Nickname(s):
-
Demonym(s):
Lübecker
Founded:
1143
Democracy:
Developed:
European Union:
Schengen:
Euro:
National Capital:
RegionalState Capital:
Population (City):
216 000
Population (Urban):
-
Population (Metro):
-
Population Density (km2):
1 000
Population Density (mi2):
2 600
35th Largest City in Germany
2nd Largest City in Schleswig-Holstein
Language:
German
Currency:
Euro
Avg. Summertime High:
21 °C
70 °F
Avg. Summertime Low:
12 °C
54 °F
Warmest Month:
July
Coldest Month:
January
Avg. Wintertime High:
2 °C
36 °F
Avg. Wintertime Low:
-2 °C
28 °F
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Lübeck and the Hanseatic League once dominated the trade in the Baltic Sea region for several hundred years. This heritage is still noticeable in many of the buildings in the city. The most famous building is the Holstentor city gate. Holstentor and the whole Old Town of Lübeck have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Federal Republic of Germany | Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Germany
English
Deutschland
Germany
Region:
Central Europe
Area:
357 022 km2
Ranked 63 out of 195
Population:
Population:
83 190 000
Ranked 18 out of 235
Urbanization:
78 %
Ranked 53 out of 194
Capital:
Berlin
Population: 4 473 000
Largest City:
Berlin
Population: 4 473 000
Economy & Development:
Human Development Index:
Very High
Ranked 6 out of 189
Inequality-Adjusted HDI:
Very High
Ranked 10 out of 189
GDP (PPP) Per Capita:
$53 919
Ranked 26 out of 225
Democracy & Freedom:
Democracy Index:
Full Democracy
Ranked 14 out of 167
Freedom House:
Free
94 points out of 100 possible
Press Freedom:
Satisfactory
Ranked 16 out of 180
Economic Freedom:
Most Free
Ranked 20 out of 162
National Identity:
Independence Since:
1871
Independence From:
German City-States
National Day:
3rd of October
What Is Celebrated On The National Day:
The unification between East and West Germany, which was formally in effect on the 3rd of October 1990. In Germany, the day is known as "Tag der Deutschen Einheit" (German Unity Day). The date was chosen as National Day ahead of the 9th of November, the day when the Berlin Wall was torn down, and which is a more symbolic day in the Unification process, because the 9th of November was also the date of the Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) in 1938.
Facts & Codes:
Driving Side:
Right
-
Time Zone:
UTC +1 (CET)
Summer Time: UTC +2 (CEST)
Country Calling Code:
+ 49
-
Country Code:
DE
ISO 3166
German State | Deutsche Bundesland
Schleswig-Holstein
English / German
Region:
Northern Germany
Area:
15 802 km2
Ranked 12 out of 16
Population:
Population:
2 911 000
Ranked 9 out of 16
Population Share:
3 %
Of National Population
Capital:
Kiel
Population: 644 000
Largest City:
Kiel
Population: 644 000
Major Cities:
Kiel
Lübeck
Flensburg
Neumünster
Norderstedt
Information:
GDP Per Capita::
$39 800
Lower than national average
Climate:
Oceanic Climate
Köppen: Cfb
Time Zone:
UTC +1 (CET)
Summer: UTC +2 (CEST)
Markt
Central Market
Holstentor
Old City Gate
St. Petri Kirche
Large Church
Flughafen Lübeck
IATA Code:
LBC
ICAO Code:
EDHL
Passenger Volumes:
Distance:
8 km / 5 mi (S)
Located In:
Lübeck
Named After:
-
Information:
The airport has always been small. However, previously some low-cost airlines used it and marketed the routes as Hamburg. Nowadays, all of those low-cost carriers have closed their operations.
Transfer To/From:
Regional trains connect the airport to the Central Station of Lübeck, and also to the state capital of Kiel. Trains are departing every 60 minutes.
Flughafen Hamburg
IATA Code:
HAM
ICAO Code:
EDDH
Passenger Volumes:
Distance:
120 km / 74 mi (W)
Located In:
Fuhlsbüttel
Named After:
Former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt
Information:
Hamburg Airport is the fifth-largest airport in Germany and serves, apart from Hamburg proper, also most of the North-Western part of the country such as Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein. Most of the destinations are within Europe, with only a handful of intercontinental routes.
Transfer To/From:
It's very convinient to travel to/from this airport. The S1 S-Bahn line has a station underneath the terminal building. Departures are every ten minutes and it takes less than 30 minutes to the city center. When I visited in the summer of 2022 there were some construction work along this route so I had to change line at Barmbek. Even with this change it was one of the better airport connections I've encountered.
Currency:
Euro
Code:
EUR
Subunit:
Cent
Symbol:
€
Cash Or Credit:
Cash is King in Germany! It always amazes me that a country that is so technologically advanced in just about everything else is still using mostly cash and doesn't even offer cards as an option in many stores. It was however much better when I visited in 2021 than during my previous trips in 2017 and 2019. In just those two years it changed a lot, and it was now at least possible to pay by card in most medium-sized stores. There were however still places where I was not able to use my card, so you still need to bring paper cash.
Even in 2022, I faced some issues, but by now card payment is available at most places. Bring cash, but you don't have to bring as much as before. And in most cases, you could just go somewhere else instead of using cash. Most tourist attractions are now accepting card payments, something that was not the norm just five years ago.
Good To Know:
-
Local Language:
German
Language Family:
Germanic (Indo-European)
Writing System:
Latin Alphabet
What About English?
Germans previously had a reputation for not being so good at English. Today, this is completely false and nothing could be further from the truth. Germany has by far the highest proficiency in English of the major non-native-speaking countries in Europe. Only the much smaller Scandinavian and Benelux countries are better. If English is your only language, you won't have to worry about language in Germany. There is a slight generational difference though. The older generation might not always be able to help you out, but young people almost always speak more or less perfect English.
- Germany Is Closed On Sundays
It is good to know that almost all of Germany closes down on Sundays. Stores are not allowed to be open on Sundays! They are allowed to be open on four Sundays during the year, and most of them will choose to keep open during the Christmas season. Restaurants are allowed to be open, and so do tourist attractions and certain stores that cater specifically to tourists (such as souvenir shops). Those are more or less the only exceptions. Not even Supermarkets are open, so plan your purchases well and make sure to buy everything you need on Saturday already if you plan on staying over a Sunday.
Nordsee
Origin:
Founded:
Type of Food:
1896
Did I Try:
Yes
My Score:
4 / 5
About:
A German chain that serves seafood. The company was founded in 1896 in Bremerhaven to supply seafood from the North Sea to the residents of Bremen. The literal translation of the name is "North Sea". In the 1960s the current chain was developed when they, in addition to the original fresh seafood menu, also added a more fast-food-like menu with fried products.
Comment:
They have two menus. One menu consists of more a restaurant type of seafood that is served on plates, and which is arguable of higher quality. The other menu, which is the one I like better, consists of typical fast-food items such as fried shrimp or fish served with fries in paper boxes. I can highly recommend visiting this chain if you're looking for a quick meal.
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Holstentor, the most recognizable symbol of Lübeck.
Markt - The central square in the city.
People relax in central Lübeck on a sunny day.
Buildings alongside the river Trave.
View to the other side of the river.
Burgtor - The second of two surviving city gates.
Another view of Burgtor.
A street in the Old Town of Lübeck.
Skyline of Lübeck. Viewed towards the southeast from St. Peter's Church.
Another view of Holstentor.
A girl playing in a fountain.
St. Peter's Church (St. Petri Kirche) as viewed through the Rathaus arch.