Continuing the focus on the ‘city of short walking distances’ : Lubeck is home to not one but three Nobel Prize winners; Thomas Mann, Gunter Grass and Willy Brandt.

Visiting the three museums dedicated to their genius was one of my highlights of my trip to Lubeck.

1. Buddenbrookhaus

 
The Buddenbrookhaus: dedicated in the memory of Thomas Mann is a unique homage to Thomas Mann’s life set against the backdrop of his masterpiece ‘Buddenbrookhaus’ which is strongly evocative of characters and people from his childhood.

Instead of a stuffy boring museum filled with his slippers and his favourite smoking pipe this museum really gets into the mind of the genius, allowing you to interact with his life by recreating scenes from the strongly autobiographical novel. Awesome. Loved this place.

2. Gunter-Grass House

Not very far from the Buddenbrookshaus at Glockengießerstraße 21 is the Günter-Grass-House ( Admission Adults 6 euros,  Kids and Young Adults ( till 18) : 2 euros, Students: 3 euros ) : a museum dedicated to Gunter Grass-another literary genius who has made Lubeck his home.

The museum is a unique testament to his genius: an artist  who has uncovered a unique marriage between the visual arts and the written word as you can see from the pictures above.

The museum has a beautiful garden with some stunning bronze sculptures plus inside there is a thought provocative exhibition of illustrations and drawings works including reflections on his famous work the Tin Drum, which has since been made into a great movie.

Few doors past Gunter Grass-House you can have a memorable glimpse into the medieval history of the city at the Glandorps Gang- a charitable housing estate built to accommodate the city’s growing population of craftspeople and artisans.

It’s accessible via a tiny walkway from Glockengiesserstrasse which leads one into the courtyard of the Glandorps.

It’s a beautiful , very serene place.

Top tip: Inhabited by mainly elderly residents now living there who do give the odd awkward stare to tourists so do tread carefully….

3. The Willy Brandt Haus  (Königstraße 21, Admission: Free) is dedicated to Lubeck’s third Nobel Laureate: Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt.

I did not know much about Willy Brandt but it was an interesting exhibition. Besides his biography the exhibition focuses on the topics of democracy, human rights and peace plus there is an interactive guide to history of 20th century Germany: from the Weimar Republic to the reunification of Germany.

When to visit Lubeck
Lubeck is a great all year all rounder of a travel destination. Its has plenty to offer to all kinds of tourists, especially couples with plenty of sightseeing, shopping boutiques, great outdoor café culture, some nice restaurants plus lots of wellness and relaxation choices.

In Christmas, they have a lovely market here.

Top tip:

Do stop by at the Lubeck Tourist Office: just across from the Holstentor to stock up their excellent walking tour maps of the city plus spades of friendly advice. Its worthwhile investing at the Tourist Office, a 1 day Happy Day Card which for 5 euros gives you unlimited travel on bus including train to the Airport and Travemunde (nearby sea resort) plus discounted entry to all the key museums including those mentioned above.

Lübeck und Travemünde Marketing GmbH

Holstentorplatz 1
D-23552 Lübeck,

Tel: +49 (0) 451/ 88 99 700

Where to stay

I stayed at the Hotel Lindenhof.

In a great location just a stone’s throw away from the Lubeck Train Station and the Holstentor. The Hotel Lindenhof is a peaceful, comfortable 3 star hotel which offers all the conveniences and comforts you need for a weekend break.

The beds were very comfy, ensuite facilities with good range of all essential toiletries.

Free apples!

There are some nice quirky touches like a complementary bowl of apples at the reception to chomp on and free juice. After all that walking and shopping –a healthy boost I guess!

The breakfast buffet is excellent and a generous spread ( The Germans really know how to rock breakfast! ). Lots of different cheeses, sausages, hams and fish.

For the location and convenience, the prices are great with a single room for 64 euros upwards and double 80 euros upwards.

Hotel Lindenhof Lübeck
Lindenstraße 1a • D-23558 Lübeck
Tel: +49 (0) 451 8 72 10-0

www.hotel-lindenhof-luebeck.de

Lubeck airport ( or Hamburg Lubeck airport as Ryanair insist calling it ) reminds me of the early days of flying low cost airlines when airports would be nothing more than just a little tin shed.

Lubeck airport is literally in the middle of nowhere. As the plane lands you see nothing but miles of green pastures and cows.

You walk out of the airport and it’s pin drop silence- no sound of cars or sign of people.

However we are in Germany remember and even in this nondescript location there is a train station.

Within minutes a train arrives which whizzes me into the heart of the town in a matter of 8 minutes. ( 2 euros)

Lubeck is a charming town and proudly proclaims itself as the city of short walking distances.

Century old red brick buildings with dreamy spires squeezed on top, nicely stuck between some lovely shades of green: lush parks with canals create a dreamy, romantic ambience.

Top Tip: This city is perfect for a romantic weekend shortbreak.   Don’t come here on your own (like I did)

Here are some of our top highlights and must see places of this charming medieval gem.

The Holsten Gate (Holstentor)

A good place to start any tour of Lubeck is The Holsten Gate : on the western periphery this is a very impressive entrance to Lubeck’s beautiful Alstadt .

The Holstentor is something of a national icon which you can find on national currency notes and a lasting reminder of Lubeck’s rich medieval history. It has a unique pair of round towers sitting on a large archway entrance plus a beautiful grassy lawn leading upto to its grand entrance.

Top tip: A short detour from the Holstentor is St Petri Church.

If you want a good view of the city, and its surroundings, then you ought to get up to the viewing tower of the St. Petri church. It is a sturdy brick tower with a bulit in lift so it is perfect for people suffering from vertigo (that’s me!) since there is no worrying about see through stairs or windy, open viewing platforms!

Salzspeicher

The old salt warehouses (now converted into a fashion department store), close to Holstentor is a must see and  a great reminder of the town’s medieval trading history and its link with ‘white gold’ or salt which was necessary to preserve food in the extreme northernly climes. The salt came in on the ‘Salt road’, taking about 20 days or so with every little village and town charging a tax/toll on it as it passed through. From Lubeck it was shipped out all over the world.

 The Rathaus

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.

Top tip: When visiting the Rathaus, nip into Café Niederegger.

The café is famous all around Germany and world for its marzipan: a confectionary that it is known to be Oriental in origin, however most locals will tell proudly boast that it was invented in Lübeck, a result of a famine in which the town ran out of all foods except for almonds and sugar.

Lübeck and this sweet confectionary have gone hand in hand since the early 1800s, and the Niederegger shop opposite the steps of the Town Hall is one of the busiest areas in town. (Breite Str. 89, across from the Town Hall steps).

By the time you leave this place you will have seen more things made out of marzipan ( 400 types of marzipan)  than you ever thought possible.

In the shop you can buy affordable and unusual presents for the folks back home, in the art noveau inspired cafe you can enjoy the famous nut cream cake plus discover the history of marzipan in the salon.

If you’ve enjoyed reading about some of our highlights of Lubeck, stay tuned for the second instalment where I shed light on some of Lubeck’s most distinguised citizens plus information about where to stay.