Long Burn

North German Travelogue

The Swedish schools had 'winter sports vacation' this week. Me and my wife took a few days' vacation and the family went to Lübeck Germany. Its a great city to see on foot with a family, not too large, good food, lots to see. Lübeck is in Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany, bordering the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and Denmark. The city is just a couple of hours by train from Copenhagen.


We ate lunch on the train. It is so easy to travel with kids on trains. They can move around, find the restrooms, spot animals outside, etc.


The train drives straight onto the ferry to cross from Denmark to Germany. Everyone must de-train for the crossing. The boat is part of the fun-- find a table with a good view and get some food.


After the train put ashore it stopped in Oldenburg, home of the Diskothek Silo (click picture to enlarge). There is a midwestern feeling to north Germany.


Lübeck had a nice new train station.


According to this sign there is a speed limit for tanks and jeeps entering the city center. We didn't see any tanks or jeeps.


Here we are at the Holstentor, the historical entrance to the city center.


The Royal Air Force bombed Lübeck on March 28, 1942. During the firestorm the cathedral's bells fell about 5 stories, cracking the floor.


Here is the central square. Straight ahead is the courthouse and we ate lunch in the Rathskellar underneath. At one point they cut those big round holes into the dividing wall to let wind through, so it would not blow over.


The Rathskellar was full of history, signed documents from the 1700s, models and peices of sailing ships, pictures, old bottles of wine. Lübeck was the 'Queen of the Hanseatic League' and its traders became rich shipping salt to Skåne Sweden and returning with salted herring and cod.


Lübeck is famous for its marzipan.

Here are some grotesques from a stone staircase. Architects would say that they are not gargoyles since they do not have water spouts.


The trip home.

posted by Matt_J @ 2:39 PM