|
Dining in Europe > Flensburg The best start to the day is a sumptuous breakfast and a very pleasant place for this is Flensburgs Beste Stuuv, or the Vis à Vis at Holmhof, which also has a nice atmosphere. Other cafes in town are well worth a visit throughout the day - Café Maa, offering excellent confectionery and small dishes for a little appetite is simply a must for those with a sweet tooth. And from the balcony at Café Tiffany, you can watch whats happening in the Holmpassage shopping arcade. The Kritz at Nordermarkt is a popular meeting point for both young and old, from early afternoon until late at night. And Eis-Café Cortina has particularly nice Italian ice-cream. Tasty take-away snacks are available at Apfelsinchen in the Holmpassage ' where vegetarian meals and freshly pressed fruit juices are also on offer ' and at the Croquedile on the Schiffbrücke, while Papa´s Imbiss has tempting Greek gyros in pita bread and Sigi´s have crêpes. Furthermore, there are several butchers offering recommended take-away lunches throughout the pedestrian precinct. Flensburg is widely known for its beers and spirits, because the city has something very special and desirable ' namely excellent drinking water. Various springs with northern Scandinavian glacier water, which is stored beneath the firth, fill the wells in the old courtyards and are the reason why Flensburgs beverages enjoy such a good reputation. "Flensburger Pilsener" beer has been brewed at todays Flensburger Brauerei since 1888, and "Bommerlunder" or 'Hansen Rum' are just a few names within the wide range of high quality spirits produced here. Hansens Brauerei, including a restaurant, has even been running a successful branch in New York City for several years already and is well worth a visit. Imported but tasty Guinness beer is on offer at the Shamrock, where live bands often play. Flensburgs smallest working rum distillery is located in the Johannsen yard in Marienstrae. The houses own brand of rum can be purchased by the bottle in various sizes ' and with a little luck you can also catch a glimpse of the production halls. On cold winter days, the people of Flensburg have a drink of Grog, which consists of hot water and rum. Wine is less popular in the northern part of Schleswig-Holstein, as it is not part of the range of traditional regional drinks. However, there are very nice places catering even for demanding wine-lovers - the Weinstube im Krusehof, for example, which also offers a menu, and the Weinklause, which is in one of the most beautiful merchants' courtyards off the pedestrian precinct. The regional cuisine is partly inspired by the nearby North and Baltic Seas. A maritime feel is created by ingredients such as herring, eel and shrimps. One of the long-established fish restaurants at the harbour is Piet Henningsens with an impressive maritime interior, including an old diving suit and swordfish teeth. The fish specialities on offer are very nice and tasty. Freshly caught fish is also available at the neighbouring Restaurant Fährkrog, while Jessens Fischperle on the other side of the harbour has lovely take-away options on offer. Another sophisticated address is the Restaurant Sprotte on the beach promenade in Glücksburg, where you can enjoy traditional regional fish dishes and look at the beach. Those who would like to prepare a meal themselves and who don't mind getting up very early can purchase freshly caught fish straight from the fish market from 3am daily (or 1.30am in summer). Smoked delicacies are on offer at the smoke house in Unterer Lautrupsweg. Every year in summer, the Neptunstage (Neptune days) take place throughout the region. For several weeks, you can enjoy various moderately priced fish platters in the many restaurants which take part in this communal event. On the other hand, the Danish tradition has inspired the culinary scene in town. Not only will you frequently come across Pølser (a hot-dog with various trimmings) or Smøre Brød (filled sandwiches in many variations), but the Borgerforeningen, for example, also offers more sophisticated dishes with a Scandinavian touch. Grünkohl and Pinkel (green cabbage and sausage) is a popular
northern German autumn and winter dish. In Flensburg, it is served in
places like Dittmars Gasthof and the Delfter Stuben. With a little luck,
you will also find other specialities made from regional produce at the
local restaurants, like Schnüsch, for example ' a meal consisting of
vegetables boiled in milk, served with a herring. Not only But international cuisine is also well represented in Flensburg. 'A
bit of everything' at moderate prices can be found at the Hinkelstein,
Peppermint, or Kontraste as well as at the Pierrot. More than just souflaki and gyros are on offer at the Greek
restaurant Taverna Nafplion, while the Dubrovnik Grill specialises in
tasty treats from the Balkans. Italian cuisine is available at the
Ristorante Roma and the Italia, which is located high above the beach of
Solitüde and boasts terrific views across the firth. Fans of more sophisticated cuisine will find several gourmet restaurants within the region. First in line is Landhaus Schütt, one of the few absolutely first class restaurants north of Hamburg. Located on the Baltic coast in the direction of the river Schlei, it offers truly outstanding culinary delights! A visit can easily be combined with a visit to the beaches here. Two more top quality restaurants are located a bit closer to Flensburg. The Restaurant in the Hotel Meierhof is only a short drive from Flensburg and boasts beautiful views across the firth, while the Historischer Krug at Oeversee is also quickly reached by car and offers meals which are inspired by the Danish cuisine. Many restaurants and eateries in and around Flensburg are surrounded by beautiful landscape and often have open-air dining areas as well. The adorable Gasthaus Marienhölzung, for example, is located in the middle of the local forest and has a lovely terrace and private garden. The Bellevue, on the other hand, is situated at the harbour, where in good weather, you can sit on a platform above the water and sip on a drink. On the picturesque peninsula of Holnis, you can enjoy a sweet or tasty treat at the Fährhaus before or after a walk along the waterfront. And for all those