Lübeck Things to Do

The Holsten Tor was a fortification completed in 1478 along the Trave River in Lübeck.

Inside the Holsten Tor is a neat museum, and when I visited there was an exhibit on the history of the city of Lübeck, with historical artifacts and artwork.

An interesting thing to see is how the building leans awkwardly, due to settling of the foundation over the centuries. (Remember, it was built in 1478!!!)

Das Burgtor was built in 1444, and is located on the north side of the Altstadt.

I could not go inside because I was there early on a Sunday and the building was closed, but I did walk around and under it! (Ah! An excuse to go back to Lübeck!)

The Burgtor is attached to the Altstadt wall, and there is a small parklike area around it, that makes for a nice walk. There are also also restaurants and small shops all along Große Burgstrasse, which leads up to the Burgtor.

2 more images

Quoting from a page I find quite interesting to read regarding cycling the Baltic. "The Germans call this body of water the Ostsee but in English we know it as the Baltic Sea. Maxa and I split this tour into two parts, Flensburg to Luebeck and Luebeck to Ahlbeck on Usedom.." http://bicyclegermany.com/baltic_coast.htm

1 more image

Luebeck is a district-free city in the state Schleswig-Holstein with a population of around 214.000. It is the second biggest city in that state, which lies in North Germany. The city is positioned at the Trave river with the largest German port on the Baltic Sea. The old part of the town is an islet which is enclosed by the Trave river.

Luebeck has a medieval environment and many sites of cultural and historical interest. For example, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, this city is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites.

Visitors will certainly feel a sense of delight while visiting the Holsten Gate (Holstentor), which is a colossal, 15th-century fortification. Its twin towers are certainly its illustrious landmark, and one will find its picture on most post cards.

http://www.mygermancity.com/luebeck

4 more images

This church just happened to be on our route, when we walked around the city.
When we walked inside, I noticed it was the same chuch I had seen at VT-pages with fallen bells. I think the wooden crosses inside the chuch were somehow beautyful. I noticed, that I was the only one taking photos of them, so maybe other people didn´t see the beauty of them. I don´t know the story behing them, didn´t find any info.

And since I didn´t have a guidebook, I don´t know why the horns at little devils head outside are shiny? Does it bring you good luck to touch them? It was little strange to see a little devil close to the walls of church. I couldn´t think in Finland religious people would like that. But it was cute-looking statue :)
I don´t put the photos of the fallen bells and the astrological clock, because anyone else has them allready ;)

3 more images

Each year for a week in early August there is a festival held on the banks of the River Trave. It has free entry and there are all kinds of things to watch, eat, drink, buy, listen to, laugh at and participate in.

We thoroughly enjoyed the visiting Swedish student band who really didn't take themselves seriously at all. They were great fun and needed lots of audience participation in order to get them really going.

Other rock bands were playing on the main stage but my 19 year old son was a bit dismissive of them " not heavy enough".

There was no shortage of different eating places and all sorts of food from African, Middle eastern, Indian and Chinese to sweets and icecreams. The sponsors of the festival, Duckstein, sell their beers at numerous outlets.

The atmosphere was terrific; really great to see such a variety of people all enjoying themselves together. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

This city landmark is a well known gate that marks the western boundary of the old center of of Lübeck. It a lasting part of Lübeck’s medieval fortifications and the last surviving city gate, and quite impressive for it's bulk. It has a unique pair of round towers large archway entrance are seen as the city symbol. The red brick construction material is common in the area, but the black tiles stand out. The gate and the old city center (Altstadt) of Lübeck are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The black tile stripes that go around the gate have different designs. You will see lilies, a lattice pattern, or a representation of thistle leaves. There's the Lübeck heraldic eagle and a tree, and two men holding a coat of arms. Above the archway entrance there are works inscribed that read “concordia domi foris pax” (“harmony within, peace without”). This inscription dates from 1871 and is a shorter version of an earlier inscription that read "Concordia domi et pax foris sane res est omnium pulcherrima”

When you go toward the old city you can't miss the gate. There is a long grass lawn leading up to it, which is a popular place to hang out or take photos. Just on the other side of the gate there are classic views of the waterway, where you can see the old buildings and church tower skyline. It makes a very impressive entrance to this beautiful city.

In the center of the Old Town is the wonderful Market, and along one side the Town Hall (Rathaus). The Rathaus is one of the most magnificent in Germany, built in the 13th-15th centuries in dark glazed brick, with a later addition dating to 1570 at the front of the building. The market square is a good place to buy some things for a picnic, or to have a seat at a cafe and enjoy the views and the local action. Niederegger has a cafe here, where you can get tasty bakery treats and coffee. We were here in the summer, but heard that this market is popular before Christmas, when booths and activities draw in a lot of tourists.