On the northern shore of the lake is the Ministry of Justice (Ministry of Justice, Europe, Consumer Protection and Equality of the State of Schleswig-Holstein). The castle-like house was planned at the end of the 19th century in the style of the German Renaissance by the architect Walter Hesse.

If you start the gondola ride from the swimming jetty, the large willow trees emerge from behind the town hall tower. This imposing building is 106 meters high and you have a fantastic view over Kiel from above. It was completed 1907 - 1911 under the direction of an architect from Karlsruhe who was a Venice fan. Therefore, the tower looks very similar to the Campanile of Venice, but is 8 meters higher. Since the Venetian Campanile had fallen over completely in 1903 and was not rebuilt until April 1912, the Campanile in Kiel is now older than the Campanile in Venice. My Venetian friends don't find this story so funny.

The former tram waiting house now houses a small café after some Ujm buildings and is a popular photo motif.

Kiel Castle was almost completely surrounded by water until about 1850. The Kleine Kiel is part of this old side arm of the Kiel Fjord. The water depth is 1 to 2 meters and the lake bed is very muddy.