20 great cruising destinations: The most beautiful sailing areas in Germany

Lake Constance

You can only get from the upper lake to the lower lake with the mast down - but it's worth it, it's much more beautiful than the upper lake! There are headlands and bays, you can see the volcanic mountains in the background and you can anchor anywhere. You can quickly sail around one or two headlands on the branching lake and lose sight of your work and home harbour. Via the winding Seerhein, you reach the ramified floodplain landscape of the area around the island of Reichenau. Towards Stein am Rhein, Untersee forms a bottleneck, with the banks narrowing the water more and more, which is wonderful to see. Sailing and dreaming is always soothing there. The southern shore of the Höri artists' peninsula with its slightly pronounced bays between Wangen, Hemmenhofen and Gaienhofen is particularly recommended for daydreaming. The Schiener Berg protects against westerly winds. And when anchoring, the Rhine current pulls gently on the chain.

Josef Martin builds first-class wooden yachts in his shipyard. Various yachts and dinghies are moored in his harbour, which he sails on his doorstep

Eckernförde

You can reach my little paradise by boat from Suhrendorf or Schilksee - it's the Baltic Sea beach at our Grönwohld estate on Eckernförde Bay, where I grew up. I'm a water person and can't imagine living in a city without the sea. Here I have the Baltic Sea and all the elements right under my nose. My favourite thing to do is go for a walk on the beach with our Newfoundland dog. There's a sailing school with catamarans, a beach sauna just round the corner, a campsite and the "Windbar".

Carolina Werner, competed in the Nacra 17 at the 2016 Olympic Games

Large Alpsee

I once learnt to sail on the large Alpsee lake near Immenstadt. And I always love to come back here to take a deep breath between the many regattas in sailing areas around the world. I still proudly race for my sailing club, Alpsee-Immenstadt. There's a little corner of the lake maybe 200 metres from the club where you can relax, hire a SUP board, go out on the water and eat an ice cream. Just my thing when I need to switch off.

Philipp Buhl, Olympic participant at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, Laser World Champion 2020

Heiligenhafen

If I had to show a photo of my favourite place in my home waters, it would show my boat at its mooring in Heiligenhafen. It's there for a reason. After sailing around the world from 1977 to 1987, I was looking for a new sailing centre in Germany. I live in Lübeck, the city where I was born, but it didn't convince me as a home harbour. The first three times I sail from there out of the Trave estuary into the Baltic Sea are still magical, but after the tenth time it gets boring.

It's different from Heiligenhafen. You can head straight out onto the open water, and you can always head for great destinations not too far away, no matter what the wind is doing: you can either sail into the Bay of Kiel, the Bay of Lübeck, towards Kühlungsborn or to Fehmarn. Even the Danish South Sea is not far away. Another charming feature of the harbour is that it is directly adjacent to the pretty town. Just a few steps and you are in the centre of the village and on the lively market square. When I sit at the bakery in this quaint village, I feel the North German way of life at its finest. On the other hand, you can also hop on your bike and be in beautiful nature in just a few minutes.

An insider tip for all those who don't really feel comfortable in large marinas: Off the Graswarder peninsula, the nature reserve north of the marina, you can anchor in the old fairway of the fishing harbour. You sail into the fairway a little way, but you have to pay close attention to the depth.

Burghard Pieske has a multitude of maritime adventures in his wake: he sailed around the world for ten years on the self-built catamaran "Shangri-La". He later travelled 5,000 nautical miles alone in an open boat from Tonga to Indonesia and crossed the Atlantic in an original replica of a Viking ship

Chiemsee

Bavaria's largest lake is my sailing home. I learnt everything I know about sailing here. We were really drilled in mooring and casting off manoeuvres, always under sail of course. I sailed regattas against the magnificent backdrop of the Chiemgau Alps with my friend Holmer Lex, and we sometimes organised things that I would rather not write about in a serious sailing magazine. Holmer is a fisherman and lives on Fraueninsel. He still works in his business, which is now run by his son and grandson. And right in front of it, on the west side of Fraueninsel, is what I consider to be the most beautiful spot on the lake, a buoy site. It's easy to find, with a lonely tree rising out of the water on a mini island nearby. After a day's sailing, you can enjoy an eel from Lex, still warm from the smoke - that's as good as it gets.

Bobby Schenk is one of Germany's long-distance pioneers and has written numerous books on his speciality of navigation

Ammersee

When I was testing my first boat, an old Zef dinghy for 300 Deutschmarks, for my Mediterranean trips on the lake, my best friend at the time and I discovered an enchanted-looking place in the south. It was at the tip of the headland at the mouth of the River Ammer. The moon was shining from a blue-black night sky and it still smelled of the thunderstorm that had just passed. We dragged the boat ashore and spent the night in the open air. Here I christened my dinghy "Omen". Unfortunately, you're no longer allowed to go there, it's a nature reserve. But the lake has many other beautiful spots. If you want to experience Bavaria in its best cliché form - lovely foothills of the Alps, sky in white and blue, classic beer garden - we recommend a visit to Herrsching.

