A city of sails

Kiel has a world-renowned reputation as a centre of excellence for sailing due to its location on the Kiel Firth in the Baltic Sea, approximately 90 kilometres (56 miles) north of Hamburg.

The city plays host to the annual Kieler Woche sailing regatta in which people from all over the world take part. It was the venue for the sailing events of the 1936 and 1972 Olympic Games.

It is the capital of Schleswig-Holstein and home to almost 250,000 people. Kiel is an important transport hub with ferries from Sweden, Norway and Russia calling into the Baltic port, as well as being a favourite port for cruise lines whose ships bring many visitors to the region.