Historic Highlights of Germany: A City unto Itself

: St.Mary's & St.Peter's church

: Marzipan

Mention you're going to other cities in their country, and most Germans will wish you a nice trip. Mention Lübeck, and their eyes light up with enthusiasm. "It's a treasure," they say. "A city unto itself."

Many describe memorable sights like the 13th-century town hall and the Holsten Gate, the medieval fortification that has become the city's trademark. Some recall forays through the town's warren of medieval passageways that burst into hidden courtyards. Others may remember a patrician home, perhaps the Buddenbrooks house of Thomas Mann, who joins today's giant Günter Grass as two of the city's three Nobel Prize laureates (Willy Brandt is the third).

Some recall the bells of St. Mary's Church. On Palm Sunday in April 1942, a single bombing run - the city's only attack of World War II - followed a fairly straight line from the Cathedral to St. Mary's. Although the churches and the city have been rebuilt - thanks in great part to private donations and foundations - the bells of St. Mary's remain in place, crumpled and shattered where they fell six decades ago, a shrine reminding visitors of the horrors of war and remembering war's victims. A further reminder is the Coventry Cross, made from two nails recovered from England's destroyed cathedral and presented to St. Mary's as an act of reconciliation after the War.

Others have fonder memories stated in a single word: "Marzipan". It's in Lübeck that the Niederegger family launched the confectionary delight and continues to create the world's only "original Lübeck marzipan." (The giant shop off the Breite Strasse still challenges willpower.)

Food and Drink

Ratskeller zu Lübeck Lübeck's Ratskeller has been server folks since 1666. Until the 1800s, the cellars stored wines in transit to far-off ports as well as for local consumption. Celebrations known for their huge quantities of food often took place in the aisles between the bottles, a tradition that benefits today's travelers. Many regulars prefer to dine in the "Diele," small, confessional-like booths that seat four. Wooden walls reach to the vaulted ceilings. At €9.30, the "Seven-Tower Plate" is an excellent buy with salmon and a variety of vegetables like leeks and potatoes. For €15, enjoy sole with bacon, shrimp bakes over with spinach, or fried duck flambéed at tableside with Grand Manier.

Schiffergesellschaft
It's a quick step into Lübeck's nautical past when guests enter the Schiffergesellschaft (Seamen's Guild), which has been a meeting house since 1525. Even today, the foundation owns the restaurant and one table on a raised platform is reserved for captains Proceeds support needy sailor and their widows.
The setting seems to have changed little. Model sailing vessels, some more than 300 years old, hang from thick-beamed ceilings and sit on platforms heavy with centuries of paint and lacquer.
The cuisine reflects the maritime heritage of the restaurant and the city. Fish dominates the menu, especially dishes that were easy to transport and would endure storage. Take Labskaus, for example. It's a combination of pickled beef, sweet beets, onions, peppercorns and other ingredients boiled, pureed and served with fried eggs and rolled herring. It tastes far better than it sounds (or looks). Follow that with Lübeck apple-Marzipan strudel.
Tradition often gives way to modern preparation. Few sailors at sea enjoyed salmon served tender and moist over a bed of chanterelles sautéed in herbed cream sauce - and that after cream of duck soup with apple-potato dumplings. Expect to pay €12-20 per person for a hearty meal.
The perfect drink is a traditional Rotspon, a red wine imported young from Bourdeaux and allowed to mature in wooden casks in Lübeck. Nearly 500 years ago, merchants shipped wines through Lübeck and discovered that the same wines stored in the city's wine cellars tasted better than the same wines aged for the same period in France. Soldiers during the early 19th-century Napoleonic period agreed.

Remise Bistro-Café-Bar
Remise is a relaxed, upbeat and friendly bistro hidden in a renovated courtyard. Because it's off the tourist path, you'll mostly encounter local residents and students, but you won't feel out of place. Neighbors across the courtyard include Greenpeace, Amnesty International and Theater Partou, which should give some sense of the progressive, cultured clientele.

Strings of white bulbs form geometric shapes along the ceiling and add a somewhat festive feeling. Candles on the tables add warmth to the light and lend a sense of intimacy. Along the inner walls, red and white tiles - perhaps from a 1920s renovation - integrate well with the red-brick of both the inner and outer walls to extend a sense of history and permanence. In good weather, seating is available outdoors in the courtyard.

Service is fast but not hurried and the prices relatively low, so it's a great place if you've decided not to make a major time or financial commitment to a meal. But it's also quite appropriate if you want to spend a quiet evening enjoying dinner, sipping coffee or cognac, and talking.

Remise takes simple dishes and gives them some flair. Typical choices include skillet dishes like broccoli and potatoes with raisins and walnuts; sliced potatoes topped with crab, vegetables and cheese; potato soup with strips of smoked salmon; noodles with turkey and mushrooms; and baked camembert with berries. Most entrées are less than €7.

Yachtzimmer
When you sit in the Yachtzimmer (Yacht Room) Restaurant, the immediate sense is of being in aboard an old-time ship. No, it's not cramped or dark, but the design - with wood-plank ceilings and sloped walls - strongly suggests a ship-bound setting. Antique mirrors are painted with views of old Lübeck , and the decorations are distinctly maritime. The restaurant stretches across two 15th-century patrician houses with added-on space in the rear. In good weather, guests can sit at 10 tables in front of the restaurant with view to the Holstentor and the brick, gabled Salzspeicher, the medieval salt storehouses that now house boutiques.

Not surprisingly, fresh fish makes up much of the menu, but there's plenty for others as well. Those with a flair for the dramatic can request that Irish coffee, Chateaubriand and crepes Suzette (among other dishes) be prepared tableside. The extensive wine list features primarily European wines, reasonably priced by the glass or bottle.

The primary menu changes seasonally, and a special menu offers new choices every week. One fun feature is the weekly "Trainee Dish" created and prepared by one of the restaurant's three-year trainees. The trainee's name and a full description are listed on the menu. A recent offering defied skepticism: salmon with sauerkraut. When shredded and mixed with crème fraiche and then browned on top of the filet, the sauerkraut provided a pleasant sweet-and-sour complement to the delicately flavored fish.

Entrées are served on floral, ceramic plates under silver tops. Tea candles add additional character and intimacy. Servers take a team approach to each table ensuring appropriate attention. Entrées range broadly from €12-20 and are worth every eurocent.

Lübeck: A City unto Itself

Food and Drink