Egmont Friedl, author of specialist books and expert in cordage, knots and splicing

Heligoland

The "Dünenrestaurant" is almost an insider tip - because it is located on the bathing dune off the coast of Heligoland. It can only be reached by ferry from the jetties or from the north-east harbour, depending on the weather. There are few places where you can sit in the front row as relaxed and maritime as in the "Dünenrestaurant", with a view of the south beach, a tip of the island, the North Sea and pretty rows of colourful beach chairs. The waitress knows that I order currywurst there every time and usually just nods at me and says: "As always?" We're always there with the whole family at Easter: 20 currywursts!

Torsten Conradi, yacht designer and President of the German Boat and Shipbuilders' Association, has hotels and a residence on Heligoland

Rhine

My favourite place? The sun terrace of the Düsseldorf Yacht Club, of course! I started sailing right in front of it. The river is not without its currents and commercial shipping - but it's wonderful to watch from there in the evening in the light of the setting sun.

Constanze Stolz-Klingenberg, German champion and runner-up at the Junior World Championships in the Laser Radial

Elbe

My favourite place is Blankeneser Elbstrand. The "Kajüte S.B.12" is a tiny kiosk-style restaurant with benches on the beach. You can grab a drink, stroll down to the beach and enjoy the 360-degree panoramic view: the river in front and the many beautiful houses of the former fishing village nestled on the hillside behind.

Christina von Stempel, kite and classic sailor

Müritz

The Müritz has many wonderful corners and harbours. A particular highlight in summer, however, is the eastern shore. The water of the Müritz is of drinking water quality, it is particularly clear and even turquoise - almost like Mallorca, where I spend the winters. At lunchtime or for a break, dozens of boats come here on nice days to anchor. The bottom is sandy and you can get very close to the shore with little draught, where the water is just up to your knee. This is great, especially with children, as the shallow water warms up quickly. Of course, you can also anchor further out. The area borders on a nature reserve and there is no infrastructure whatsoever, but that's what makes it so attractive. However, few people stay here overnight, because when the wind shifts to the west, the spot quickly becomes unprotected, especially when a summer thunderstorm rolls in. It's better to stay in the Bolter Canal, which is also a great place.

Lothar Fichtner, founder of LA Yacht und Bootsbau GmbH in Waren an der Müritz

Berlin

The Seglerhaus am Wannsee association is a unique place for me. The building still gives me goosebumps when I think about all the things that have been celebrated here in the club's long history. As a family with a ten-month-old daughter, we have an eight-metre motorboat that we use to chug around Berlin. Our favourite destination is Sacrower Bucht, which can be reached from VSaW via either the large or the small Wannsee. The latter offers a course along magnificent houses on the lakeshore, through the Glienicker Brücker bridge and past the Sacrow church. Then we reach the enchanting Sacrow Bay, where we anchor, barbecue and sometimes spend the night. The banks are lined with reeds in an almost fairytale-like beauty. When you wake up in the morning and go for a swim, it is paradisiacally quiet. You can see the Kladower Land with other bathing spots and the Sacrow castle park, the Heilandskirche church on the corner of the Sacrow harbour and, of course, the Havel. On balmy summer evenings, there is hardly a better place for us in Berlin.

Ulrike Schümann, fourth at the 2008 Olympics and former DSV active spokesperson

Rügen

You have to experience Rügen by boat! Sailing past the chalk cliffs is always something very special, even for locals. The harbour at Ralswiek is a wonderful place. The Störtebeker Festival is held here every year, but even then you can still find a spot in the pretty harbour. It can be reached via the Great Jasmund Bodden and is well worth the long journey. If you like it rustic and cosy, you should definitely call at the harbour in Thiessow.

Uwe and Birgit Strüwing from Rügen sailed around the world from 2011 to 2013. They sail their home waters in summer and the Caribbean in winter

St. Peter-Ording

My definition of summer happiness? St Peter-Ording with the van, the kite, friends and a few beers. You can go to the Westerhever Watt and kite in small shallow-water lagoons, up and down the coast with the foil in light or moderate winds. Then you're usually the only one on the water. If there's a lot of wind, you can play with the wave rider in the waves. And simply sleep in the van in the evening - a dream in midsummer when fishing boats come and go before the sun sets. The most beautiful beach in the world! A unique feature of St Peter's is that you can drive directly onto the beach - except during storm tides - right up to the water's edge.

