October 2026 | Lübeck, Travemünde and Hamburg, Germany
There’s something rather satisfying about visiting a city that you can almost run all the way around before breakfast.
Lübeck, in northern Germany, turned out to be just such a place. With its UNESCO World Heritage listed old town surrounded by waterways, impressive medieval churches, narrow cobbled streets and hidden courtyards, it was a lovely place to spend a few days exploring.
Over four days, we managed to fit in two morning runs, a swim, some yoga, a bicycle ride, a boat trip to the Baltic Sea and a fascinating, if rather overwhelming, museum visit. There was also plenty of time simply wandering, watching the world go by and relaxing together.
Thursday: Arriving in the Hanseatic city
We arrived by train from Hamburg on Thursday and walked from the station towards the historic centre.
Our first encounter with Lübeck’s medieval past was the famous Holstentor, the enormous brick gateway with its two distinctive towers. It’s quite an impressive entrance to a city and a reminder of just how wealthy and important Lübeck once was.
From there, we headed through the old town, passing the historic Rathaus (town hall) and its market square before visiting St Mary’s Church.
St Mary’s is a remarkable example of northern European Brick Gothic architecture. The scale of the building is impressive, particularly when you consider the engineering involved in constructing such enormous vaulted spaces in brick.
We continued northwards to the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, another extraordinary medieval building. Founded in the 13th century, it was established to care for the sick and elderly, reflecting a rather different aspect of the city’s history from its wealthy merchants and imposing churches.
Having covered a fair bit of ground, we headed to the Holiday Inn to check in, before going out for dinner and enjoying an evening walk along the river.
Not a bad introduction to Lübeck
Friday: Running around the city and discovering the Hanseatic League
Friday started with our running shoes. We headed out from the hotel for a 6 km run following much of the waterfront around the old town.
It’s a great way to get your bearings somewhere new. Instead of concentrating on individual buildings, we were able to see how the old city fits into the landscape.
We passed historic bridges, sections of the former fortifications and green spaces alongside the waterways. There were lovely views across towards the twin spires of Lübeck Cathedral, along with a few discoveries, including the old Kaisertor gateway.
What struck me was how much the geography had shaped the city. Lübeck’s waterways weren’t simply attractive features; they were fundamental to its defence, trading connections and prosperity.
Back at the hotel, I did a little yoga while my partner headed out for coffee and a bakery visit. After some food, we set off for the European Hansemuseum. The European Hansemuseum was fascinating, although there was almost too much information to absorb in a single visit.
It tells the story of the Hanseatic League, the network of merchants and trading towns that came to dominate much of northern European commerce during the Middle Ages. The exhibition takes you through how trading relationships developed between settlements, how towns grew in wealth and influence and how merchant networks gradually became something much more substantial. There was plenty about ships and maritime trade, the changing political environment, the impact of the plague and the relationships between merchants, towns and rulers.
One particularly interesting connection was with London, where Hanseatic merchants established a trading base known as the Steelyard on the banks of the Thames. It was a reminder of just how interconnected European commerce was hundreds of years before anybody started talking about globalisation.
The museum also explored Lübeck’s own development and the history of the site on which it stands. The surviving Dominican monastery, known as the Burgkloster, has had quite a history of its own. Following the Reformation, the buildings were used for charitable purposes, before parts were eventually converted into courtrooms and a prison.
By the time we’d worked our way through everything, my head was pretty full!
Afterwards, we found something to eat, enjoyed another wander around town and visited a supermarket before heading back to the hotel. Our evenings had developed a rather pleasant routine: relaxing together and watching old episodes of The Adventure Show on YouTube.
Not exactly traditional German entertainment, perhaps, but a lovely way to finish the day.
Saturday: Another morning run and a boat to the Baltic
Saturday began even earlier, with another run around Lübeck.
This time we covered 6 km, setting off at 6:50am, just as the city was beginning to wake up.
Rather than simply following the waterfront, we explored more of the old town itself.
We passed the wandered through narrow streets and discovered some of the city’s hidden residential courtyards. These little passages, known as Gänge und Höfe, are one of Lübeck’s special features.
Behind the grand street front buildings are tiny lanes and courtyards, many lined with small houses, plants and benches. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a different side of the city, away from the monumental churches and merchants’ houses.
We also came across surviving sections of the old city walls and enjoyed some beautiful views over the harbour and waterways in the early morning light.
After breakfast, it was time for a change of transport. We boarded a boat for the journey down the River Trave towards Travemünde on the Baltic coast.
