10 tips and sights for the Hanseatic city of Lübeck

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The Hanseatic city of Lübeck fulfils all the requirements of an exciting city break destination: numerous sights in a compact area, places steeped in history and a lively culinary scene. And that’s exactly why a trip to Lübeck has been on my bucket list for a long time. This late summer, the time had finally come. After a detour to the North Frisian island of Föhr, we explored the historic old town streets of Lübeck. As a souvenir I have brought a concentrated load of tips from northern Germany for you. If you haven’t had Lübeck on your radar as a potential destination for a city trip yet, it could well be that reading the following lines will change that.

At the end of the blog post, the quick reader will also find short and crisp answers to the most common questions that can arise when planning a city trip to Lübeck.

Our top tips and sights for Lübeck at a glance

We spent a total of two (quite packed) days in the old town of Lübeck. Below I will show you which sights we visited and which attractions and museums we particularly liked.

Lübeck Tip #1: Marvel at the Holsten Gate and the salt warehouses

What the Town Musicians are in Bremen, the Holsten Gate is in Lübeck. The imposing Gothic city gate, which once bordered the Hanseatic city to the west, is now the proud landmark of the city. It is located on the way from the main train station to the old town island and cannot be overlooked. A few metres from the Holsten Gate, on the banks of the Stadt-Trave, there are other impressive brick buildings to admire with the salt warehouses. What is exciting here is that one can compare two architectural styles typical of Lübeck – the Brick Gothic using the example of the Holsten Gate and the Brick Renaissance using the example of the salt warehouses.

Lübeck Tip #2: Book a table at Restaurant Wullenwever

Anyone who regularly scours my city guides for tips knows that we pay special attention to restaurant research. And accordingly, we couldn’t resist taking a closer look at Lübeck’s number 1 in terms of fine dining. Roy Petermann’s restaurant Wullenwever has been awarded a Michelin star – and rightly so! The menu is recreated every 14 days and is characterized by sophisticated combinations. My highlight – both visually and in terms of taste – was the dessert. A wonderful presentation and a real explosion of flavours.

Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday from 7:00 p.m. | Menu from 85 Euro

Lübeck Tip #3: Explore the hidden passages and courtyards of Lübeck

Lübeck’s old town, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, is characterised by two features: the unmistakable city silhouette with seven towers and the labyrinth of corridors and courtyards that is not recognisable at first glance. These small stalls, residential corridors and green courtyards, arranged at the back of merchants’ houses, developed in the Middle Ages, when Lübeck had the status of a leading Hanseatic city and attracted craftsmen and small businesses. Bounded by the city wall, building land was a rare commodity and accordingly densification was carried out wherever space permitted. Of the approximately 180 corridors and courtyards that were once inhabited, around 90 still exist today. Many of them are open to the public during the day.

Among the better known are the Füchtingshof and the Glandorps Gang on Glockengiesserstrasse. You can discover more hidden farms at the Engelswisch or at the Engelsgrube.

Tip: You can find out more background information about the corridors and courtyards as part of a theme-specific city tour | Cost: 12 euros per person

Lübeck Tip #4: Visit the Lübeck Town Hall and St. Mary’s Church

In addition to the Holsten Gate, Lübeck Town Hall is one of the most famous buildings of the Brick Gothic period. The town hall is located on the market square in a central location on the old town island. Right next to it is the Church of Lübeck Merchants – St. Mary’s Church is considered the “mother” of numerous brick churches in the Baltic Sea region and impresses with its almost 40 m high vault in the central nave. Inside the church, two broken bells commemorate the bombing raids of the Second World War, which set fire to the church in 1942.

Directly behind the town hall is Café Niederegger – a Lübeck institution that has contributed significantly to the world fame of local marzipan. On the ground floor, marzipan fans can stock up on all kinds of marzipan items. One floor above is the actual café, where in addition to the marzipan cake, many other delicious cake creations are offered. For those who like sweets, definitely worth a stop. Depending on the season and the number of visitors, it is worth reserving a table in advance.

Lübeck Tip #5: Get on the trail of the Mann family

Lübeck is the birthplace of Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann. He grew up here in a merchant family. An insight into the life of the merchants is also provided by one of his earliest and most important works, “Buddenbrooks”. Since the Buddenbrookhaus has temporarily closed for a comprehensive renovation of its exhibition, it is worth taking a detour to the Behnhaus Drägerhaus Museum instead. In an 18th-century city palace, it presents an important collection of paintings from the Romantic and Classical Modern periods.

At the same time, the Buddenbrooks will be guests in the Behnhaus during the renovation phase, inviting visitors to travel back in time to the era of the Mann brothers’ bourgeois life.

