Wednesday, October 20, 2016 – Lubeck, Germany

Our travel experience turned decidedly north as we went to Lubeck, Germany, along the Baltic coast. Lubeck is a charming city, built mainly of brick. The use of brick as a building material was early used in Lubeck, thus charting the way for the use of brick in other cities. As the leading member of the Hanseatic League, cities allied for merchant and commercial purposes and whose craft guilds regulated trade in a large swath of Europe, Lubeck had great wealth. That is reflected in its old town. Brick trading halls, now trendy shopping venues, and brick Lutheran churches with tall spires dominate the surroundings. An ancient brick gate guards the entry. A canal river runs through the city and beautiful buildings from the 1400s, now upscale living spaces, line its way. Walking the city is quite enjoyable. We wished we had another day in this wonderful city of which travel guides offer little space, but we were blessed by the day we enjoyed. WEG