About this place
The Schwedenkai, or Swedish Quay, sits right against Kiel's rebuilt centre on the western shore of the Kiel Fjord, a rare working ferry berth that has never been pushed out to the industrial edges of town. Inaugurated in 1967, it is the German home of Stena Line's overnight crossing to Gothenburg, and each afternoon one of the line's vast combined passenger and cargo ferries fills the end of the harbour before easing out past the naval piers and yacht clubs toward the Baltic. Around it the fjord tells the whole story of Kiel in a single glance, from the sleek white cruise ships at the Ostseekai opposite to the Color Line vessels bound for Oslo from the Norwegenkai, and beyond them the sailing waters that every June host Kieler Woche, the largest sailing event on earth. Standing here, you feel why this city calls itself Kiel Sailing City.
Key facts
- 1967 year — Stena Line began its overnight ferry link from the Schwedenkai to Gothenburg in Sweden
- 22.7 million passengers — Carried on the Kiel to Gothenburg route since it opened, alongside millions of cars and trucks
- 800 metres — Short walk from the quay to Kiel's main railway station and the city centre
📍 Schwedenkai, 24103, Kiel