Lübeck walking tour & city guide

The Holstentor and the old town

The Holstentor, a massive brick city gate with twin round towers, is the symbol of Lübeck. Beside it, the Salzspeicher are old salt warehouses on the river. Inside the old town, St Mary's Church, the model for many churches around the Baltic, has the tallest brick vault in the world, and the Town Hall is one of the oldest in Germany.

Courtyards, museums and marzipan

Behind the main streets, narrow passages lead into tiny courtyards called Gänge, lined with small cottages. The European Hansemuseum tells the story of the Hanseatic League, and the Buddenbrookhaus is dedicated to the writer Thomas Mann, who was born here. Niederegger, a confectioner since 1806, made Lübeck marzipan world-famous.

A classic walk around the old town

Start at the Holstentor and the Salzspeicher, then cross the river onto the old town island and walk up to the Market Square and the Town Hall. Visit St Mary's Church, then continue north along Breite Straße to the Heiligen-Geist-Hospital.

Explore the courtyards around Glockengießerstraße, and finish at the Hansemuseum and along the river. The walk is about 4 kilometers.

Visiting tips

Lübeck is about 45 minutes from Hamburg by train. Travemünde, its Baltic seaside resort, is a short trip away. The Christmas markets are among the most atmospheric in northern Germany.