Tobias is walking along the Westring, a large street. He's got a break between lectures, so his destination is the student cafe. This is about a 10-minute walk from the university, in Hansastrasse, right in the university district. On the way there, he meets a girl he knows. "This is Kiel," he explains. "Here you always bump into people that you know."

This student from Stuttgart has lived here for three years. His friend Tim agrees with him. "Even when you go to the canteen, you never have to sit alone because you always meet someone," says the biology student. Both say that it's this familiar atmosphere that defines the city.

Beach city

Adil doesn't feel at home in Kiel just yet, even thought he wanted to study here. "Because the city is at the seaside and because I grew up on Morocco's Atlantic coast, I have this special relationship with water, and I am a surfer," he says. Many people in Kiel share this love of the sea, because that's the city's winning attraction, sandy beaches included - even though the weather may not always convey a beach atmosphere. "You can swim a lot, snorkel, dive, sail and paddle," says Leni, a student who owns her own beach catamaran. "For me it's mostly sailing."

Sailing courses for students

But not everyone needs to have their own boat in order to sail. Kiel is home to the largest sailing center among German university sport. Here, students can learn to sail - though naturally not for free. "But it's still cheaper than in a normal sailing club," says Tim, who himself started learning to sail in Kiel. The only drawback is the lack of action in autumn and winter. From October to April, the boats are stored away.

The who's-who meeting in Schrevenpark

Whoever is not so keen on water and waves is also well catered to on land. In the summer, Schrevenpark - a stretch of lakeside parkland - turns into a popular meeting place. "It's always the who's-who of university," says Tobias, who's just arrived at the cafe and is drinking a coffee next to Tim. "It's really the high life here: barbecues, music, meeting people. That's summer in Schrevenpark."

Student association parties instead of nightclubs

When the evenings get long again - and in winter it can get dark as early as 4:00 pm - and when the sky is covered in clouds, then it's the perfect time to visit one of the local independent cinemas, or attend one of the parties organized by student bodies that take place every week. Otherwise, you won't find a lot of nightlife in Kiel.

Kiel's home atmosphere

Most students feel good in this Baltic-coast city. For Mamak, an Iranian student, Kiel somehow feels like home. "I don't know what it is exactly that I miss," she says. "But when I'm away, I always look forward to going back to Kiel."

Author: Janine Albrecht
Editor: Greg Wiser