Rendsburg: Old Town, Canal and Culture
Accommodation in Rendsburg
Rendsburg combines a historic centre with shipping on the Kiel Canal, cultural sites and opportunities for cycling and water sports. You can tailor your trip to suit different interests: the old town and Jewish Museum offer a historical focus, while the railway bridge, ship greeting facility and shipping archive showcase the city’s maritime and technical side. The cycling route, Untereider and city park add opportunities for exercise and green space.
Old Town and Historic Buildings
Narrow, winding streets define Rendsburg’s historic centre. The Old Town Hall, with its stepped gable, stands in the Altstädter Markt. A stepped gable is a building’s stepped upper edge and gives the town hall its distinctive roofline. The paintings on the ceiling and the largely wooden altar are among the distinctive features of St Mary’s Church. Together, the streets, town hall and church illustrate different aspects of the historic city centre.
Jewish Museum and Shipping Archive
The Rendsburg Jewish Museum is housed in Schleswig-Holstein’s only originally preserved synagogue. The museum is a historic site, a monument and a memorial. Its combination of a museum and a place of remembrance makes it a focus in its own right if you are interested in Jewish history and Rendsburg’s architectural heritage.
Covering 550 square metres, the Rendsburg Shipping Archive explores the history and present of shipping in Rendsburg, shipowners and shipyards. Exhibits include sextants, nautical charts and more than 120 ship models. Its subject matter thus ranges from navigational instruments and charts to models of ships.
Railway Bridge and Ship Greetings
The railway bridge is an important technical monument and carries a transporter bridge for pedestrians and vehicles. The only ship greeting facility on the Kiel Canal is located at the bridge terraces. A team of former captains tells visitors about passing ships; the national anthem of each ship’s country of origin is played to welcome it. If you plan to use the transporter bridge, check the current operating times in advance.
Cycling, Tunnel and Water Activities
The Kiel Canal Route runs along the canal from BrunsbĂĽttel to Kiel and passes through Rendsburg. It is mostly flat, with only a few climbs. Rendsburg is therefore a named section of this cycling route along the Kiel Canal.
Pedestrians and cyclists can also use a 130-metre-long tunnel beneath the Kiel Canal. SUP and canoeing are possible on Rendsburg’s waterfront. Installed in 2025, a freely accessible jetty on the Untereider allows people enjoying recreational sports to launch SUP boards or canoes.
City Park and Contemporary Art
The 14-hectare city park is a green recreational area connecting the old town with Neuwerk. The Stadtsee, a branch of the Eider, runs through the park. More than 70 tree species and numerous animals are among its features. Alongside the old town and canal, the park offers another aspect of Rendsburg to discover.
Neighbouring BĂĽdelsdorf is also a cultural point of interest: it borders Rendsburg and is home to NordArt, an important exhibition of contemporary art.
Discover more destinations: Molfsee, Grevenkrug, Hamweddel, Hohenwestedt, Strande, Aukrug, Tackesdorf, Hamdorf.
See the overarching travel overview: Rendsburg-Eckernförde.
