St. Nicolai, Gothic church in Eckernförde, Germany.

St. Nicolai is a Gothic church with tall brick walls, pointed arches, and a robust tower that shapes the skyline of Eckernförde. The building stands out for its solid construction and the characteristic brick architecture typical of northern German medieval structures.

A single-nave Romanesque brick church without a tower stood here between roughly 1200 and 1250; its eastern part still serves as the chancel. Around 1310–1350 a west tower rose on a granite base, and by 1490 a brick tower replaced its wooden top. The present three-nave Late Gothic hall was built over the old walls in 1521–1530, roughly doubling the width; work stopped at about two-thirds of the plan, and in 1619 the damaged tower was absorbed under the roof, leaving the ridge turret seen today.

The church functions today as a meeting place for worship, weddings, and local events that shape the religious and community life of the town. People gather here to celebrate holidays and mark important moments in their lives.

St. Nicolai stands in the pedestrian zone in the centre of Eckernförde, a short walk from the harbour. The church is entered from the west; the granite wall of the first tower forms the western end of the nave inside. Look for the anchor mounted on the east gable, a memorial to the roughly 100 Danish sailors who died in the 1849 Battle of Eckernförde Fjord.

The tower was damaged in 1612, and in 1619 the church roof was drawn over it, leaving a tower inside the church; the present ridge turret was then set on the roof ridge as a replacement.