In Lübeck, northern Germany, you can immerse yourself in medieval history, marzipan sweetness and even laid-back beach life. Whether you are tracing your German ancestors from this area or simply seeking a charming medieval town to enjoy while in Germany – Lübeck is definitely worth a stopover.
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Why should you visit Lübeck?
Today, I would like to take you on a virtual trip to the city of Lübeck – a historic gem located in Germany’s northernmost federal state: Schleswig-Holstein. With around 222,000 inhabitants, Lübeck today is the second-largest city on the German coast of the Baltic Sea.
But in the Middle Ages, Lübeck was an important merchant town. At the time, 25.000 people were living here, which even made Lübeck the second largest city in medieval Germany terms of population. In the Middle Ages, only Cologne (“Köln” in German) had a higher population.
So, if your German ancestors are from Schleswig-Holstein, you should definitely visit Lübeck on your ancestry trip to Germany. It may also be worthwhile to see Lübeck if your ancestors were from another north German state, such as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) or the city states Bremen and Hamburg.
By the way: Some people also say that if you want to know what Hamburg looked like before World War II, you should head to Lübeck because of the many old, beautiful houses.
After all, the whole Old Town of Lübeck, which is an island surrounded by two rivers, has been declared a “UNESCO World Heritage Site”.
A short history of Lübeck
Although settled since around 700 AD, the city of Lübeck was officially founded in the year 1143. This was because of its strategic location on a peninsula surrounded by the rivers Trave and Wakenitz and its closeness to the Baltic Sea.
In the following years, Lübeck’s trade flourished quickly due to the nearby Baltic coast and close trade connections all over Europe.
During these early medieval times, the so-called Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval confederation of European merchant cities, was founded. Lübeck thrived as the de facto capital of this league. Its traders enjoyed toll privileges and protection, shaping the city’s destiny.
Ever since then, Lübeck even became known as the “Queen of the Hanseatic League”. And the Lübeck law influenced over 100 towns and cities on the coast of the Baltic Sea.
Like all major German cities, Lübeck was heavily bombed during World War 2, especially in the year 1942.
However, in 1944, Lübeck became an incoming port for the Red Cross transports to British prisoners of war in Germany. That’s why, from this time onwards, the old town of Lübeck was spared from further bombing raids.
How to get to Lübeck
If you stay or even fly into Hamburg, Germany’s second largest city in terms of population, it only takes about an hour to get to Lübeck by (regional) train. There are frequent trains all day long.
Lübeck is also a convenient stop if you are planning to travel further north by train – for example to Copenhagen in Denmark, Stockholm in Sweden or Oslo in Norway. This is what I did back in 2016 when I traveled by train from Bremen to Lübeck first, then on to Copenhagen in Denmark and finally to Stockholm in Sweden. It broke up my journey quite nicely into train rides that were not too long.
Once you have arrived in Lübeck, it’s just a short walk from the train station to the so-called “Holsten Gate”. Therefore, the Holsten Gate is where I would recommend you start your Lübeck sightseeing stroll.
Shortly after this gate, you will also see the former salt storage houses (“Salzspeicher” in German). These used to store the so-called “white gold“ of the Middle Ages: salt. All kinds of goods were kept more durable in salt, for example fish from Norway.
How to get around in the city
Lübeck is small enough to wander around to all the activities mentioned in the next section by foot (except for the beach of Travemünde). But there are also busses in town, should you need to take one.
To further explore Lübeck, you are spoilt for choice: You could book a guided tour in English, walk around by yourself, take a fun splash bus city tour or even drive your own boat!
I have not tried this myself, but heard from others that it’s very easy to drive one of the electric boats here. And the activity provider states that you do not need a driving license.
Exploring a city by driving a boat yourself sounds like a pretty unique (and neat!) way to get around a city to me. It currently costs 49 Euros for one hour and the boat has space for 6 people.
So for a little bit of a different city view, why not give it a try?
5 fun things to do on a day trip to Lübeck:
1. Enter the city through the medieval Holsten Gate
To start your Lübeck sightseeing tour, I recommend to enter the city through the only way that’s appropriate – a grand medieval gate. 😉
Lübeck’s so-called “Holstentor”, or “Holsten Gate” in English, with the sleeping lions in front of it, is the city’s most iconic landmark. You can even find it on the back of some of the 2-Euro-coins from Germany.
