ː30-15ː30, F 11ː30-13ː30, Sa 13ː30-15ː30. From 1819 to 1887, the house (now a museum) was owned by the Brahms family and was acquired by the Brahms Society in 1988. In 1990 it was handed over to its new purpose: to preserve, maintain and make the work of Johannes Brahms accessible to a broad public. The Brahms House is the northernmost musicians' museum in Germany and offers a place of remembrance of the great composer. (updated Oct 2023)
• 5 Museumsinsel Luettenheid, Luettenheid 40, ☏ +49 481 63742, museumsinsel@stadt-heide.de. M closed, Tu-Th 11ː30-17ː00, F 11ː30-14ː00, Sa 14ː00-17ː00, Su 11ː30-17ː00. The Museum Island has existed since 1904 and tells the history of Heide, which dates back to the 15th century. It includes the "Alte Schmiede", "Stade-Haus", "Pferdestall" and "Klaus-Groth-Museum". The museum hosts regular cultural events that provide visitors with a cultural experience. adult €4, schoolchildren and students €2. (updated Oct 2023)

Parks

• 6 Stadtpark. Large park that offers many green areas to enjoy a small picnic and the sun. There is also a playground for children and a mini-golf course. In winter you can play in the snow and drive down a smaller mountain with a sled. (updated Oct 2023)

Do

Outdoor activities

• 1 Minigolfplatz, Landvogt-Johannsen-Str. 29, ☏ +49 162 6672668. M-F 14ː00-17ː00, Sa Su 13ː00-17ː00. A mini-golf course in the city park. There are 18 different golf courses, a wide range of drinks and snacks, a children's playground and more than enough seating. adult €5, children €3, schoolchildren, students and disabled €4. (updated Oct 2023)

Indoor activities

• 2 Dithmarscher Wasserwelt, Landvogt-Johannsen-Str. 61, ☏ +49 481 906300, diwa@stadtwerke-heide.de. M closed, Tu Th F 06ː30-21ː00, W 15ː00-21ː00, Sa 09ː00-21ː00, Su 09ː00-19ː00. Indoor and outdoor pool, brine pool, 1-m and 3-m diving tower, 2 slides and a parent-child area. There is also a sauna area, which has separate opening hours (M closed, Tu-Sa 17ː00-22ː00, Su 14ː00-20ː00) and admission prices (adult €14, children €10). What makes this swimming pool special is that it organises aqua courses, swimming courses for children and occasionally events such as children's game day. adult €8, children €4. (updated Oct 2023)

• 3 Lichtblick Filmtheater, Suederstr. 24, ☏ +49 481 686811, info@kino-heide.de. The cinema is located on a famous shopping street in the center of the city. It has seven halls with a total of around 500 seats. What's special is that it offers special film nights, such as the horror night or the ladies night (champagne included). The kiosk in the foyer offers a large selection of different snacks: fresh popcorn, nachos, ice cream and more. (updated Oct 2023)
• 4 Stadttheater Heide, Rosenstr. 15-19, ☏ +49 481 7750758, info@stadttheater-heide.de. Theatre for cabarets and plays. It was founded in 1904 and has 3 halls and a lounge with a total of 465 seats. Parties, weddings, company celebrations and concerts can also take place here by arrangement. (updated Oct 2023)

Events

• 5 Heider Marktfrieden. Mediaeval event, which takes place every two years on the market square. Visitors can look forward to traders, old handicrafts, rural cattle market, showmen, jugglers, musicians and dancers in colourful robes. (updated Sep 2023)
• Heider Stadtlauf. The city run is an annual event that usually takes place in the city centre at the beginning of June. Anyone can sign up to run either a 5-km or 10-km route. (updated Oct 2023)

