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Lübeck
City in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Lübeck

Lübeck, officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck, is a city in Northern Germany.

Plan a trip to Lübeck→From Hamburg

With around 220,000 inhabitants, it is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and the second-largest city in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, after its capital, Kiel. It is the 36th-largest city in Germany.

Get in

Getting to Lübeck

Regional Express trains from Hamburg run every 30 minutes daily. Local trains from Kiel, Lüneburg, Schwerin, and the coastal resorts of Travemünde and Timmendorfer Strand, generally depart on an hourly basis. Most long-distance travellers from Berlin or Munich will find it most efficient to change at Hamburg Hauptbahnhof.

  1. 01
    Lübeck Hauptbahnhof
  2. 02
    Lübeck Airport
See

Worth seeing

The main attraction is the medieval Altstadt (old city) located on an island surrounded by the Trave river and its various channels. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it offers an astonishing variety of different architectural styles. The streets of Lübeck are a delight for a connoisseur of architecture.

  1. 01
    The Dom
  2. 02
    St. Petri (Petrikirche) (near Marienkirche). Its
  3. 03
    St. Aegidien (Aegidienkirche) (in the eastern Altstadt).
Do

Things to do

Take a bus/boat/train ride to Travemünde, a sea side resort and enjoy the view of the Baltic Sea. A bus journey is fastest, as it takes about 20 minutes. A boat ride however, is much more scenic. The train stops at the iconic "Travemünde Strand" Station and is another good option.

  1. 01
    Freibad an der Falkenwiese

    Dating to the late 19th century, this open air pool makes use of natural river-water and is among the more extraordinary in Germany.

  2. 02
    Theater Lübeck
  3. 03
    Stadthalle

    Housed in a nice old building this is your run of the mill multiplex cinema showing largely the newest from Hollywood and mainstream domestic fare.

  4. 04
    Filmhaus
  5. 05
    Kino Koki

    The name comes from its former name "Kommunales Kino" (communal or municipal cinema) as it was run by the city until August 2007 when it was taken over by enthusiasts.

  6. 06
    Lübeck Cougars

    Playing American football in Germany's second division GFL2 Nord.

Eat

Where to eat

There are several restaurants within the city centre which will satisfy most tastes. At the pinnacle is the Michelin starred Wullenwever. Other good options include Markgraf and Schabbelhaus while the most popular spot for tourists is the Schiffergesellschaft. If you're in for locally brewed beer, check out the slightly Bavarian-themed Brauberger in Alfstraße.

  1. 01
    Kartoffelspeicher

    Restaurant specializing in potato dishes.

  2. 02
    Restaurant Alte Schmiede

    Mühlenstraße 9,.

  3. 03
    Bei Ulla

    The restaurant has been in existence since 1967.

  4. 04
    Café Erdapfel

    Markt 1,.

How locals move

Getting around Lübeck the local way

  • Get inTickets and discounts: For groups of up to 5 people, the Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket is the most cost-effective and flexible option for a day trip.
  • Get insee also: Ferries in the Baltic Sea There are many ferry connections to Lübeck.
  • Get inPassengers ferries arrive at Skandinavienkai, a quay in Lübeck's borough Travemünde.
  • Get inMost of the ferries run once or twice every day: Helsinki, Finland, operated by Finnlines Malmö, Sweden, operated by Finnlines Trelleborg, Sweden, operated by TT-Lines Skandinavienkai is served by buses 35 (timetable) and 50 (timetable).
  • Get inLine 50 provides a direct connection between the ferry terminal and Lübeck ZOB (central bus station), while line 35 connects to Travemünde.
  • Get inThe only way to travel between the ferry terminal and the train station is by using these buses.
  • Go nextThe Baltic coast resorts in Mecklenburg Pommerania are about 1-2 hr drive on the Autobahn A20 away and might be worth a day trip Hansa-Park is an amusement park in Sierksdorf For nature lovers a trip to the lakes south of Lübeck may be of interest as there are great opportunities for bird-watching (e.g.
  • Go nextThe towns are situated in a lake district which is popular for rambling and canoeing in summer (you can rent a canoe in Plön and go to Preetz by Schwentine River and through various lakes, then the canoe-centre people will get you and your canoe back to Plön by car).

From Wikivoyage: Lübeck, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.