| Unique pointsLubeck is a charming Hanseatic | | | | since |
| city, surrounded by a canal | | | | |
| | | | 1806 using a secret recipe, with as little |
| and a river. It has plenty of parks trees | | | | sugar as possible |
| and open spaces. | | | | |
| | | | added, to preserve the almond aroma and |
| The best known symbol of the city is the | | | | taste. They |
| Holtesten gate, | | | | |
| | | | serve all types of marzipan delicacies and |
| built in 1477. Unfortuntately the gate was | | | | you can choose |
| covered in | | | | |
| | | | from 300 products in their shop. There is a |
| scaffolding during my visit in June 2005, so | | | | museum on the |
| I didn't get any | | | | |
| | | | second floor, charting in the company's |
| photos! The town hall (Rathaus) was first | | | | history.The Duckstein Festival is held from 5 |
| constructed in | | | | - 14 August on the |
| | | | |
| 1230, it is regarded as one of the oldest | | | | banks of the River Travel. There are a |
| and most | | | | variety of outdoor |
| | | | |
| magnificent buildings in Germany. The whole | | | | street performances - music, comedy |
| of the old | | | | etc.Lubeck has several interesting museums. |
| | | | The Museum of |
| town is now a UNESCO world heritage site. | | | | |
| The old town | | | | Nature and the Environment, Muhlendamm 1 -3, |
| | | | tel 0451 |
| is quite compact and can easily be covered | | | | |
| by foot. Lubeck | | | | 1224121, has ten million year old whale |
| | | | fossils. The St |
| is known as the home of marizpan. The story | | | | |
| goes that | | | | Anne Museum, St Annen Strasse 15, tel 0451 |
| | | | 1224134, is a |
| during a siege the city ran out of flour and | | | | |
| they ground down | | | | former Augustian convent dating from the |
| | | | early 16th |
| nuts as a substitute! You can visit the | | | | |
| neaby Baltic coastal | | | | century. It has a collection of |
| | | | ecclesiastical art and late |
| resort of Travemunde, nicknamed Lubeck's | | | | |
| "lovely | | | | Medieval carved altar pieces. The Puppet |
| | | | Museum, |
| daughter", walk along the prom, take a dip | | | | |
| in the sea, visit a | | | | Petersgrube 4 - 5, tel 451 178626, houses |
| | | | one of the |
| fish restaurant. It is easy to reach Lubeck | | | | |
| with Ryanair | | | | largest collections in the world of 18th and |
| | | | 19th century |
| flights to Blankensee airport from | | | | |
| Prestwick, Standsted, | | | | puppets and puppet theatre equipment. The |
| | | | Holsten Gate |
| Shannon, Milan, Pisa and | | | | |
| Skavsta.HistoryLubeck was the cornerstone of | | | | houses the Museum of Local History. During |
| the Hanseatic League, a | | | | September |
| | | | |
| trading alliance between cities in Northern | | | | the Museums have some late opening nights, |
| Europe, to | | | | until |
| | | | |
| protect trade. The League endured for three | | | | midnight.Travemunde, the coastal resort, can |
| centries. | | | | be reached by boat trip |
| | | | |
| Lubeck was the most important town in the | | | | up to Trave River from Lubeck, by train or |
| Baltc basin by | | | | by bus numbers |
| | | | |
| the end of the Middle Ages. However by the | | | | 30 and 31. The Travemunde Sailing Week is |
| late 16th | | | | held from 22 - |
| | | | |
| century the League began to disintergrate. | | | | 31 July. It is the second largest sailing |
| The city is | | | | event in the world |
| | | | |
| nickmaned the "City of Seven Spires". The | | | | with around 3000 sailors from 16 countries |
| cathedral is | | | | taking part. |
| | | | |
| believed to be the oldest building in | | | | There are fireworks and a family party in |
| Lubeck, it was founded | | | | Brugmann |
| | | | |
| in 1137. It was badly damged in air raids | | | | Gardens. Sand World runs from 8 July - |
| during the Second | | | | September 4. This |
| | | | |
| World War, and was not fully renovated until | | | | is a display of sand scupltures up to 15 |
| 1982. The | | | | metres high. There |
| | | | |
| bells which fell during the raid have been | | | | is a prom which you can cycle or walk along. |
| left untouched as | | | | The beach is |
| | | | |
| a reminder of the destruction of war. The | | | | dotted with the characteristic beach chairs, |
| salt warehouses, | | | | which offer |
| | | | |
| now retail space, were crucial to the city's | | | | plenty of wind cover.Day TripsThere are |
| ecomony. Salt | | | | regular train/bus to nearby cities. I really |
| | | | liked |
| was known as "white gold" as it the only | | | | |
| means of | | | | Wismar, east of Lubeck. It is also a |
| | | | Hanseatic town. It has |
| preserving food. Lubeck was still a "free | | | | |
| city" when it | | | | a large town square with a medieval water |
| | | | pumping station, |
| refused to allow Hitler to speak there | | | | |