Buy

• 1 Heider Marktpassage, Markt 43, ☏ +49 481 78760887, marktpassage@centim.de. M-F 09:00-19:00, Sa 10:00-16:00, Su closed. Small shopping centre in the heart of Heide. It has clothing and shoe stores. There is also a nail salon and a large supermarket. (updated Oct 2023)
• 2 Elisabeth Brehmer Landkostladen, Dorfstr. 63, ☏ +49 481 86893, info@bioladen-brehmer.de. M W 09ː00-12ː00 and 15ː00-18ː00, Th F 9ː00-18ː00, Sa 09ː00-12ː00, Tu Su closed. Small conventional farm. Around 150 cows live there and dairy farming is carried out. In the organic farm shop you can buy a full range of organic products, consisting of vegetables, dried products, frozen food, drinks and baked goods. The farmers sell eggs, milk and meat from their own production. They are also selling homemade organic salads and cakes every day. On Friday, the farmowners bake wholemeal bread, and on Thursday they cook homemade soups. (updated Oct 2023)

Eat

Restaurants

• 1 Marktpirat, Markt 25 (on the market square), ☏ +49 481 82864161. Su-Th 08:30-23:00, F Sa 08:30-1:00. American restaurant with pancakes and sandwiches for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, there's a wide selection of freshly made burgers. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available. (updated Sep 2023)
• 2 Alex Kitchen, Schuhmacherort 2, ☏ +49 481 78764488, heide@alex-kitchen.de. M-Sa 12:00-21:00, Su 17:00-21:00. Restaurant that buys its ingredients sustainably and regionally. There is a wide range of different dishes on offer: burgers, pasta, kumpir, curries and much more. Everything is freshly prepared. They also offer a delivery service. (updated Oct 2023)
• 3 Restaurant Rhodos, Bahnhofstr. 25, ☏ +49 481 8065, kontakt@rhodos-heide.de. M closed, Tu-Sa 17:00-22:30, Su 11:30-14:30 and 17:00-22:30. Greek restaurant that prepares dishes in the ancient Greek style. In the winter garden great festivities of all kinds can be celebrated. (updated Oct 2023)
• 4 Restaurant Tripoli, Am Kleinbahnhof 12-14, ☏ +49 481 6409000. M-Th Su 11:30-21:00, F Sa 11:30-22:00. Italian restaurant that offers not only pizza and pasta, but also burgers, salads and seasonal extra dishes (such as chili con carne). There is plenty of space and in the backyard there is a beer garden where you can sit down and ejoy your meal. Delivery service available. (updated Oct 2023)

Cafés

• 5 West Waffel, Wulf-Isebrand-Platz 10, ☏ +49 481 81786927. M-W Su noon-20:00, Th closed, F Sa noon-21:00. Central café, which serves homemade waffles. There are three different options: Classic, Belgian and Bubble waffle. The toppings can be chosen by yourself. The choice is between fruits, sweets and sauce. On the plate of the waffle, the servant writes the name of the customer, which is a nice detail and lends itself to taking a picture. In addition, the café also offers soft ice cream, milkshakes and hot drinks. (updated Oct 2023)
• 6 Eiscafé Cortina, Markt 12, ☏ +49 481 62118, info@cortina-heide.de. M-Sa 09ː30-20ː00, Su 11ː00-22ː00. Traditional Italian ice cream café, which has been in existence since 1958. Various ice cream specialties are offered, such as ice cream sundaes, children's and spaghetti ice cream. Ice cream cakes can also be pre-ordered for special celebrations. (updated Oct 2023)
• 7 Café Annabella, Friedrichstr. 38, ☏ +49 481 12096920. M-Sa 8ː30-18ː00, Su 13ː00-18ː00. Beautifully furnished café, which offers a wide range of coffee and tea specialties, cakes, pies and waffles. In addition, it also offers breakfast from 08:30-12:00. (updated Oct 2023)

