Kiel: sails and fjords on the German Baltic

The Kiellinie, a waterfront lining the entire fjord of the city, animates walks with views of cruise ships and historic sailing vessels.

Minutes away, the Kiel Canal, the most trafficked artificial canal in the world, connects the Baltic to the North Sea through Jutland.

Heading along the fjord one visits the Maritime Museum, housed in a former fish market, which recounts the naval and sailing history of the city.

As evening falls, during the Kieler Woche in late June, the fjord fills with thousands of vessels for the worlds largest sailing regatta.

The Kiel Canal, inaugurated in 1895, remains the world's most trafficked artificial waterway by number of vessels, saving hundreds of kilometers of navigation around the Jutland Peninsula.

Kieler Woche, a sailing event founded in 1882, attracts over three million visitors and thousands of boats from around the world each year, becoming the planet's largest sailing festival.