Arnis - Germany's smallest "city" and arguably its prettiest

By Kathrin Dorscheid Aug 23, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Arnis, Germany - 'Bad Arnis' - Spa Arnis - is written on the yellow road sign at the entrance to the town. This sounds like a centre of baths and health-recreational architecture, but Arnis has none of this to offer.

However, the town on the Schlei inlet in Germany's northern state of Schleswig-Holstein does lay claim to two records: It is the city with the smallest number of people and the smallest land area in all of Germany. All of 280 people inhabit about half a square kilometre.

The term 'city' itself raises false expectations. On paper, Arnis is a city, but in reality it is a village. There are no schools, no shops and no government offices.

But that Arnis is nevertheless an idyllic spot with a high level of recreational value is something that is unquestioned. 'We love the quiet and the lovely landscape here,' says a pensioner sitting on a bench with his wife on the banks of the Schlei.

Above them, seagulls are circling and screeching, waves are lapping up against the boat docks. These are the things that attract visitors - bicycling, hiking, water recreational activities - and the peace and quiet. There may not be a single hotel, but many vacation apartments. Arnis and the Schlei region is particularly popular with anglers.

Arnis was founded in 1667 when 64 families from the nearby town of Kappeln settled the area. Thanks to a persistent mayor, Arnis was accorded the status as a city in 1934.

Today, Arnis is co-administered by a regional governmental office in Kappeln, but it does have its own City Hall and mayor.

One can explore the entire 'city' in about half an hour on foot. There are only seven streets. The longest one, appropriately named Lange Strasse (long street) is all of 600 metres long.

Here you find the scenic half-timbered houses with their small bay windows. It is especially pretty in the summer when the rose bushes in front of the houses are in blossom and the lime trees with their thick foliage line the streets.

If you proceed along Lange Strasse in a south-westerly direction, you'll run across the historical Schifferkirche church of 1673 and its cemetery overlooking the water.

Descending from the cemetery, the way leads to the shoreside bathing area. If you walk a bit on the sandy beach towards the docks and the ferry landing, you come to the 'Schleiperle' (Schlei pearl) cafe and restaurant.

Hans-Werner Broderius has been running the Schleiperle since 1977. The establishment has belonged to his family going back to 1952. Even as a child he wanted to be a cook. 'I enjoy every day of work. A view like we have here you don't find so quickly,' he says.

The Schleiperle is located in an historic building which once served as a terminal building for steamship passengers and which seems to float above the water atop wooden piles.

At lunchtime, Broderius' wife and staff members serve up pastries and coffee. In the evenings there are cooked dinners.

Broderius especially likes to serve eels caught locally. 'It tastes better than those from a weir,' he says. 'Very soft and tender.'