Boris Herrmann, Imoca skipper and one of Germany's best-known sailors

Flensburg Fjord

Flensburg is the home port of my expedition ship "Dagmar Aaen". I live in Bad Bramstedt, but have travelled on the Flensburg Fjord with the shark cutter and also with many smaller ships. It's difficult for me to emphasise a single aspect, because the fjord as a whole is a great, multi-faceted sailing area. Firstly, there is the sheltered inner fjord, where dinghies and stand-up paddlers can safely sail alongside tall ships. Then there is the outer fjord, where you can experience swell and plenty of wind. Furthermore, on the Danish side, there are the Ox Islands with their very special charm. There you have the feeling of being far away, even though you are almost at home. There are small, idyllic harbours all along the shores, such as Langballig, with its unique flair and a beach for a walk right next door. Or Wassersleben Bay, where you can anchor almost alone and sheltered from the cliffs and forest and spend a beautiful summer evening. And last but not least, there is the scenic beauty of this charming area with its hills and fields. From a purely practical point of view, the location is of course also impressive: Denmark and its islands are just a stone's throw away.

Arved Fuchs, adventurer and polar explorer, is known for his expeditions to high latitudes. He appreciates the cosiness of his home territory all the more

Lake Baldeney

It's important for me to be able to review a day's sailing in the cockpit at the end of the day, preferably with a glass of wine and with the good feeling of the independence of this form of travelling. This feeling also arises when I sit on the terrace of a clubhouse on Lake Baldeney and enjoy the sunset, chatting with other sailors or early in the morning on one of the beautiful reservoirs in North Rhine-Westphalia, such as Lake Möhne.

Mona Küppers, former President of the DSV

Kiel Fjord

A hiking trail leads from Strande to the Bülker lighthouse. Between trees, stones and the narrow beach, it winds along the shore to the westernmost tip of the Kiel Fjord. There, a simple concrete jetty juts out about 50 metres into the sea. If you walk all the way to the end, you will be standing in the middle of the Baltic Sea with dry feet. In the early morning, it is particularly beautiful and quiet here at sunrise. On one side, the Baltic Sea stretches as far as the horizon, you can see small and large ships passing by and can send your thoughts on a journey.

Justus Schmidt, 49er sailor

Schlei

I left Missunde to take a look at Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in a Hansa dinghy. As I sailed past Wormshöfter Noor, the secluded bay at the mouth of the Schlei, and saw the dark, smooth water reflections, I thought: "What a fantastic place to anchor for a night on the reed fringe." The shimmering water of the Schlei was bluish in colour, but so clear that I could make out small mounds of sand at the bottom, almost as if there was no water at all. All around, dark green seaweed stalks grew out of the bottom, swaying in the gentle current. I could feel this current. Once I had the anchor overboard, I stood on the cabin roof and spread my arms out. Free - just my boat, my sky, the Schlei and me!

I pressurised the paraffin cooker, listened to the hissing of the flame in complete relaxation, brewed myself a coffee and said aloud, looking around: "Heavens, the bay is beautiful. Even more beautiful when you've chosen freedom." With nothing to do, I spent the afternoon on the cockpit floor. I was in good hands here - at position 54° 41' North, 09° 58' East. Little did I know: for five days in a row. Without going ashore. But still totally happy and satisfied.

Wilfried Erdmann, four-time circumnavigator and author

Leipzig New Lake District

Lake Cospuden is a light wind area and therefore quite challenging to sail in competition - we have a very active club there. It really is enormous what has developed in the former open-cast mining area south of Leipzig, even if the connection to the other lakes has not yet been created and the area is therefore quite limited. But when I sit on one of the terraces of the "Pier 1" catering centre after a regatta, with a view over 200 masts at sunset - that's amazing! Deep inland, it almost feels like being by the sea.

Jörg Heidmann, former GDR squad sailor in the FD, now prefers to race on dinghy cruisers

Flensburg

If you love and live water sports, the Yacht Heritage Centre that Olli Berking has set up at Harniskai is just the place for you. No matter how often you visit the centre: Each time, you discover new treasures, fascinating books in the world's largest yachting library or a new exhibition - for me, a magical place full of inspiration.

Tim Kröger is one of Germany's best-known ocean racing sailors

Spiekeroog

One photo is characteristic of the sailing area of my childhood: a pram on the mudflats off Minsener Oog near the East Frisian Islands, with our ship lying on its side in the background. That was my parents' Albin Vega - and with a fixed keel, unfortunately not suitable for heading for one of the most beautiful destinations in the area: the lagoon on the west side of Spiekeroog. A beautiful, idyllic, relatively secluded spot from which you can walk to the pretty island town. For some time now, however, I have been sailing on the North Sea coast again and have bought a Seascape with a retractable keel - so that I can finally moor my boat in this very lagoon. A paradise for connoisseurs!

Tobias Schadewaldt, German series champion in the Laser and later in the 49er, grew up sailing on the Jade as a native of Wilhelmshaven

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