If you’re a War War II buff, and find anywhere near Germany, then you may want to check out that small city’s main attraction, the world’s last existing type V11-C submarine, the U-955, built in 1942 for the German Navy. Following the war, the sub was moved to the Norwegian Navy. In 1965, the decommissioned U-955 was returned to Germany, where she rests today, a museum that’s become one of the main tourist attractions for the city of Kiel.
After checking in to one of the many Kiel hotels, take a visit to the Rathaus’s 100 year old tower, three hundred and fifty feet tall. The tower was damaged by bombing in World War II, but much of it has been restored today and, by climbing to the top, you will have a great view of the city and harbor. From May to September, guided tours are offered on Wednesdays at around two in the afternoon. Afterwards, you can walk along the Hindenburg Embankment’s two mile stretch for a closer look at the harbor. You’ll be walking on the fjord’s west side, with a good view of the shipyards.
But one of the big reasons to come to the city is the chance to crawl around inside an actual World War II German sub, which you can do (every day, if you like) from April to October, from about 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., while the winter months, November through March, you’ll find the museum closing a bit earlier at five in the afternoon. You’ll see the astonishgly cramped spaces where about forty to fifty men lived. If you’re claustrophobic, you may double-think going to this exhibit, but if you’re okay with tight hatchways and narrow corridors, then the sub will provide a chance to take a close look at history in a way few people ever do.
