We headed south from Copenhagen towards Northern Germany. We had one of the strangest transit experiences ever. Our train from Copenhagen went on a ferry, yes I said ferry as in a boat, across the Baltic Sea. So strange, and delightful. We found our way to the sleepy town of Lubeck, Germany and we weren't really sure what we were in for. Lubeck is one of those towns you have probably never heard of before, I know I hadn't. Coming from the train station we were greeted by a huge medieval gate. The Holstentor Gate is a symbol of this city and a UNESCO world heritage site, our first of many on this trip (Can you believe there are no UNESCO sites in Copenhagen? Neither can I!). This impressive gate was first mentioned in documents in 1216! As Rob said, "just imagine knights on horseback riding up to this gate", because that's exactly what happened here.
We only had a short time in Lubeck, essentially a day and a half. We found that was just the right amount of time to spend in this charming town. We happily rid ourselves of our bags at our 200 year old airbnb (!) and grabbed our cameras to explore this city. Immediately as we left our room we were overwhelmed by the charm of this place. Around each cobblestone street was another charming colorful house or little passageway just waiting to be discovered. We spent the rest of the afternoon taking in the views and prepared to wake up early to next day to get a full day of exploring in.
First thing the next day we went to see the Holstentor Gate again and get a little better view.
After snapping some photos and relaxing a little in the sunshine we decided to head to St. Peter's Church (Petrikirche in German). This is one of the many churches in Lubeck and it is the tallest tower in the town. We paid to enter and were happy and surprised to find an elevator (a lift) that would whisk us high up above the city in a matter of minutes. On this hot day one of the first things we noticed was the cool, refreshing breeze and then of course the awe inducing views. We were told that on a clear day you could see all the way to the Baltic Sea from this tower! Unfortunately we didn't see that far however we certainly got the view we were looking for.
From above the town was just as cute and the Holstentor Gate which has just towered above us looked like a toy. We spent a while taking in the views from all sides of the tower and just enjoying the quiet and coolness of being high above the city. We headed down eventually and went to Saint Mary's Church (Marienkirche in German). The night before we had made a new friend near there.
The devil actually lives around the side of this church. Legend has it that when they were building the church the devil was hanging around and asking what would be built here? The people working on it decided to trick him and tell him that a beer hall would be built. The devil thought, great, this is the perfect place for me to wait and steal souls. So he waited and when he realized that it was actually a church being built here he became very angry. Seeing the devils anger they promised him a beer hall as well as a church and so there is an old beer hall built in a basement near by. Lucky for us he is still hanging around there by the church so I got to steal a few kisses.
Rob, overcome by jealously got into a fist fight with him, haha. But who could stay mad at that face? You have to admit, as far as devils go he's pretty cute.
Marienkirche is very beautiful and charming and we enjoyed walking around this area of town. These gorgeous archways were one of our favorites.
After Marienkirche and our time with the devil we decided to walk towards the other side of the town, where there is another (in my opinion less impressive) gate and a very very old hospital. The Hospital of The Holy Spirit (Heiligen-Geist-Hospital) dates back to the 13th century! It was free to enter but we did not get much information once inside, luckily the hospital itself was gorgeous and old, it basically looked like a church. All of these places that are so unbelievably old just let your imagination wander to what it must have been like when it began, or how many people have passed through this building. How many lives were saved, and lost in this very space.
Not to mention the doors were pretty impressive as well.
Did you know that Lubeck is the marzipan capital of the world? Legend has it that marzipan was invented here during famine times. Personally marzipan is not my favorite but nevertheless the stuff is everywhere in Lubeck and it's hard not to take notice and in my case try some and immediately regret it. Whether or not marzipan is your thing it's quite splendid to see the things they can do with this chewy candy. Niederegger is the place to go in Lubeck for marzipan, or other sweets. The displays in this store are remarkable and we had a blast just wandering through and pointing out all the fun creations. The window display is enough to make you want to walk in.
A mini marzipan Lubeck!
After our marzipan wanderings we found ourselves on possibly the cutest street in town. At the top of the street is a puppet museum, a whole museum dedicated to marionettes and all types of puppets. In my research this had been on the list of things to see here so we thought why not. The walk to the museum and the outside were beyond adorable and worthwhile.
As it turned out the actual museum left something to be desired. It was not expensive to go in so we weren't too bummed but mostly the puppets were creepy and there wasn't really too much to see. I would recommend going to see the outside and the hidden street where it is located and maybe skipping the museum. They also hold puppet shows daily which we did not go to, however that may have been a more fun option. Either way it was an interesting experience.
As the sun climbed higher into the sky we decided we needed a little break from the sun and the heat and headed back to our airbnb for a little while. Of course our route was littered with adorable views.
A little while later we decided to venture out to have some dinner and see this town at sunset. We were not disappointed. The river twinkled with sunlight as we walked along the colorful streets. As we approached the main area with all the shops and restaurants we heard music. As we got closer we noticed groups of couples dancing right near the riverside. They seemed to dance as if there was no one else around and yet they put on a show that was well worth watching. We stood and stared at them dancing and laughing and playing and imagined what it would be like to live here. It was one of those moments when you feel you need someone to pinch you to make sure you are not dreaming, the sunlight, the river, the music, the romance it seemed so surreal and too perfect.
Reluctantly we passed by the couples and went in search of a restaurant. We didn't have to go far before we found the perfect riverside place, with a view of the sunset, the Holstentor Gate and of course the lovely couples dancing. When the spirited German waiter came to take our order he sat at the table with us and started a conversation with us in German. We sadly told him we only speak English and he happily switched into the most charming broken English. He asked us what we wanted to drink and when Rob said a beer, he said "Big beer?" and before Rob could respond he said "Big beer." with a nod. Then when it came to ordering our food Rob and I explained that Rob wanted to try something authentic to the area, whatever is most German he said. The waiter said "Well there is Germany and there is Germany! You are in the North and in the North, it is fish." He described a "special" dish that was something that I would have run screaming in the other direction, but Rob said of course that is what he wants. It was a raw herring with red onion and dill and a sour cream sauce. The waiter said "I think anyone who is normal will like this dish" I wanted to beg to differ but of course I did not. Excitedly we waited for our dinners and watch the dancers and luckily when the meal arrived Rob loved every bite.
After the sun had set and the dancers had gone home or to the bar we finished our drinks and meals. We decided to go see the Holstentor Gate one last time, all lit up. Lubeck put on a pretty good show for us and we appreciated every second. It was nothing like I expected in all the best ways. After being in a big city like Copenhagen for a few days this was exactly the kind of slowed down pace we were in need of.
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