LÜBECK 
General Information

History   I   Sightseeing   I   Practical   I  Hotels in Lübeck

The beautiful town of Lübeck has preserved its original flair and gives the visitors a perfect impression of an old Hanseatic town with narrow cobblestone streets, brick churches, scenic backyards etc. Lübeck is a city in the Schleswig-Holstein part  of central Germany. It lies on the Trave River near its mouth on the Baltic Sea.

The population is around 220.000 people. It is a major port and a commercial and industrial center; the port is the city’s primary employer. Among its industries are shipbuilding, metalworking, food processing, and manufacturing of ceramics, wood products, and medical instruments. Lübeck is a glorious medieval town that's earned its place on UNESCO's World Heritage list. Although it's easily accessible from Hamburg, Lübeck is off the main tourist trails and can be a quiet alternative to the more spectacular attractions further south. The altstadt (old town) was heavily bombed in WWII but has been sensitively rebuilt and the town's stately charm is apparent today.

Lübeck is one of the Hanse towns. Of the three Hanse towns which still remain — Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck — Lübeck was the last founded. It was first established in the eleventh century, below the site of the present town, and in the midst of the Slavic tribes dwelling on the coast of the Baltic,

There is good accommodation nowadays and there is a good variety of moderately-priced restaurants. Lübeck is home to the delightful Marionettentheater (Puppet Theatre), which shouldn't be missed. There's a stark reminder of the war inside the Marienkirche. A bombing raid brought the church bells crashing to the stone floor and the townspeople have left the bell fragments in place, with a small sign saying: 'A protest against war and violence'.