who would like to go somewhere else after their dinner, there are a large number of pubs in the town centre. In addition to those mentioned before, there are other nice places to be recommended, such as the Galerie, Kaffeehaus, Grisou, Rock-Café, Brazil and Café Central where you can also have a good breakfast again?. Entertainment in FlensburgThose looking for entertainment in Germanys most northern city will be delighted by the large cultural variety Flensburg has offer to its visitors. As far as theatre is concerned, there is the recently renovated Stadttheater on the Rathausstrae, for example. Part of the Schleswig-Holstein State Theatre, it stages classic and modern productions, while the Niederdeutsche Bühne mainly ' but not exclusively - stages comedies in Plattdeutsch, the local dialect. You will, however, still be able follow the plot even without a high command of the 'lower German' tongue. In addition to these two bigger stages, the Flensburg theatre scene is characterised by several small but interesting houses like Det Lille Teater, the Danish theatre at 'Hjemmet'. In order to watch a play here, however, you should be able to understand Danish. The Theaterwerkstatt Pilkentafel and Orpheus Theater at Porticus 1740 present a varied programme of modern acting and entertaining comedy, song and cabaret nights on premises with very limited space, so the audience is really close to the actors, which makes the whole experience much more intense. Deutsches Haus is another large stage in town. In addition to famous musicians like the Dubliners and well-known comedians like Helge Schneider, you can also experience high quality classical music performances here, for example by the Bach-Choir or during the annual Schleswig-Holstein-Music-Festival. Further event venues with live music are the Kulturwerkstatt Kühlhaus e.V. near the railway station and the intimate Volksbad at Nordertor, where a broad variety of international cultural highlights ranging from punk bands and theme parties to performances by local bands, womens nights and world music are on the programme. If you are into Rock Music, visit the Speicher, where musicians frequently take part in jam sessions. The Kult, Galerie and Shamrock are a bit smaller, but also stage live performances of all kinds. Flensburgs nightlife has got a suitable location for everybody. If you prefer dancing to merely watching musicians, try one of the several discotheques and clubs in town. Still ranking among the all-time favourite establishments is the Roxy with its unfailing mixture of oldies on Tuesdays and charts and a bit of everything at the weekend. The Grogkeller at Südermarkt can also look back on a long tradition already - this small club inside a historic vault is a bit of a gem within the club-scene. Additional dance clubs like Sasa, Eaton Place, Chaplin, Casablanca, where even the 'older' generation above 30 can shake a leg without meeting teenagers and students all the time are spread across town. The latter can have their own giant party-zones at the Liquid, a disco on three levels, which was formerly known as the Tower-Centre, and the Sunny at Schiffbrücke, which caters for fans of Trance and House tracks with frequent DJ-events at the weekend. If you are into gambling, you won't find a traditional casino in town, but you can visit the Playhouse or one of the many City Play branches with slot machines. Fun and action is also guaranteed during a visit to the Bingo Hall in Krusau on the Danish border. Cinema-goers can choose from several houses in Flensburg. The Kinopolis, a modern multiplex fitted with the latest technology, is centrally located at the ZOB bus station. The mainstream movies shown here can also be seen at the City-Kino-Center on Toosbüystrae or the traditional old film-house Palast Theater at Jürgensby, while the more recently opened Kino 51 Stufen at Deutsches Haus presents sophisticated international productions and art-house films, many of which can be watched in their original versions. The variety of museums in and around town is very interesting. The most striking complex of buildings is located on Museum Hill. Not only does the Städtisches Museum display ' among other things - its valuable art and furniture collections here, but the Naturhistorisches Museum is also moving to a new home on the hill. Being a port with a history, Flensburg certainly has a lot of maritime exhibitions and collections on local history on display. The Museum of Seafaring and Rum is worth a visit, and the Museum Harbour with Steamer Alexandra and its own shipbuilding dock are a must. The Naval Academy in Mürwik shows an interesting exhibition on naval history. Those interested in technology should definitely see the Phänomenta, but the Artefact Power Park and Menke Planetarium in Glücksburg are also worth the detour. Once in Glücksburg, a stop at the beautiful Castle and the Rosarium are recommended. Fans of fine arts will find interesting pieces at the Städtisches Museum or the many galleries in town. A visit to the renowned Nolde-Museum takes a little while by car, but is definitely worth your while. In the greater Flensburg area, a trip to the historic Village Museum at Unewatt or to Kupfermühle are recommended, as is a ride with the Angelner Steam Train and a day trip to Schleswig or Husum, including a visit of the Nissen-Haus. Throughout the year, many major local events in town attract a lot of visitors. Among the popular maritime events are the Rumregatta in spring, the Dampf-Rundum (steam vehicle event) and the Fördewoche in summer, as well as the traditional Apfelfahrt (apple tour) in October. Musical highlights are guaranteed at the Flensburger Hofkultur and the Schleswig-Holstein-Music-Festival or the Bach-Tage. The Tummelum is all about creating records for the famous Guinness-Book, and culinary delights are provided at the Neptunstage or the Rote Strae-Fest. Towards the end of the year, the Christmas- and Martins Markets are on, and children are always looking forward to the biannual fair, and the Lantern parade in autumn. Those interested in sports should go and watch the SG Flensburg-Handewitt (handball team) matches or see Baltic Pirats (American Football) in action; matches take place at regular intervals throughout the year. Susanne Schmelzer |