Lübeck Tip #6: Head for Hüxstrasse for an intermediate refreshment

A high density of nice restaurants and alternative cafés awaits you on Hüxstrasse. Hüxstrasse is particularly inviting on Saturday between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. – that’s when it is temporarily signalled as a pedestrian zone. On the other days of the week, the quality of stay is reduced by the cars parked on the side of the road. Nevertheless, you can spend a delicious lunch break here. With fine antipasti and delicious Italian classics, the Miera scores. When the weather is nice, you can also enjoy lunch far away from traffic in the secluded courtyard.

Lübeck Insider Tip #7: Plan a detour to the Museumsquartier St. Annen

One corner that I am particularly fond of is the quarter behind the mill pond and crow pond. Between the impressive cathedral (one of the world’s longest brick churches) and the St. Annen Museum Quarter, charming alleys and secluded squares are hidden.

The Museumsquartier itself is exciting from both an architectural and artistic perspective. It combines the St. Anne’s Museum within the monastery walls and the modern art gallery, which was built on the foundations of the former monastery church. The exhibitions change regularly – it’s best to check the website to find out what’s currently coming up.

Lübeck Tip #8: Explore Lübeck from the water

The old town island is surrounded by water on all sides. So it is obvious to change your perspective for once during sightseeing and admire the old town scenery from the water. This project can be implemented with the Stand Up Paddle, the canoe or e-boats. Captain for half a day? But yes – this can also be done without a boat licence (or even without a licence in general). Directly on the lakeside promenade of the Obertrave and within sight of the salt warehouses, electric boats can be rented from Boat Now for one, two or three hours.

After a short introduction and the handing over of a map with the marked route as well as the permitted directions of travel, you can sail around the old town ring. From the water you can also enjoy the most beautiful view of the idyllic Malerwinkel.

Key data: Emission-free electric boats | Cost: 44 to 99 euros | Accommodates up to 6 people

Lübeck Tip #9: Enjoy the view from St. Peter’s Church

If you can look down from somewhere and experience the view of the city from a bird’s eye view, then we usually don’t miss it. In Lübeck, we even went to the viewing platform of St. Peter’s Church twice. And unlike other churches in the Baltic Sea region, there are only 54 steps to climb. An elevator is available for the remaining meters of altitude. Pretty handy, right?!

The observation deck is open daily from June to December (except December 24, 25, 26 and 31) from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (last ascent at 6:30 p.m.). This allows you to admire the sunset from here in autumn/winter. From January to May, the opening hours are shorter (11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). Admission costs 4 euros for adults. For different opening hours and further price information, it is best to consult the corresponding website before visiting.

Lübeck Tip #10: Immerse yourself in the world of gin at Dietrich’s

Before we head for the hottest bar in Lübeck, our stomach needs to be strengthened. For this purpose, we have reserved a table in the “Fangfrisch“. The restaurant convinces with a casual ambience and simple but high-quality Hanseatic cuisine. Do you like fish? Then you’ve come to the right place!

If you want to secure a seat at Dietrich’s afterwards, you can either go to the bar on the Untertrave as early as possible or after 10:00 pm. Five years ago, Clemens Dietrich opened the café / bar / wine bistro. At that time, the focus was on French breakfast and an exquisite selection of wines. In 2018, he dabbled the zeitgeist with the creation of the “King of the Hanseatic League” on the occasion of the Hanseatic city’s 875th anniversary. A gin whose marzipan notes make its origin unmistakable. In the meantime, the Dietrich is considered one of the best bars in northern Germany. In this respect, it is also worth taking a look at the menu with the signature cocktails. Clemens Dietrich really has mixing under control.

Our hotel tip

We stayed in the old town in the boutique hotel “Die Reederin“. The hotel is located in a lovingly renovated old town house, which keeps the history of the former owners alive (the house was the headquarters of the shipping company F. H. Bertling for 150 years). A highlight – in addition to breakfast – are the two double rooms on the top floor including a view over the rooftops of Lübeck’s old town. We stayed in the room “Paula” and can warmly recommend the hotel (as well as our room).

More inspiration for your short trip to Lübeck

Lübeck is a year-round worthwhile destination. In the summer months, Lübeck is a popular starting point to explore the Baltic Sea (e.g. along the Baltic Sea Coast Cycle Path). For us, too, Lübeck was the beginning of a one-week trip to northern Germany from Lübeck via Rostock, Stralsund and Greifswald to Usedom. During our visit at the beginning of September, there was pleasantly little going on in the city. Significantly more visitors are expected during the Christmas season. You can find more impressions and tips about Lübeck on these pages:

• On the official website of Lübeck Tourism
• At 22places, a local reveals her favourite places in the Hanseatic city
• And with Luzia Pimpinella there are summer impressions from the seaside resort of Travemünde

The most important questions about your city trip to Lübeck