Kiel, for many years an important naval and marine centre, today stands out as a university town with a welcoming atmosphere and urban charm. This special setting is created by the ideal location of the capital of Schleswig-Holstein on the Schleswig-Holstein Fjord, a modern city centre, the Dänische Straße shopping boulevard and the many buildings with a maritime atmosphere dating back to the early 19th century. Kiel is the capital and the largest city in the Schleswig-Holstein region, the German gateway to the Baltic Sea: all ferries to the Scandinavian countries depart from here. The Kieler Woche (Kiel Week) is an annual sailing event that takes place in Kiel Bay. It is the largest event of its kind in the world in terms of number of participants. It takes place every year in the last week of June. The most spectacular moment is the parade of "Windjammer": large sailing ships, historic steamers and sailboats. More than a hundred ships usually participate in this parade. Also you can see numerous warships and school ships from foreign countries.
Throughout the week there are the big regattas that start from the Schilksee Olympic camp, outside the town centre, and head out to the open sea. These races cover sixteen national and international sailing classes, as well as ten Olympic classes.
But the Kieler Woche is also one of the most important folk festivals in Germany. Everything ends with a great fireworks display that takes place on the last Sunday and is visible from all over the Gulf of Kiel.
