Handgemacht — Kappeln Crafts Market (Spring Edition)

Handgemacht — A North German Brand Fair

The Handgemacht Markets series was founded by Ingrid Berkau and is now an established brand in the North German crafts calendar. Every season, the exhibitors — around fifty per market — travel throughout North Germany: Husum, Sankt Peter-Ording, Eckernförde, Kappeln, Glücksburg. Kappeln by the harbour is one of the series' most popular dates because the location — the harbour area and the promenade "Am Hafen" — allows market and scenery to merge.

One-Offs Instead of Mass-Produced Goods

The selection of exhibitors follows a clear line: only individually produced items, no imported mass-produced goods, no resale. This means: Each exhibitor is the manufacturer of what they sell and can explain their technique, material, and design. The stalls are small, and contact with the artists and craftspeople is direct — many regular visitors have been coming specifically to "their" exhibitor for years.

Kappeln and the Schlei

Kappeln is a small town with around 8,700 inhabitants in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, at the mouth of the Schlei river into the Baltic Sea. The town is famous for its bascule bridge over the Schlei (one of the few remaining bascule bridges in Germany), its herring fence, and its role as a filming location for the ARD series "Der Landarzt". The harbour promenade "Am Hafen" lies between the historic old town and the marina — an idyllic location that attracts thousands of day-trippers from Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg annually.

Spring and Summer in Kappeln

The spring edition opens the market season in the harbour; a second edition follows in late summer (mid/late August). Between the two Kappeln markets, there are other stops in the Handgemacht series in the region. Those who miss one date can easily reach the next.