We started with a hot chocolate before heading outside to sit on deck and watch the scenery pass. It was a lovely journey, gradually leaving the historic city behind and moving through a landscape of riverside settlements, woodland and nature reserves.
We passed the historic fishing village of Gothmund, with its traditional cottages, and the protected landscapes along the river, including the Schellbruch and Dummersdorfer Ufer nature reserves.
Having spent the previous day learning about Lübeck’s trading history, there was something particularly satisfying about travelling along the waterway that connected the city with the Baltic Sea and the wider world.
You could begin to imagine the ships that once made this journey, carrying goods between Lübeck and ports across northern Europe.
Eventually we arrived at Travemünde, a seaside resort at the mouth of the river. We enjoyed a walk along the sandy beach, had a look at the historic lighthouse and soaked up a little of the Baltic seaside atmosphere.
Lunch was a simple salad from the supermarket before we caught the train back to Lübeck.
Back in Lübeck, I borrowed a friend’s bicycle and headed off for a ride around the old town island. Having already explored the city on foot, running around its waterways and travelling away from it by boat, it was another enjoyable way to see the place.
Then it was time for some afternoon yoga before dinner. It had been quite an active day, and perhaps not the earliest night afterwards!
Sunday: A swim and one last exploration
Sunday began with a change from running. Instead, we headed down to the hotel’s swimming pool for a morning swim before breakfast.
After checking out, I had time for one last wander around Lübeck and it turned out that one of my favourite discoveries of the entire visit was still waiting for us.
Tucked away behind the buildings on Glockengießerstraße is Füchtingshof, one of Lübeck’s most beautiful historic residential courtyards.
Walking through the entrance, you find yourself in a peaceful little world of pastel coloured buildings, white benches, flowers, climbing plants and carefully maintained gardens.
It’s a remarkable contrast to the streets outside but what makes the courtyard particularly interesting is its history. It was established through the charitable bequest of Johann Füchting, a successful Lübeck merchant and city councillor who lived from 1571 to 1637.
Füchting had made his fortune through international trade. Having no children, he left a considerable part of his wealth to charitable causes, including the creation of housing for women in need. The courtyard was built during the 17th century and originally provided accommodation for widows of merchants and sailors.
Remarkably, the charitable foundation still exists, and the buildings continue to provide residential accommodation today. Having visited the Hansemuseum and learned about the extraordinary wealth generated by Lübeck’s international trading networks, it was fascinating to discover such a tangible example of how some of that wealth was used to benefit the city’s residents. It was probably my favourite historical discovery of the trip.
I continued wandering through the older parts of the city, admiring the distinctive brick architecture, stepped gables and little passageways. Along the way, we found a community book exchange cabinet and some lovely green spaces.
There were also more views across the water towards Lübeck Cathedral, with its twin spires rising above the trees. Sometimes it’s these quieter discoveries, rather than the famous attractions, that stay with you.
Sunday evening: Back to Hamburg Airport
Eventually, it was time to leave Lübeck and head back towards Hamburg Airport, where we’d booked a hotel for the night ahead of our very early flight home.
We picked up a lovely salad from Edeka at the airport, checked into the hotel and had a relaxing dinner.
Afterwards, rather than simply heading to bed, we decided to walk back over to the airport for a hot drink and a little plane spotting.
That turned out to be rather more interesting than expected. We watched as a Condor aircraft was surrounded by airport emergency services, with several fire engines in attendance. There appeared to have been some sort of technical concern, possibly involving the landing gear or flaps, although we never discovered exactly what had happened. The emergency vehicles eventually moved away, and the aircraft was able to move on.
While wandering around the terminal, we also spotted Hamburg Airport’s Slot&Fly system, which allows passengers to reserve a time to go through security.
Given our early departure, that seemed like a sensible idea, so we booked a slot for 3:45 to 4:00am the following morning.
Then it was time to walk back to the hotel and try to get a little sleep before our 3am start.
Monday: An unexpectedly busy airport
Three o’clock in the morning is never a particularly appealing time to get up.
What surprised us, though, was just how busy Hamburg Airport was at that hour.
It turned out that it was the first day of the autumn school holidays in neighbouring Schleswig Holstein and plenty of families were evidently getting away for their half term breaks.
Suddenly, our decision to book a security slot the previous evening seemed particularly wise!
It was a rather different ending from the peaceful medieval courtyards and riverside paths we’d been enjoying just a day earlie. And with that, it was time to head home.
Lübeck turned out to be a wonderful city for a few days of history, gentle adventure and relaxation and I think there’s still plenty left to discover on another visit.