Lübeck is a pearl, a beautiful city in the north of Germany, which is worth visiting and always worth a detour.
The foundation of the city falls in the era of Charlemagne and the name Lübeck is derived from the word “Liubice”, which means “the lovely” and already alludes to the charm of the city, which has remained with it to the present day.
As early as the 10th century, the settlement was able to establish itself as one of the most important in the north of Germany, but was completely destroyed in 1138, but was quickly restored and became one of the most important cities of the north in Germany.
Lübeck is not only the little sister of Hamburg, as a Hanseatic city it knows very well how to charm with its brick Gothic facades and spread this very special Nordic charisma.
Tip 1: Holsten Gate in Lübeck
The Holsten Gate is the landmark of the Hanseatic city of Lübeck and many people still remember it as the motif of the old 50 Mark bill. The Holsten Gate is a part of the former city fortifications of Lübeck and borders the old town of Lübeck in the west. The late Gothic building consists of two towers, the north and the south tower, which are connected by a central building.
The Holsten Gate is not only a sight from the outside, which has been captured by tourists countless times on pictures, but also inside there are interesting things to see, because there is, among other things, the ” City History Museum Lübeck “.
Tip 2: The Old Town Island
In 1987, an entire city area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the first time: Lübeck’s Old Town. This means that Lübeck is home to Germany’s largest UNESCO area monument.
The historic city center is often called “Old Town Island” because it is located on an approximately 100-hectare “island” surrounded on all sides by water. The many sights in the old town still bear witness to different eras and offer a lively insight into the exciting history of the Hanseatic city, which can be discovered here up close. Here you will find about 1,800 listed buildings, quaint corridors, alleys and backyards that invite you to linger and the impressive towers of St. Marien, St. Petri, St. Aegidien as well as the Lübeck Cathedral, which you can hardly miss when visiting the Old Town Island.
Tip 3: Buddenbrook House
In the “Mengstraße” in Lübeck is the famous “Buddenbrookhaus”, one of the beautiful old Lübeck town houses. In this house with the really worth seeing facade, lived already many influential or famous citizens, like for example the family of the famous German writers Heinrich and Thomas Mann, who grew up in this house.
Thus, the house in Mengstraße also owes its name to the novel “Buddenbrooks”, which Thomas Mann wrote and whose story takes place to a large extent in this Lübeck town house. Today, the “Buddenbrook House” also houses the “Heinrich and Thomas Mann Center”, which is well worth a visit.
Tip 4: Lübeck Cathedral
In 1173, Henry the Lion, as the founder, laid the foundation stone of Lübeck Cathedral as a cathedral for the bishopric of Lübeck, after the episcopal see had been transferred here from Oldenburg in Holstein under Bishop Gerold in 1160. The church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist as the bishop’s church and to St. Nicholas as the parish church.
The then Romanesque cathedral was completed in about 1230 and rebuilt into a Gothic hall church between 1266 and 1335. Also in the middle of the 14th century, the extension of the structure took place through the construction of the reingotic east choir under Bishop Heinrich II Bochholt (1317-41). The latter spent a sum of 28,000 marks on the choir, which was completed in 1341 and in the middle of which he is also buried under a remarkable brass tomb slab. The length of the cathedral was doubled by this construction.
Over the centuries, the cathedral was frequently damaged by weather and storms due to its exposed location on the water between Obertrave and Mühlenteich.
After several bombs hit the neighborhood on the night of Palm Sunday, March 28-29, 1942, during a bombing raid that destroyed one-fifth of downtown Lübeck, the eastern vault in the high choir collapsed, destroying the high altar from 1696.
Lübeck Cathedral is unique in the world in that it is smaller than the largest church in Lübeck, at 105 meters. This is the result of a power struggle between the church and the city council.
The cathedral houses the striking 17-meter high Triumphal Cross by the Lübeck artist Bernt Notke, which unobtrusively dominates the nave. It was donated by the bishop of Lübeck, Albert II. Krummendiek and erected in the nave in 1477.
The church clock at the southern end of the rood screen dates from 1628.
Tip 5: The Holy Spirit Hospital
The Holy Spirit Hospital at Koberg is located in the northern Jakobi district of the Old Town. It is one of the oldest institutions in the world. For centuries it provided the people of Lübeck with food and medicines. Today it is a worthy representative of the calm and peaceful character of the city.
Not only by its symbolic gesture, but also by its pointed roof and towers, this hospital is an architectural attraction. At Christmas, the international artisan market is held here. In November, another artists’ market is also held here, where the city’s senior citizens offer their homemade items.
The rich and art-historically significant decoration of the church hall will definitely attract you. As a visitor, you will be able to enter the world of the people who used to live in the hospital. Behind the historical building there are lush gardens. Another place where you can relax after spending the whole day sightseeing in Lübeck.
