Kiel Port Opens New Viewing Terrace

The new panoramic viewing terrace at Kiel’s new Schwedenkai Terminal has been officially opened to visitors and the public. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG) and Peter Todeskino, Kiel Lord Mayor and head of the department of city development and environment, cut a ribbon today on the steps leading to the terrace formally inaugurating the facility. “Here in Kiel we live on and with the Fiord and we want to attract people to the water”, said Peter Todeskino. “I’m glad that the competition run by the Port of Kiel and the city to find the best architectural design for Schwedenkai’s viewing terrace has managed to do this in such an exemplary fashion,” he added. The terrace is located above the passenger level in the main terminal building and offers an unparalleled panoramic view of the port. The adjacent “Längengrad” (Meridian) Restaurant, which was opened just a few weeks ago, has already become a popular meeting point at the junction between Kiel City centre and the Fiord.  The official opening of the viewing terrace also marks the completion of construction work at Schwedenkai. “The new Schwedenkai has now been finished”, said Dirk Claus. Investment of more than 30m Euros has gone into the redesigning of the terminal since Autumn 2008, turning it into one of the most efficient facilities ever built for the handling of big ferries and cruise ships. Dirk Claus said “the new Schwedenkai points up the fact that Kiel is one of the best-performing passenger and freight handling ports in the Baltic region”. The longest and, as far as freight capacity is concerned, biggest RoPax ferries in the Baltic – “Stena Germanica” and “Stena Scandinavica” – link Schwedenkai with Gothenburg every day. The ships leave Kiel every evening at 1930 hours and arrive in Sweden the following morning at 0900 hours. “We feel well looked after in Kiel. The new Schwedenkai offers a complete range of services to us and our customers”, commented Stena Line Germany spokesman Martin Wahl. One highlight of note among many – and a first for Kiel - is the “Truckers’ Lounge” set up in the terminal especially for the many truck drivers using the facility. In the first half of 2011 more than double the cargo volume was handled as in the same period of last year. “The new Schwedenkai is an economic success. Together we have created about 100 new jobs”, said Dirk Claus. In addition, the money spent by travellers is also of great significance for the City of Kiel. Stena Line passengers alone spend well over 10 million Euros year in our region.  The SEEHAFEN KIEL operates Kiel’s commercial port on behalf of the Schleswig-Holstein state capital, of which it is a 100% subsidiary. Kiel boasts a total of three modern terminals for ferry and cruise ships at the Ostseekai, Schwedenkai and Norwegenkai - all of them in unique inner-city locations.