Germany's smallest town has only 260 residents.

November 21, 2025, 11:46 am | Read time: 3 minutes

To be considered a small town, a community must have at least 5,000 residents–in theory. However, the smallest town in Germany has just about 300 inhabitants. Why it still holds this title and why visiting this tiny town is worthwhile: TRAVELBOOK has the details.

It takes only 30 minutes to completely walk around the smallest town in Germany. And just 10 minutes to walk the only street, a dead-end road, through the town. Yet, one could spend hours there, so idyllic is its location on a peninsula in the northeast of Schleswig-Holstein. We’re talking about Arnis, which, with only 260 residents on half a square kilometer, is officially the smallest town in Germany.

How Arnis Became the Smallest Town in Germany

The title is worn with pride there, as is evident on the Arnis website. There, you can also read much about its history. Among other things, it states that Arnis was a real island between 1415 and 1796 before a connection to the mainland was reestablished. The community itself was founded and settled in 1667 by 65 families from the nearby town of Kappeln.

Initially, Arnis had the limited self-governance of a “Flecken” (a small settlement). From 1934, the former fishing village was officially allowed to call itself a town. “Arnis benefited from a National Socialist change in municipal law,” the town’s website states. It continues: “Because the place exhibited urban characteristics due to its structural layout and an economy defined by shipyards and tourism, it was granted town rights by the Prussian Ministry of the Interior.”

Smallest Town in Germany — On Lange Straße in Arnis, charming houses with gardens all border the water–it’s especially beautiful here in the warmer months.

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Arnis on the Map

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What to See and Do in Arnis

The smallest town in Germany is worth a visit for its waterfront location on the Schlei alone. On the town’s only street, Lange Straße, stand the oldest houses in Arnis, featuring timber framing, gabled roofs, and brightly painted window and door frames. There are a few restaurants and cafes, as well as some shops and a studio offering painting workshops. The town is still characterized by maritime businesses. For example, there is a boat builder, a sailmaker, and a yacht yard in the town. The Schifferkirche from 1673 is the oldest building in Arnis.

There is no hotel on the peninsula, but visitors to the smallest town in Germany can find some vacation rentals and guesthouses. Parking in Arnis is reserved for residents, so it’s best to park outside the only access road. Alternatively, you can take the ferry from the southern Schlei shore to the peninsula.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TRAVELBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@travelbook.de.