At first light, before breakfast, we began our approach to the ancient city of Lübeck, known in the Middle Ages as the “Queen of the Hanseatic League”. In those days, in a Europe characterised by political instability, fragmentation and associated strife, oftentimes bloody, a trading harbour sought the protection afforded by geography rather than coastal convenience—in this case, with an up-river location where a bifurcation of the river Trave created a natural defensive moat. Huddled on this mid-river island, there grew a bustling commercial city that traded with global reach.
The source of Lübeck’s wealth was salt, brought from the vicinity of Luneburg by an early canal. On our morning walking tour we saw the surviving salt warehouses close to the Holstentor Gate, built to defend the city from the neighbouring Danes and emblazoned with the city’s motto, “The Power of Trade”. The Hanseatic League was primarily a trading organisation rather than a regular polity; a group of city merchants who regulated and defended their lucrative trade. That trade stretched from the Lofoten Islands and Bergen in the north, to Brugge in the south, with trading stations established on the east coast of Scotland and England and throughout the Baltic Sea. It is no accident that Lübeck has an international reputation for marzipan production, for the almonds and sugar required to make this oriental delicacy were brought to the city following trade routes first developed by the Vikings up the river systems of Russia from the eastern Mediterranean. We were able to sample some of theses delicacies over morning coffee in Niederegger’s Café before continuing to visit some of the wonderful brick-built churches for which the city is justly famous, their tall spires an integral part of Hanseatic navigation.
Other options for the day included guided bicycle rides through delightful riverside villages, a visit to a traditional smokehouse where smoked fish was sampled, and kayaking in the river Trave. A late departure afforded the opportunity for personal exploration of the city’s evening attractions before retiring to our cabins.
