Our visit to Lübeck is essentially limited to the Old Town, which is completely surrounded by the Trave and Kanaltrave rivers. The old town thus forms an island surrounded by water. Lübeck was founded around 1143 and developed into the most important location of the Hanseatic League, a trading community of mainly North German merchants for trade with foreign countries. Lübeck benefited primarily from its direct access to the Baltic Sea. Hamburg later overtook Lübeck as Germany’s largest port. Today, Lübeck is still the largest ferry port on the Baltic Sea.
We find a good breakfast at the Schüler bakery in Moislinger Allee on Lindenplatz. On the way there, we pass the building block of the former salt warehouse and the Holsten Gate. The Holsten Gate, completed in 1478, is the landmark of Lübeck.
The Holsten Gate is the last surviving of four gates in a row. It was built on damp ground and subsided during the construction period. Today, the lowest embrasures are 50 cm below ground level. It was not finally stabilized until it was renovated in 1933. This is why, like many other buildings in Lübeck, it leans at an angle into the landscape.
We start our tour of Lübeck at St. Peter’s Church. Lübeck is known as the city of seven towers. At this church we already get an impression of the height of these buildings.
We then concentrate on the north-western quarter of the old town, starting at the market square near the town hall. Many of the city’s buildings are adorned with high gables, which are usually provided with circular holes. These were made to let the wind through, as it was feared that the gables would otherwise topple over in a storm.
The town hall staircase in Breite Straße is particularly impressive. Unfortunately, filming is not permitted inside the town hall, so I decided not to take a tour.
Instead, Mengstraße led us to the street An der Untertrave. A music and congress hall was built on the opposite bank of the Trave. Fischergrube and Engelsgrube branch off from Untertrave. Fischergrube leads to Geibelplatz with St. Jakobi Church and the Schiffergesellschaft.
The Fischergrube and the Engelsgrube often branch into hidden alleyways known as Thorwege or alley. The houses in the alleys can often only be reached via low and narrow passages.
Beautiful examples are the “Grüne Gang” (green alley), the “Sievers Thorweg” and the “Zerrahns Gang”.
The Hellgrüner Gang, which branches off from the Engelwisch, is particularly interesting.
The area up to the Dunkelgrünen Gang, the dark-green alley, is extremely dense. The advantage of such compact development is that car traffic in the city is very low, and most destinations can be easily reached on foot. For people, this means relatively good air quality and privacy, which is often enhanced by plants. In addition, we were always amazed at how many people were out and about by bike, even in freezing temperatures.
A columbarium is an urn cemetery where a final resting place can be rented, from individual graves to family plots to communal plots. The lease term is typically 15 years, after which a burial in nature or a sea burial takes place.
Passing the European Hanseatic Museum, we come to the lifting bridge. It is a lift bridge for trains and cars. It is a listed building. It is currently closed and will be renovated over the next three years.
On the other side of the road, on a small hill, is the castle gate with the customs house and the Monasterio del Castillo, the former site of the castle. After passing through the castle gate, you find yourself in front of the impressive facade of the State Office for Social Services.
Following the “Große Burgstraße,” you’ll come across Geibelplatz again, with the imposing Holy Spirit Hospital. It is one of the oldest social institutions in Germany.
A few meters further in Königstraße is the Willi Brandt House, the home of the former German Chancellor. Lübeck has produced some important personalities, including Günther Grass and Thomas Mann.
The Katharinenkiche, the Katharineum Gymnasium, and the Jorve Heldmann Hochschule are other impressive buildings.
On the way to our dinner, we pass Pfaffenstraße with the Lübeck Wine Office, Glockengießerstraße and Dr. Lulius Leber Straße with its magnificent facades.
We end the evening at the Fangfrisch restaurant, one of Lübeck’s most renowned restaurants with excellent fish dishes.
The fish stall on the other side of the street is also famous for its fish sandwiches.
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