Eckernförde's old town is small enough to walk through in half an hour without really trying, but rewards a slower approach. The streets between the harbor and the market square (Rathaus Markt) are lined with brick merchant houses and half-timbered buildings in relatively good condition — the town escaped serious World War II damage, which is part of why this stretch of the Baltic coast still feels genuinely old rather than reconstructed.
The church of St. Nikolai anchors the old town and is worth stepping into for the carved wooden altar. The weekly market on Rathaus Markt sells local produce, fish, and regional foods. The Stadtmuseum, in a former merchant's house, has a good permanent collection on the town's history as a fishing and trading port, including materials on the Kieler Sprotten trade. Admission is inexpensive.