The Holsten Gate was built as part of the medieval city fortifications between 1464 and 1478. Today, the Holstentor houses the Lübeck Museum of City History. A visit takes you through the centuries, allowing you to experience the history of this Hanseatic city up close.
2. Have some marzipan-flavored “Kaffee und Kuchen”
A delicacy that is quintessentially Lübeck is marzipan.
Café Niederegger (Breite Str. 89) is a famous marzipan-themed café and shop, where you should definitely stop for what the Germans call “Kaffee und Kuchen” (coffee and cake).
Don’t get confused because you will find several Café Niedereggers on the map. The main one is the called “Stammhaus” and located right opposite the impressive Lübeck Town Hall (“Rathaus” in German).
The original Town Hall was built in the 13th century in the Romanesque style and extended in the 1570s in the then popular Renaissance style.
But back to the marzipan: At Niederegger, you can get marzipan in all forms and shapes. And of course many marzipan souvenirs to take home with you. You will find these on the ground floor right when you enter.
There also is a marzipan museum on the top floor (free entry!).
On both of my visits to Lübeck so far, I had a delightful break here with a marzipan cappuccino and a marzipan cake.
Was your German ancestor a “Konditor”?
If your German ancestor was a so-called “Konditor” (“confectioner” in English), you might also be interested in the story of how the Niederegger brand started in the early 19th century.
In Germany today you find a so-called “Bäckerei” (bakery) in every town, and village, even the very small ones. Every now and then, you may also find a “Konditorei” or a “Café and Konditorei” (confectionery or pastry shop / cake shop).
The difference is that a “Bäckerei” sells savory bread and baked goods as well as some sweet treats, while a “Konditorei” focuses on the sweet stuff only.
The story of Johann Georg Niederegger (1777 in Ulm – 1859 in Lübeck)
The story of “Café Niederegger” begins in 1803, when a journeyman from Ulm, called Johann Georg Niederegger, reaches the bustling trading town of Lübeck.
Niederegger had left Ulm because of the ongoing unrest due to the Napoleonic Wars. It was also common practice for young tradesmen to migrate to different towns within the German lands to gain work experience.
Niederegger soon found employment with the Lübeck master confectioner Johann Gerhard Maret. When Maret died in 1805 of pneumonia and his son was still too young to take over, his widow asked Niederegger to continue the store.
Thus, from 1805 onwards, Niederegger was selling the former Maret marzipan on his own account.
At the time, marzipan was an expensive luxury item and only sold during Christmas.
Making marzipan from almonds and sugar was also very hard work. At first, Niederegger had to crush the sugar crystals by hand to make them into icing sugar, then roast it with fresh almonds from Sicily (today, by the way, the almonds for Lübeck’s marzipan often come from California!)
All this had to be done quickly to not lose any time during the Christmas season. His work day started at 6 am and after a 12-hour-shift he still had to deliver the marzipan around town.
Because marzipan was so expensive and strict guild regulations prohibited him from baking anything with flour, Niederegger also sold things like perfume and toy watches to his mostly female audience. Just the marzipan alone was not enough to make ends meet for him and his family.
Compared to that, the “problem“ of choosing which one of the delicious cakes to try at the Niederegger Café today, seems like a “luxury problem” indeed.
3. Visit the European Hansemuseum
As mentioned before, Lübeck became the most important city, of the so-called “Hanseatic League” (“Hanse” in German) – a European trading union which existed roughly between the 12th and 17th century.
In old low German, the word “Hanse” meant “group”. It was necessary for merchants to travel together as a group back then because it was dangerous on your own. In the forests, there were frequent attacks by robbers, and on the seas by pirates.
By the way, the Hanse still survives in some of today’s terms or brands, for example the German airline “Lufthansa”, which literally means “air group”.
During the medieval times, cities all over Europe belonged to the Hanseatic League. In Germany, the most important Hanseatic cities were the big cities in north, such as Hamburg and Bremen, which up to this day bear the name “Free Hanseatic City”.
