October 31, 2026
Reformation Day — Public Holiday in Select States
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
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Check the current status before you arrive.
Traveling to Lübeck?
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📷 Carsten Steger / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lübeck was the leading city of the Hanseatic League, and its old centre lies on an island between the Trave and the Wakenitz. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987 — not the entire city, but three zones: around the Marienkirche, the town hall and the Markt; between the Petrikirche and the cathedral, with the salt warehouses and the Holstentor; and from the Burgkloster to St. Aegidien. The skyline is defined by five brick churches with seven towers. In the night of 28 to 29 March 1942, an air raid completely destroyed around a fifth of the buildings in the medieval centre, so a large part of what you see today was rebuilt after the war. For the Baltic coast, head to Travemünde, about fifteen kilometres down the Trave.
October 31, 2026
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
What to do
Check the current status before you arrive.
December 25, 2026
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
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December 26, 2026
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
What to do
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January 1, 2027
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
What to do
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March 26, 2027
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
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March 29, 2027
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
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May 1, 2027
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
What to do
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May 6, 2027
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
What to do
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May 17, 2027
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
What to do
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October 3, 2027
What this means for you
Closures of institutions and shops are possible on that date.
What to do
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Everything you need for Lübeck in one place
The gate was built between 1464 and 1478 by the city architect Hinrich Helmstede. The wall facing the field is three and a half metres thick, while the side facing the city is less than a metre thick — the defensive face was turned outward toward the field. During construction, the southern tower sank into the marshy ground and continued to subside, so that the lowest loopholes ended up fifty centimetres below ground level; the tilt is visible to this day. The inscription 'Concordia domi foris pax' on the outward-facing side, and 'S.P.Q.L.' with the years 1477 and 1871 on the city-facing side, were added in 1871. Inside is a museum of city history, opened in 1950. Of the four original city gates, only two remain: this one and the Burgtor. A proposal to demolish the Holstentor was defeated in 1863 by a single vote.
The civic church of Lübeck's merchants and the city council, built between 1265 and 1351; the vault of the central nave rises to 38.5 metres, and the towers stand approximately 125 metres tall. On the night of 28–29 March 1942, the church was gutted by fire. The bells fell from the south tower, and their remains were left in the chapel beneath it, exactly as they landed, as a memorial. The astronomical clock of 1561–1566 was destroyed that same night; a new one was made by Paul Berens between 1960 and 1967. Notke's 'Totentanz' was lost in its 1701 copy, and stained-glass windows by Alfred Mahlau were installed in its place. From 2 November 2026, the church will be closed for renovation works, at least until May 2027 — the Briefkapelle and guided tower tours remain accessible.
The Town Hall is first mentioned in 1225 or 1226, and a building from around 1240 stood on the site of the present main wing. The main wing was replaced by a Gothic structure around 1340–1350, the Langes Haus was erected after 1298, and the Renaissance Laube in front of it was built in 1570–1572, the work of Flemish sculptors Hans Fleminek and Hercules Midow. Black and red glazed brick and large circular openings in the upper wall give it the appearance characteristic of North German brick Gothic. The Kriegsstube, the city's war chamber, was destroyed in a raid in March 1942.
A high-almond marzipan with strict quality standards: German regulations require Lübecker Marzipan to contain at least seventy per cent marzipan mass, and Lübecker Edelmarzipan at least ninety. It is sold in shapes ranging from little loaves and potatoes to decorative figures, and the Niederegger shop is home to a small marzipan museum.
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