| during his election | | | | built in Dutch renaissence style. Along the |
| | | | port, fish is |
| campaign. Hitler revoked this privilege | | | | |
| once he came to | | | | freshly smoked on board boats. There are |
| | | | stalls selling |
| power.What to see and doThe old town is very | | | | |
| pleasant just for wandering around. | | | | snacks, mainly fish sandwiches and several |
| | | | restaurants |
| Every so often you will happen upon one of | | | | |
| alleyways off a | | | | and cafes. |
| | | | |
| road with terraces of pretty cottages. | | | | Schwerin is also very beautiful, surrounded |
| These were originally | | | | by lakes.Where to stayExcelsior Hotel, this |
| | | | three star hotel is located just outside |
| built behind the merchants town houses as | | | | |
| | | | the old town, close to the bus and railway |
| accommodation for the workers. Most of them | | | | stations. I stayed |
| have now | | | | |
| | | | at this hotel for one night in June 2005. |
| been refurbished and converted into houses | | | | The rooms are |
| for the elderly. | | | | |
| | | | comfortable and the buffet breakfast is |
| You are welcome to go into the alleys during | | | | good. Rates for a |
| the day to look | | | | |
| | | | double room are 78 - 108 euros, a single |
| around, as long as you are respectful of the | | | | room is 60 - 80 |
| residents.There are lots of green spaces to | | | | |
| walk around. I especially | | | | euros. The Excelsior has a 3 day special |
| | | | which includes |
| liked the Muhlenteich, a tranquil piece of | | | | |
| water with great | | | | two nights bed and breakfast, two |
| | | | four-course meals (you |
| view over to the cathedral. There are paths | | | | |
| round almost all | | | | can choose lunch or dinner), a city tour, a |
| | | | visit to the Cafe |
| the peripherary of the old town.The old town | | | | |
| is surrounded by the Elbe-Lubeck canal and | | | | Neideregger and admission to the Puppet |
| | | | Museum. This |
| the Trave River. You can take boat trips | | | | |
| round the port from | | | | package costs 142 euros per person, based on |
| | | | two |
| the jetties at Obertrave, Wall Peninsula and | | | | |
| the Untertrave. | | | | sharing, 174 euros in a single room.The two |
| | | | star Baltic Hotel is located just outside the |
| You can also take a trip on the Wakenitz | | | | old town, |
| from Muhlerbrucke | | | | |
| | | | close to the bus and railway stations. A |
| to Rothebhausen.Thomas Mann, the German | | | | double roomcosts |
| author, was born and spent the | | | | |
| | | | from 61 - 67 euros per night, a single room |
| early part of his life in Lubeck. One of | | | | from 33 - 37 |
| his best known | | | | |
| | | | euros per nightWhere to eatWullenwever, |
| novels, "The Buddenbrooks", helped him to | | | | Beckergrube 71, tel 0451 704333, is run by |
| win a Nobel | | | | |
| | | | the Peterman family. it is located in a |
| Prize for Literature in 1929. It is the | | | | 16th century house. |
| story of the downfall of | | | | |
| | | | There are several set menus, starting at 35 |
| a bourgeois family over several generations. | | | | euros per |
| It was Mann's | | | | |
| | | | person or you can dine a la carte.Restaurant |
| first novel published when he was 25. The | | | | Toledo, Krahenstrasse 25, tel 451 7098111, is |
| so called | | | | |
| | | | |
| "Buddenbrooks House" was the home of Mann's | | | | a Spanish/Mediterranean restaurant. They |
| | | | serve a buffet on |
| grandparents but it was portrayed as the | | | | |
| home of the | | | | Friday and Saturday evening with an |
| | | | extensive choice at only |
| Buddenbrooks in the novel. Some of the | | | | |
| rooms in the | | | | 11.5 euros per person. I liked this |
| | | | restaurant because I |
| house have been decorated as described in | | | | |
| the novel.Lubeck hosts various markets during | | | | could see what I was choosing at the buffet. |
| the year. The | | | | I didn't |
| | | | |
| Christmas market is held in Koberg Square | | | | understand most of tne menus in Germany |
| from 21 | | | | beyond chicken |
| | | | |
| November to 23 December. The Anno Dazumal | | | | and pork. I do like some fish but never |
| Market is | | | | knew what all the |
| | | | |
| held in the town hall square during May. | | | | kinds of fish on the menu were and didn't |
| Stall holders dress | | | | want to order |
| | | | |
| in traditional custom and you can watch them | | | | something I couldn't eat.Karen Bryan is a UK |
| practising | | | | based independent travel consultant |
| | | | |
| traditional crafts. It is like a journey | | | | and writer, specialising in less well known |
| back through time.For marzipan lovers, a | | | | destinations in |
| visit to the Cafe Neideregger is a | | | | |
| | | | Europe. |
| must. Neideregger have been making marzipan | | | | |