Eckernförde is a coastal town on the Baltic Sea in Northern Germany, offering the perfect place to relax on the beach, enjoy fresh seafood, and take in the charming scenery. We spent a week in Eckernförde in July for a family vacation and loved the laid-back atmosphere, as well as the convenience of being able to walk to the beach, restaurants, shops, and our beach house within five minutes. If you’re thinking about visiting this quaint seaside town, we’ve put together this comprehensive Eckernförde travel guide to help you plan the perfect getaway.
How to Get to Eckernförde
Reaching Eckernförde is easy, with a 2.5-hour train ride from Hamburg that offers scenic views of the German countryside, including one transfer. Alternatively, you can opt for a 1.5-hour drive from Hamburg, for a quick and convenient route.
Getting Around Eckernförde
Eckernförde is a small seaside town that’s easy to navigate by foot. Many shops, restaurants, and cafes are located close together and just minutes from the beach, making it easy to get around. The town is also very bike-friendly allowing you to get around and explore without the need for a car, especially since parking can be difficult and limited on the narrow streets.
Where to Stay in Eckernförde
Eckernförde offers many vacation rentals, and we highly recommend booking one for your stay. Renting a place gives you the flexibility to enjoy the town at your own pace and feel more at home. We suggest checking out Booking.com and Airbnb to find the perfect beach rental that suits your needs.
Things to Do in Eckernförde
Relax at the Beach
We loved spending days at the beach, swimming in the water (a little chilly in mid-July), building sandcastles, and enjoying cocktails, snacks, and ice cream from the beachside restaurants. The water and beaches are super clean but you need to keep an eye out for orange jellyfish. While there are a lot of jellyfish, most are moon jellyfish, which are harmless. However, be cautious of the orange lion’s mane jellyfish, which can sting; though not poisonous, they can cause severe allergic reactions in some people.
Rent a Beach Basket
To make your beach day even more relaxing, consider renting one of Eckernförde’s iconic strandkorbs. These classic wicker beach baskets, with their hooded seats, block out the wind and comfortably accommodate two people. You can use the Beach Now app to reserve and unlock your beach basket, whether for a single day or the entire season. If you reserve it for your entire trip, you can securely store beach items like toys and sunscreen in the basket, keeping them safe and reducing what you need to carry back and forth.
Try a Fischbrötchen
As a seaside town, Eckernförde offers a wide variety of delicious, fresh seafood. For a typical German snack, try a fischbrötchen (fish sandwich). There are many varieties, but our favorites were the herring with pickled onions and the fried fish with tartar sauce. It’s the perfect quick lunch or snack when you’re exploring the town or relaxing at the beach. While there are many places to get a fischbrötchen, Fischkutter Capella was one of our favorites.
Explore the Shops
Eckernförde has a few charming streets lined with shops offering everything from clothing and home decor to toys and more. We recommend spending an afternoon browsing these stores and treating yourself to some ice cream along the way!
Grab an Ice Cream Treat
Eckernförde has many ice cream shops that seem to be busy at all hours, especially in the late afternoon during Kaffee und Kuchen. You have to try the spaghetti ice, it’s a German ice cream made to resemble a plate of spaghetti.
Visit the Candy Shop
Eckernförde has a classic candy shop, Bonbonkocherei Hermann Hinrichs, that offers a wide selection of candies that you can scoop yourself. They even have a window into the candy-making area where you can watch the candy makers at work. We enjoyed trying different candies and also visiting the separate chocolate shop, Chocolate Hermann Hinrichs, next door. They have really fun and unique chocolate flavors and shapes to check out.
Challenge Yourself at the High Ropes Course
For an adventurous activity out of the sun and heat, check out the high ropes course in Eckernförde - but only if you aren’t afraid of heights! This challenging course offers a variety of different routes ranging in difficulty. It’s a really fun activity for all ages; while we were there, we saw many kids and adults tackling the course.
Enjoy a Game of Mini Golf
You can’t visit a beach town without an evening game of mini golf. We had such a fun evening with family at Baltic Sea Golf Eckernförde, another great activity for all ages.
Visit the Market
On Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., head over to Rathausmarkt and Kirchplatz for a charming market. Here, you can find local ingredients, fresh flowers, and more.
Where to Eat in Eckernförde
For a nice seafood dinner, head over to Fischdeel. We highly recommend their seafood bisque and seafood pasta.
Fischkutter Capella
We loved this spot for grabbing a super affordable fischbrötchen. The restaurant is an old boat that you step into to order. There’s seating on top of the boat and some on land as well!
For a nice Italian dinner, head to Ristorante Bellini. They serve delicious cocktails, pasta, pizza, and more. We loved the carbonara, rigatoni with burrata, and the hugo spritz cocktails.
Eckernförde Travel Guide Takeaways
Eckernförde is a hidden gem on the Baltic Sea, perfect for a relaxing family vacation or a peaceful getaway. With its pristine beaches, fresh seafood, and charming atmosphere, it offers a quintessential Northern German seaside experience. Whether you’re soaking up the sun in a beach basket, exploring local shops and eateries, or challenging yourself to the high ropes course, Eckernförde provides a wonderful blend of relaxation and adventure. If you’re seeking a destination that combines natural beauty with small-town charm, Eckernförde should be at the top of your travel list.
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