Bakeries

• 8 Mühlen Bäcker, Blumenstr. 1-3, ☏ +49 481 68381611. M-F 06ː00-18ː00, Sa 06ː00-noon, Su 06ː00-11ː00. Traditional bakery that opened in 1986. The products are prepared fresh every day and are baked without preservatives or ready-made mixes. Next to the main shop there is a separate house only for the sourdough, which is used for the preparation of the sourdough breads and rolls. The assortment changes daily, recommended pastries are the Dinkel-Wallnussbrot (spelt walnut bread), the Laugenbrot (pretzel bread) and the Lattenkracher (similar to a pretzel stick, only crispier and garnished with cheese). (updated Oct 2023)
• 9 von Allwörden, Große Westerstr. 1 (in the Heider Marktpassage), ☏ +49 481 59983161. M-Sa 07ː00-18ː00, Su closed. The bakery has its origins in the north of Germany and has existed since 1906.It offers a large selection of bread, rolls and cakes. In the morning you can also have a varied breakfast there. (updated Oct 2023)

Drink

In addition to events on the market square, the Schuhmacherort (famous nightlife area) with its relatively high density of venues is particularly well visited:

• 1 Leprechaun Irish Pub, Schuhmacherort 25, ☏ +49 481 12094010. M Tu closed, W-F 17:00-1:00, Sa 17:00-03:00, Su 19:00-1:00. (updated Oct 2023)

• 2 L1, Schuhmacherort 26, ☏ +49 481 4213999. Su M closed, Tu-Sa 20:00-02:00. (updated Oct 2023)

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Garis Pension, Wesselner Chaussee 43, ☏ +49 481 12473893, zimmer@garis-pension.de. Check-in: 15ː00, check-out: 11ː00. The guesthouse has WiFi, a shared kitchen and television in all rooms. This accommodation is suitable for both short and long term stays as there are no restrictions on the rental period. from €32.50 per night for a single room. (updated Oct 2023)
• 2 Gästehaus Geli Garni, Vereinsstr. 7, ☏ +49 481 683083, anfragen@gaestehaus-geli.de. Guesthouse that allows dogs to be brought along free of charge. (updated Oct 2023)
• 3 Jugendherberge Heide, Poststr. 4, ☏ +49 481 71575. Modern hostel, which is within walking distance to the city center. Free breakfast included. Single room from €49, double room from €85. (updated Oct 2023)

Mid-Range

• 4 Nordica Hotel Berlin, Österstr. 18, ☏ +49 481 85450. 4-star hotel, which offers a beauty center, a massage department, several conference and meeting rooms as well as rooms in modern style. Single room from €85, double room from €119. (updated Sep 2023)

Learn

• 1 Fachhochschule Westküste (University of Applied Sciences), Fritz-Thiedemann-Ring 20, ☏ +49 481 85550, info@fh-westkueste.de. Heide has its own university, which was founded in 1993 and specializes primarily in the fields of business and technology. Due to the small number of around 1,900 students, it is known for providing individual care to its students and the professors create a family atmosphere, conveying the learning material precisely and practically. The university's own website also provides an overview of other interesting insights and the events it offers. (updated Oct 2023)

Stay healthy

The fruit and vegetables offered at the weekly market usually come from the region. Many farms sell their produce fresh and direct. For physical exercise, cycling and the North Sea coast are well suited. In some places, kitesurfing or mudflat hiking is offered.

• The pharmacy emergency service can also take you to more distant places.

• During the usual opening hours, however, there is no shortage of pharmacies in Heide either.

• Several doctors, veterinarians and dentists provide adequate basic care.
• 2 Westküstenklinikum Heide, Esmarchstr. 50, ☏ +49 481 7850, info@wkk-hei.de. 24/7 emergency clinic. The hospital is available around the clock with all the necessary specialist areas, including emergency medicine. (updated Oct 2023)

Connect

• 3 Tourist Information Centre, Markt 37, ☏ +49 481 2122160, info@heide-stadtmarketing.de. M-F 09:00-17:00, Sa 09:30-13:30, only from April to November. (updated Sep 2023)

Go next

Büsum is 20 km from Heide directly on the North Sea coast. Popular holiday destination for tourists. Prawns and fish dishes are sold at the harbour.

Husum is the capital of the Kreis (district) Nordfriesland, 40 km up north from Heide. The city is famous for its artists such as Theodor Storm.

Hamburg