Eckernförde is a small Baltic seaside town on the coast of Schleswig-Holstein, tucked into a sheltered bay between Kiel and Flensburg. It has the kind of understated charm that German beach towns do well -- a long sandy beach backed by a tree-lined promenade, a compact old town with brick and half-timbered houses, and a working fishing harbor that still smells of the sea rather than tourism. The town has been a modest resort since the 19th century, and it wears its role lightly.
The thing Eckernförde is genuinely famous for is its smoked sprats. The Kieler Sprotten, despite the name, actually originate here, and you can buy them fresh from the smokehouses along the harbor. They are best eaten warm, straight from the smoke, with dark bread and butter. The harbor area is the heart of the town's appeal: fishing boats, small cafes, and the Bonbonkocherei where you can watch sweets being made by hand in copper kettles.
The beach stretches for about three kilometers and is clean and well maintained, with the usual Strandkorb wicker beach chairs for rent in summer. The water is calm and shallow, making it good for families. Behind the beach, the Windebyer Noor -- a brackish lagoon -- offers quiet walking and birdwatching. Eckernförde is not a place for big thrills, but if you want a few days of genuine seaside relaxation on the Baltic without the crowds of the bigger resorts, it is hard to beat.
The town also makes a reasonable base for exploring this stretch of coast. The Wikinger Museum Haithabu, one of the best of its kind in northern Europe, is only about twenty minutes south near Schleswig. And the Schlei inlet, a long fjord-like waterway popular with sailors, begins just to the north.