Flensburg lies near the German-Danish border at the end of the approximately 35 km long Flensburg Fjord.
Flensburg is a pleasant town with a homely atmosphere; its appeal stems from being a mixture of cosmopolitan harbour and trading port and a place of traditional tranquility, heavily influenced by its close proximity to the water and the meeting of two cultures. 400,000 Germans and Danes live in the immediate neighbourhood with 86,000 in Flensburg itself; the commercial, cultural and tourist centre of the region.
Apart from Flensburg’s role as a maritime centre on the Baltic Sea, the town also has an important function as the gateway to Scandanavia . Several hundred million marks are converted into border trade yearly.
The town provides its visitors with a variety of different leisure activities - relaxation from everyday stress begins right at the front door. First and foremost comes sailing in one of Europe’s most beautiful sailing haunts. Beaches and yachting harbours along the 150 kilometres of German-Danish coastline form an idyllic natural resort to relax in. Numerous yachting harbours along the holiday resort of the Flensburg Fjord, the home of 17 sailing clubs, have not only been the destination of many thousands of visiting sailors in recent years, but have also been the starting-point of many important regattas. Yachts, pleasure boats and ferries ply between the German and Danish shores. The yachting harbour, reserved for visitors allows guests to sail right into the town centre. Over 200 kilometres of wonderful cycle- and footpaths stretch along the coastline of the fjord.
Flensburg excels not only on the water, but also at handball. The SG Flensburg-Handewitt sports club has been at the top of the German handball league and participated in international tournaments for years. Handball enthusiasts in Germany and in neighbouring Denmark know about the “Northern Hell” which is feared by opposing teams.
Numerous attractions make Flensburg a popular tourist spot for many German and foreign visitors. It is worth walking through this lively town with its distinctive architecture, simply to look at the extensive restoration of the old town, for which Flensburg is well-known far beyond Germany’s borders. A fresh breeze, high clouds, clean air, the harbour and its trade and centuries of shipping characterize this town on the fjord. For over 400 years Flensburg was ruled by the Danish King and thus is deeply rooted in both German and Danish culture.
After decades of conflict, the Danish minority on this side of the border like the German minority on the other side, co-exists today, in harmonious and fruitful co-operation with the rest of the population. This integrated society, each honouring the other’s cultural identity, is an example for a united Europe. German as well as Danish determines every day life; what more obvious choice was there than Flensburg as the seat of the Europäischen Forschungszentrums für Minderheitenfragen (ECMI - European Centre for Minority Issues). The district councils of Schleswig-Holstein and North Friesia, and Flensburg’s town council on the German side and the district council of South Jutland on the Danish side work in cross-border co-operation to form the “Schleswig-South Jutland Region”.
This co-operation and mutual inspiration from different cultures not only make the town particularly attractive, but also allows a wide spectrum of commercial activity.
It is not just a centuries-old and flourishing rum and spirits industry, a shipyard on the up and a broad range of service provisions which characterise the face of the city of Flensburg; innovative businesses in the domain of environmentally-oriented technology are increasingly gaining importance. Well-known businesses in cooling and heating technology, electro-technology, news technology, machine engineering, fine mechanical engineering, paper processing, mail order forms and shipping companies have established themselves in Flensburg. In total there are more than 6,000 businesses in Flensburg, with approx. 36,500 full time employees and over 50,000 economically active residents.
The Economic and Regional Development Agency (WIREG) Flensburg/Schleswig along with Flensburg’s and neighbouring councils, support both existent and potential firms. Through close co-operation with Handewitt’s council, it has been possible to establish an industrial estate for the ‘Wirtschaftsentwicklungsgemeinschaft’ (Community of Economic Development) (WEG) Flensburg-Handewitt, for further development of the site.
Flensburg is one of the few towns not destroyed during the Second World War. This means that a large number of historic buildings from various periods are still standing. The historic “Old Town”, characteristically German and Danish in its architecture, bears witness to Flensburg’s 700 –year-old history. Under the motto “New Life in Old Courtyards”, the historic lanes and traditional merchants’ courtyards have been transformed into interesting and urban areas full of new experiences. Many small restaurants and boutiques, artisans’ workshops, cafes and galleries have certainly succeeded in bringing new life to these old courtyards.
Between the “Rote Strasse” and the North Gate lies one of the most diversified shopping streets in the whole of the north. This shopping street, which is more than one kilometre long, has about 500 shops and is situated right in the heart of the town, attracting thousands of visitors to Flensburg every summer. ‘Förde Park’ and ‘Citti Park’ (big shopping malls) exist on the outskirts of the town for shopping.
Plenty of cultural activities as well as a pleasant atmosphere can be found in this historic trading town with its old restaurants and cosy pubs. The Schleswig-Holstein Theatre and Symphony Orchestra, the Niederdeutsche Bühne (with performances in Low German) or the “lille teater” (performances in Danish) all offer quality entertainment. In summer the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Flensburg’s ‘Hofkultur’ (Culture in the courtyards) add to the cultural attractions. Flensburg’s residents also know how to have fun. Apart from the traditional “Rum Regatta” sailed by professional sailors and the Flensburg “Old-timer Festival” with old yachts, which are well-known far beyond the town, the particular attraction is the “Dampf-Rundum”, a get-together for old steam-ships and steam engines. Each event draws visitors from the whole of Germany and from elsewhere in Europe.
Flensburg possesses an excellent educational range and has developed into a university town of increasing importance. Currently there are around 4,200 students registered at Flensburg University. In addition there are the approximately 3,000 students of the Flensburg Technical College. Altogether these 7,200 students make use of a future-oriented educational range in Flensburg. Amongst other things, at the Technical College they train to be qualified engineers, IT specialists and business economists. The study course “Nautical science and technical ship management ” also located here is one of the most modern study courses in Germany. Flensburg University offers further outstanding study opportunities. Just a few years ago the transnational German-Danish study course “Operational Training and Management” was set up.
The fleet command in Glücksburg, the Naval College of Telecommunications and the Naval College all have close connections with Flensburg. In the Naval College alone, thousands of naval officers have received training since the beginning of the 20th century.
