Lubeck

On the evening of Monday September first, we arrived in Lubeck, and found our hotel (Hotel Excelsior; located just outside the Main gate to old-town Lubeck). Lubeck is an old Hanseatic town, and has been referred to as the Queen City of the Hanseatic League. It is now a World Heritage site (the downtown area) and is a really lovely place to visit.

From Lubeck

On our trip to the Netherlands in May we learned a fair amount about the Hansa as many of our port calls were Hansa cities. We also received a lecture from a Dutch professor about the Hansa. We immediately recognized the imprint this league had on this town when we saw the Holstentor (the main gate). Gates such as this one dating back to the 13th century can be found in numerous cities in the Nethderlands, and also, I would guess, in other Hansa ports around northern Europe.

Also immediately apparent was the Hansa-esque architecture seen all over the city. These buildings, especially along the water are old warehouses that have been long since converted into housing and retail space.

Other great things about Lubeck: The churches, which include a couple of cathedrals. One such cathedral, St. Mariens, has preserved the old bells damaged during WWII as a peace memorial. Another, the Dom Kirke, had a huge Gothic addition made to the Romanesque maine hall during the 16th century at the behest of a bishop. It is an amazing contrast between the two styles. Light and airy (gothic) vs heavy and strong (romanesque).

There is an old hospital dating to 1260 that was run by nuns. There are numerous old alleys where additional housing was made inside the courtyards of other houses during housing shortages. There are many museums, and walking streets too. Lubeck is known for its Marzipan (blech, but to each her\his own). There is an old city hall and market square, but it is less impressive than some of the other parts of town. And finally there is the old wharf area sitting on the river Trave, which is lovely.

The kids walked around this place for an entire day. They never get tired of the big cathedrals (well, not yet), and they always lead us to interesting bits we would otherwise overlook. An example is the playground we found at the end of one of the Lubeck alleys.