This is a very good summary of the canoe part of the trip, we started in Maasholm top right side, then canoed down the fjord the only and therefore the longest in Northern Germany.
This was the one constant story in history lessons, the Vikings use the Schlei as a natural harbour and setup a trading settlement at Haitabu (on the banks of the Schlei and Danewerk which is a little bit further in land on the crossing point of the "Ochsenweg" (cattle drovers path which runs north south from Danmark and more or less down to Rome and beyond to Spain)
The fjord is about 50Km long, around 1000m wide in many places, less than 100ish meters at the narrowest point in Missunden and the two widest expanses are know as Grosse bereit (big wide bit) and kleine Breite (small wide bit) which are several KM across... and in a small canoe these are so big you can't really see the edges or identitfy where your heading. Also there's waves.... ranging from small 50cm enough to break over the top of a canoe and soak you.... to much bigger which makes it feel like your canoeing uphill....
we had to get out of canoes in Schleswig Harbour then overland to Hollingstedt, get into the river system at first the Treene a slow flowing river, that has million corners and your paddleing into a head wind atleast 50% off time.... again just a physical challenget that drags on.... for much longer than anyone expected...
the Treene (river) joins the Eider bigger (river) that eventually flows into the North Sea but is controlled by a flood protection barrier, which I couldn't workout how to get past without getting arrested... or killed... cos it's got a hell of a flow there, being tidal
We called it a day in Friedrichstadt aka little the Holland town, historically one of the dukes of schleswig, thought it was a good idea to get into lace making so imported a load of folks from holland who where either menanites or hutterites (religious people and lace makers, who then later cleared off to the US)
modern map of the harbours on the schlei it shows the overland section to Hollingstedt bottom left
Sailing on the Schlei: harbours and marinas from the gateway at Schleimünde to Schleswig. Tips on bridge openings, berths and the sailing area.
hafen.guide
