The Schifffahrtsmuseum (Maritime Museum) occupies the old Fischhalle — a fish market hall from the 1880s — on the Dänische Strasse near the inner harbour. The collection covers Kiel's maritime history from the age of sail to the late twentieth century, with particular depth on the naval and commercial shipping that shaped the city.
The exhibits include ship models spanning four centuries, navigational instruments, harbour equipment, and documentation of the city's wartime role as a major U-boat base. One of the more unusual artefacts is a section of the original anchor chain from the battleship SMS Schleswig-Holstein, which fired the first shots of the Second World War when it shelled Westerplatte in Danzig in September 1939. The museum is modest in scale but curated with care, and the building itself — with its iron frame and brick shell — is worth seeing.
Entry is inexpensive and the museum can be covered in an hour. It pairs well with a walk along the Kiellinie or a visit to the harbour.