Schleswig lies at the head of the Schlei, a narrow, winding arm of the Baltic that reaches forty kilometres inland and looks more like a river than a fjord. The harbour is small and cheerful, with sailing boats, a few pleasure steamers and a promenade where people stroll and eat fish rolls. Across the water you can see the roofs of the old town, and above them the slim spire of the cathedral, whose tower rises to well over a hundred metres and dominates the skyline for miles.
The cathedral holds a treasure, the Bordesholm Altar, a huge carved oak altarpiece made in the early sixteenth century by the sculptor Hans Brüggemann. Not far away, on a spit of land by the water, is Holm, an old fishermen's village of tiny, brightly painted cottages and narrow lanes, with its own small church and graveyard. It is the sort of place where the clocks seem to run slowly. Further out, Gottorf Castle, once the seat of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorf, now holds major museums.
The roads along the Schlei are some of the finest in the region for a relaxed ride. They wind through villages, past reed beds and small harbours, with the water glinting through the trees, and the traffic is light outside the summer. The country is flat but never dull, with big skies and plenty of birds, including herons, swans and the occasional sea eagle. Wind is the main factor, since the water funnels the breeze, and the weather can change in minutes.
Schleswig is a town of twenty-four thousand, with fuel stations, supermarkets, bakeries and a number of good restaurants, many of them specialising in fish. Smoked herring and Schlei fish are local favourites. Neuberend and Fahrdorf, smaller villages nearby, have a few cafés. If you have time, walk along the harbour and look at the boats, then choose a table with a view. The water, the light and the birds will do the rest.