GERMANY - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 250

The Hanseatic City of Lübeck extends its hospitality in a phrase, “Welcome, to yes-
terday, today, and tomorrow.” The city's origins go back to the year 1000, when
“Liübice" was established as a royal seat, artisan settlement, and trading center on
the banks of the Trave River near the Baltic Sea. Today, parts of the old town of
Lübeck have become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and tomorrow is well in the
hands of its energetic citizens, who number more than 210,000.
Destroyed by fire in 1157, the city at present dates from 1159, when it was re-
built. In 1358 it was chosen as the administrative headquarters for the Hanseatic
League. Between 1806 and 1813 Napoleon I held Lübeck as a part of his empire.
Until the turn of the 20th century, when it began to build its own industries, Lübeck
was known only as a Baltic port. Its industrial strengths and strategic maritime loc-
ation, however, brought destruction to Lübeck during World War II, when most of
Lübeck's industrial complex and some one-fifth of its Old Town were destroyed by
Allied aerial bombardment. In 1949 the reconstruction of Lübeck, including the his-
toric Old Town, began. As Germany's largest Baltic port, this proud city has once
again become a center of economic, cultural, and commercial interests.
Lübeck is noted for two culinary specialties that you should sample during your
visit—marzipan and rotspon. Marzipan, a sweet specialty, is produced in a count-
less variety of forms. Try a piece of marzipan cake and visit the Marzipan Mu-
seum at Cafe Niederegger. The origins of marzipan are hidden in history. Lübeck's
version is that during the famine of 1407, bakers produced a bread made from
the stocks of almonds, since wheat flour was unavailable. Others believe that mar-
zipan originated in Venice and the recipe came to Lübeck through trade links.
In the early days, when salt was used to preserve fish, ships sailing from Lübeck
began carrying salt mined in the Lübeck area to fishing ports along the French
coast of Biscay. Rather than return empty, the ships brought back casks of French
wine to mature in Lübeck prior to bottling. A combination of sea climate and stor-
age in Lübeck's wine cellars brought about an amazing improvement in the quality
of the wine. This was first discovered in 1806 during Napoleon's occupation, when
French officers found that the Bordeaux wine from Lübeck's wine cellars tasted
considerably better than at home. Try a glass of Lübeck er rotspon and judge for
yourself.
Lübeck's architecture ranges from Gothic to Neoclassical, and you can find typ-
ical examples of these as well as Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo in almost
every part of the town's old section. You can see all five styles mix in harmon-
ic unity within 1 block, starting with the College of Music at the head of Grosse
Petersgrube.