Lübeck is situated northern Germany, and has one of the major seafaring ports of Germany. Located on the river Trave, it dominated Baltic maritime trade (c. 1400–1800) along the coast of Northern Europe. In fact it was the leading city of the Hanseatic League an old commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns.
The history of the merchant town is visible in the layout of the city, which basically consists of a fairly small inner city on an island, surrounded by the river Trave. The inner city is very small and is easily accessed by foot. Actually parking within the inner city is both difficult and expensive. So use the designated Parking lot by the "Musik- und Kongresshalle" or parking garage the "Holstentorplatz".
Lübeck is surprisingly charmingly decorated for Christmas. The main walking streets are covered with swinging garlands and filled with small wooden shops selling everything from sweet smelling "Gluhwein" to handknitted mittens. Finding potential Christmas gifts is easy here. The town has a good combination of department stores as well as local shops.
Be sure to visit the Christmas market next to the "Rathaus" (town hall).
We stayed at the BEST WESTERN Nordic Hotel Luebecker Hof during our stay as my in-laws had a gift certificate for the hotel chain. The hotel is rated as 4-star but in my opinion it is more like a 3 star hotel. The entire hotel experience was mediocre. Furnishings very dull with wooden paneling and furniture. WIFI was non-existant in the room as our room was away on one of the wings. The best part of the stay was the breakfast buffet and the room cost. We payed a mere 168 EUR for 2 nights. Breakfast buffet is €13.50 EUR which is worth it. Also it is worth mentioning that the naboring Italian restaurant is quite good. If you choose to stay here be sure to take into account that the hotel is situated 4.5 km or 10 min by car. The hotel charges for using their lot so find a spot down the street where it is free.
Tips of the trip:
For those lingering for a small snack while strolling through the town, I can recommend the small donut shop "Springfield Donuts & Coffee". They make the tastiest donuts and just selecting between all the colorful treats will leave your mouth watering.
Springfield Donuts & Coffee
Königstrasse 100
23552 Lübeck
http://springfield-donuts.de/startseite.htm
Restaurant worth visiting:
If you're looking for a traditional German restaurant be sure to visit the "KartoffelKeller". It is charminly situated in a basement of bricklayed building with beautiful arches. Food is traditional, so treat yourself to a jägerschnitzel while here. Service could sometimes be slow due to the high number of guests. Just be patient and enjoy a beer in great surroundings.
Kartoffelkeller
Koberg 6-8
23552 Lübeck
http://www.kartoffel-keller.de/