Lübeck, however, was the Hanse’s most powerful and prominent member and also hosted the yearly “Hansetage”, a huge conference for all Hanseatic cities.
You can find out all about the exciting historic facts at Lübeck’s “European Hansemuseum” (entry is 14 Euros, less with concession). The museum opened its doors in 2015 and manages to bring history to life with interactive rooms that are filled with things like ships, trade markets or dressing-up-clothing.
In the different areas of the museum, the rooms focus on the most important Hanseatic cities, such as Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck in Germany, Bruges in Belgium, Bergen in Norway, Novgorod in Russia and London in Great Britain.
Thus, going through this exhibition literally felt like traveling back in time. There is also information in English throughout the exhibition. Plus, you can use your smartphone to listen to English explanations in an audio guide about different topics during the times of the Hanseatic League (for example women in those times, the plague or the Hansetage conferences).
If you can, leave about 2–3 hours for your visit. You can also visit the adjoined Castle Friary (Burgkloster in German), which is included in your ticket.
4. Explore Lübeck’s hidden gems and travel back in time
St. Mary’s Church: A Gothic Marvel
Among the many churches that you can marvel at in Lübeck are Lübeck Cathedral (Lübecker Dom), St Peter’s Church (St.-Petri-Kirche) and St. Mary’s Church (Marienkirche). This is the former church of the wealthy Lübeck merchants and therefore especially grand.
The “Marienkirche” as it’s called in German, dominates the skyline with its two towering spires. Step inside to marvel at its awe-inspiring Gothic architecture. The astronomical clock, dating back to the 15th century, is a masterpiece of precision and artistry.
St. Mary’s Church also holds a record: At 38.5 meters high, the church has the highest brick vaulted ceiling in the world!
While here, don’t miss to take your snap with the devil! He is waiting for you outside on a bench, looking quite friendly actually. 🙂
Hidden Courtyards and Gabled Houses
Lübeck’s special charm lies in its calm, hidden walkways. This is where a guided tour in English comes in handy because these “secret courtyards” are hard to find on your own.
These “hidden courtyards” look very romantic today, but used to house mainly the poor people of the city and were created because of a rapid population growth.
In the Middle Ages, the good economic situation in Lübeck as the capital of the Hanseatic League attracted many people from other places to move here. But space was limited due to the island location.
Thus, the merchants came up with an idea: The created narrow alleyways (“Gänge“ in German) from their front houses to their backyards, where they built super small, single-storey windowless houses. Often, these houses only had one room.
Apparently, the only rule was that these passages had to be wide enough to carry a coffin through.
Some courtyards were also donations from rich Lübeck merchants, who provided cheap or free housing to disadvantaged people like widows or orphans.
The rich 17th century merchant Johann Füchting, for example, donated 1/3 of his inheritance to build 28 apartments in the “Füchtingshof” courtyard. As a favor in return, the people who lived there had to say daily prayers for him to secure Füchting a good place in heaven.
If you walk along by yourself, have a look for the streets called Glockengießerstraße, Engeslwisch and Glandorps Gang.
Especially in the spring and summer, it’s nice to have a look around here because of the beautiful flowers that the inhabitants have planted here and the calmness in this area.
Just remember that people are actually living here. So be respectful when you take pictures or just look around.
5. Chillax at the beach
If you’re staying longer and happen to be in Lübeck during the summer months, why not breathe in some fresh seaside air at the nearby Baltic Sea?
To get to Travemünde, Lübeck’s charming seaside district, just hop on a short train, ferry, car or bus ride (about 30 minutes).
Travemünde is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea and offers plenty of relaxing activities.
You could, for example, take a yoga session, swim in the open sea (if it’s warm enough for you!) or just relax at the beach – perhaps in one of the typical German roofed wicker beach chairs.
To sum up: I hope you enjoyed our little time travel tour through Lübeck as much as I did. In my opinion, Lübeck has a much quieter pace than Hamburg or even my hometown of Bremen.
It’s also easy and quick to get around town.
I visited Lübeck twice for only one day. So I tried to squeeze in as much as possible into the one day I had in Lübeck. And at the end of the day, I was surprised how much that actually was.
Unless otherwise credited, all photos by © Sonja Irani | MyAncestorsJourney.com
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