On a spit of land at the mouth of the Kieler Förde, the Laboe Naval Memorial rises 85 metres above the shoreline — a curved, ship-bow-shaped tower of reinforced concrete completed in 1936. It serves as a memorial to German sailors killed at sea and contains a chamber of remembrance below the tower, with walls inscribed with the names of lost vessels. The view from the top over the fjord entrance, the Baltic, and the Kiel skyline is worth the climb.
In the meadow below the tower, U-995 is the undisputed highlight. This Type VIIC/41 submarine — the most common U-boat design of the war — is preserved with its original interior intact. You can walk through the full length of the vessel: past the torpedo tubes in the bow, through the impossibly cramped crew quarters with hammock berths wedged between machinery, to the diesel engines and electric motors at the stern. The experience of the interior, with every cubic centimetre used, explains the casualty rate better than any text.
Laboe itself is a small beach resort on the eastern shore of the fjord. The long sandy beach stretching north is good in summer. The village is reached by passenger ferry from Kiel harbour (the most enjoyable approach) or by road via the eastern shore.