Day seven: a day in Lübeck

I chose Lübeck as a stopping off point on my way home to the UK because of the promise of brick gothic architecture that has earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. Lübeck was a significant trading city at the heart of the powerful Hanseatic League, its wealth reflected in the interesting medieval buildings within the city walls.

If I’m visiting a place new to me I try to book onto a walking tour with a local guide but there was only one in English and that was on a Saturday. I intended to walk down to the tourist office near the Holsten Gate - the first part of the city you hit if you are coming from the station. First things first though …breakfast. I’d spotted Konvent, a nice looking cafe on the same street as my accommodation so had a very good coffee and huge cardamon bun for breakfast. It was a pretty busy there with quite a varied clientele and a fair few well-behaved dogs.

Breakfast at the Konvent cafe

The tourist office has maps with a suggested walk that starts at the Holsten Gate and ends at the Town Hall with a lot of landmarks in between. The Salt warehouses - Salzpeicher - are six historic brick buildings close to the gate and next to the river. They are beautiful buildings that were used to store salt ‘white gold’ that helped to make Lübeck such a wealthy city.

Salthouses by the river

I peeped into some of the many courtyards that are hidden behind large houses. With an explosion of population in the 14th Century, windowless ‘stalls’ were built in the backyards for servants and the poor. They were nothing but shacks in those days but are now sought after residences. You can find the courtyards when you see an archway - usually with a sign above indicating the name of the courtyard and ‘gang’ which apparently translates as aisle.

One of the many secluded courtyards in Lubeck

Passage way to a courtyard

A typical entrance to a courtyard

Lubeck is known as the city of seven spires but, like the churches I have seen elsewhere, I personally don’t think the style is particularly attractive. They are big and solid with tall towers but to me they aren’t as beautiful as some of the churches we have in the UK.

Lübeck Cathedral

Astronomical clock in Lübeck Cathedral

A view of the Cathedral spires from the Konvent cafe

By the time I got to the Cathedral it was lunchtime. I ended up eating at Konvent’s second cafe which is within the cathedral premises. There is also a museum called the Museum of Nature and Environment next to the Cathedral.

A bread heavy lunch at the Konvent cafe in the Cathedral

Other notable landmarks are the Burgtor Gate and close by, the Hospital of the Holy Spirit which was set up to help the poor and needy. The rich merchants gave money for the hospital in exchange for a place in heaven, so not entirely selfless!

The Burgtor Gate

The Hospital of the Holy Spirit

Small rooms for the patients in the Hospital

Stained glass roundel depicting the Madonna

Just about every street that you walk along has very attractive houses - usually five stories high and mainly built of brick. I could have taken hundreds of photos and still not captured everything.

Lubeck Street near the river

Typical Lübeck street

Attractive houses with stepped gables

My final stop was the Rathaus - the Town Hall which is by the Market Square in the centre of the city. Most of the Hanseatic League’s meetings took place within Lübeck’s town hall.

Town Hall facade

Another view of the Town Hall from the Market Place

By evening the streets were quiet again. I wondered if it’s busy during the day because of day trippers coming in from nearby cities who then leave at the end of the day. As I’d walked around I had also been looking for a good place to eat but nothing particularly appealed. Much of the food seems to be very carb heavy with a lot of bread so not my type of food at all.

I ended up doing the old stand by - pasta and pesto - once I was back at the accommodation. Still a bit heavy on the carbs but NOT bread!