Schleswig-Holstein
Art, History & Archaeology Sites & Museums
This page, part of our Germany Travel Guide, provides details of the art, archaeology and history sites, museums and related attractions to visit in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Readers wishing to visit these places will find visitor information, links to official websites as well as other helpful resources. Those who have an account (free of charge) can create their own travel lists and itineraries. To benefit fully from this website’s travel planning features, see the User’s Guide. The information on this page has been put together by various members of the Archaeology Travel team, based on both personal visits and research. The page was last checked and/or updated on 25 October 2023.
Create Your Schleswig-Holstein Itinerary & Travel Lists
If you are planning a trip to Schleswig-Holstein, and other regions in Germany, you can use our Itinerary Builder with the list of sites and museums below to create your own travel lists (such as places you have been to, places you would like to visit) and itineraries. These can be shared with your friends, privately and on social media. To make use of this feature, however, you will need to login or register as a new user. Registering to use these features is free of charge. Once registered and logged in, you can use the lists below to select sites and museums you would like to add to your itinerary and/or travel lists. Please Note: the lists below only include sites and museums in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, go to the German Travel Guide to find places to visit in the other states.
Historical Towns & Cities in Schleswig-Holstein
Friedrichstadt
Friedrichstadt was founded in 1621 by Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp in an attempt to set up a trading port between Spain and the East Indies via routes though Russia. He offered religious and cultural freedom to Dutch groups facing religious persecution in their homeland. The Dutch presence in the 17th and 18th century accounts for the characteristic Dutch architecture. The Dutch soon returned to the Netherlands, and the town never quite achieved the status hoped for. Today it is a popular summer attraction.
Hanseatic City of Lübeck
As the ‘Queen of the Hanseatic League’, Lübeck was the most powerful member city of the Hansa medieval trade network. Despite suffering considerable damage during WW2, the old city has retained much of its historic character. Winding streets, many still lined with 15th and 16th century residences of wealthy merchants, original salt storehouses from which these traders made their fortunes, the Holstentor city gate, the seven spires of Lübeck are just some of the must-see attractions. The historic quarter of Lübeck was added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites in 1987.
Archaeology & History Sites in Schleswig-Holstein
Memorial to the Victims of Langenberger Forest Labour Camp
At the entrance to Langenberger Forest just outside of Leck is a large rock, with the inscription: “Human dignity is inviolable. In memory of the victims of forced labour in the Langenberger Forest Camp 1943 – 1945.” It was laid on 8 May 2002. The memorial is set between a two of a number of ditches, which were dug by inmates held at the nearby prisoner of war camp. These trenches were anti-tank ditches, thought to have been dug sometime in the first half of 1944 in anticipation of a land attack by the Allies. Nothing remains of the prisoner of war camp today.
Castle outside Husum
Construction on Schloss Vor Husum began in 1577 on the site of a Franciscan monastery. It was built for Adolf I, the first Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf. At this time the castle was situated just beyond the town gate, hence its name. Just as this part of Schleswig-Holstein has changed hands between the Germans and the Danes, so too the castle has changed its role, from a ducal house to a royal residence for the Danish royal family. In May the park that surrounds the castle is a popular local attraction for the crocus blooms.
Museums & Art Galleries in Schleswig-Holstein
Ostfelder Farmhouse, Husum
Founded in 1899, the Ostenfelder Bauernhaus is Germany’s oldest open-air museum. The house, built sometime before 1600 in Lower Saxony, was rescued from being taken to Denmark by a local teacher, and re-constructed in his home town of Husum in 1899. The museum gives visitors an idea of what everyday farming life and work was like in former times. The house is from a time when animals and people shared the same building. The furniture is typical of farmhouses in the 18th and 19th centuries, as are the household items and farm tools.
Frisian Museum, Niebüll
A two-hundred year old long house, that was until 1929 a functioning agricultural residence, is the setting for a local history museum with an impressive exhibition of ethnographic artefacts. The collection has its origins when in 1864 Friedrich August Feddersen, a local pastor, began collecting objects of local Frisian life and culture. Today these objects are displayed in various living spaces and stables of the 23-metre longhouse to give an idea of Frisian daily life, from an extensive set of kitchen appliances to the tools that were used in roofing.
