Lübeck was already known as the gateway to the Baltic Sea by the owners and crews of the great cogs, the "sailing barges of the Hanseatic League". Thanks to its ideal location near the mouth of the Trave, it was one of the most important cities in Northern Europe for centuries and became the centre of power of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages. Even today, Lübeck, with its more than a thousand cultural monuments, the seaside resort architecture in Travemünde and the wide sandy beaches, is a magical attraction for boaters. The city exudes the maritime charm and cosmopolitanism of a harbour city and attracts more than four million visitors every year.
For more than just a weekend
Schleswig-Holstein experienced a record year for tourism in 2023. With 2.2 million overnight stays, Lübeck recorded the second-highest number after Sylt. City tourism is booming and many holidaymakers stay longer than a typical weekend trip - for good reason: the historic metropolis on the Baltic Sea coast offers a perfect mix of sightseeing and beach holidays. More than half of overnight stays are accounted for by Travemünde, Lübeck's "most beautiful daughter", which has secured the city's access to the Baltic Sea since 1329.
The seaside health resort of Travemünde delights visitors with its historic villas along the beach promenade and the extensive sandy beach at the mouth of the River Trave. Motor boaters will find ideal conditions for visiting the town in the Bay of Lübeck without having to travel long distances. Without having to lay the mast, you can sail across the Trave past idyllic landscapes and sheltered anchorages directly to the historic old town. But even before entering the river, Travemünde offers numerous reasons for an extended shore leave.
The traditional Passat harbour
As a landmark visible from afar, the 118 metre high "Maritim" hotel - coming in on starboard - points the way to Travemünde. The Bay of Lübeck offers a good selection of modern marinas with guest berths. First and foremost is the Passat harbour with the local landmark to which it owes its name: The four-masted barque "Passat", one of the legendary Flying-P-Liners of the shipping company F. Laeisz, which was launched by Blohm & Voss in 1911, is now a museum ship, youth hostel and popular event venue. The marina on the Priwall peninsula - with a view of Travemünde's old town opposite - has 490 berths. Guest yachts up to 16 metres long and five metres wide will find ten signposted berths in four to six metres of water to the east of the boat crane.
While the southern part of the peninsula is a nature reserve, the northern section has been extensively developed for tourism since 2010. The "new side of Travemünde", also known as "Beach Bay", is a modern holiday resort with a large hotel, "dune villas" directly behind the harbour promenade, event locations and restaurants. If that's not enough choice for dinner in the evening, you can take the Priwall ferry, which departs about 300 metres south of the harbour, to the beach promenade opposite.
Alternatively, you can also moor directly on the city side, for example at the traditional Lübeck Yacht Club. However, for the unbeatable location directly on the promenade, you sometimes have to put up with a lot of swell from the busy ferry traffic. The boat is quieter in the Marina Baltica upriver. From here it is a good 20-minute walk to the old town.
The great Marina Baltica
Marina Baltica is sheltered in a bay on the Trave between the fishing harbour and Skandinavienkai. With around 100 departures per week, the latter is the largest ferry harbour in Germany; correspondingly heavy traffic is to be expected. The harbour can be accessed day and night, but you should watch out for unlit dolphins at the entrance to the Böbs shipyard in the dark.
The red 120-tonne ship lift and the labelled halls of the marina serve as a guide. It offers 200 berths for boats with a maximum length of 20 metres and a draught of up to three metres. A swimming pool on the terrace of the "Baltic Bay" restaurant, which invites you to enjoy a sundowner with a view over the bay, creates a holiday atmosphere. In addition to a bicycle hire service, there is also a boatyard and bread roll service. If you can pull yourself up from one of the sun loungers by the pool, Travemünde rewards you with various maritime attractions.
With illustrious street names such as "Im Beiboot", "Am Heck", "Godewind" and "Leegerwall", the ship theme runs through the town. Along the 1.7 kilometre-long promenade on the banks of the Trave, numerous fish restaurants invite you to feast, from herring rolls to gourmet plates of freshly caught fish.
The oldest lighthouse in Germany
The striking buildings include the "Maritim" hotel, built after 1970, the captain's houses on Vorderreihe and the 19th and 20th century spa architecture. The highlight, however, is the oldest lighthouse in Germany. In the course of its almost 700-year history, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The 31-metre-high cultural monument last served its original purpose in 1972, when the beacon was finally switched off due to the higher "Maritim" hotel. Since then, the highest beacon in Europe, at 117 metres, has been located on the top floor of the hotel.
The old lighthouse now houses an eight-storey maritime museum that tells the story of lighthouse technology. 142 steps lead up to the viewing gallery, from where you have a unique view over the Bay of Lübeck.
Lübeck city centre is around 17 kilometres inland and can be easily reached by bus lines 30 and 40. However, the city centre can be reached more appropriately and far more beautifully by water. Even if a river trip is not everyone's cup of tea, it is definitely worth making an exception for a boat trip on the Trave.
The quiet Pötenitzer Wiek
Behind the Skandinavienkai, the Pötenitzer Wiek opens up on the port side. This is a large bay that offers sheltered anchorages in any wind direction. The neighbouring Dassower See is a nature reserve, so please do not stop there. Instead, sail further upstream, where there are other Wieks to anchor in. This is practical if the timing is not quite right and you are forced to wait.
The modern Newport Marina
Skippers have to overcome one obstacle to reach the old town: The Eric Warburg Bridge only opens four times a day. After passing the bridge, keep to port on the northern Wall peninsula and head for the Hansa harbour. Since 2017, the Newport Marina has been located here, parallel to the historic Media Docks warehouse. It was named one of the ten most beautiful city harbours in the Baltic Sea region by YACHT in 2022 for good reason.
The marina has 30 guest berths, which are reserved for different boat sizes. Reservations can only be made online. The harbour master's office, sanitary facilities and kitchen and laundry room are located in the floating service pontoon. In addition to the "Newport Restaurant", the marina also has a bar. More catering options can be found in Lübeck's old town, which is just a few minutes' walk away.
On the way there, the listed swing bridge offers a first-class view of the historic cargo ships in the museum harbour on the banks of the Wenditz. The traditional ships and the old warehouses bear witness to a time when mighty Hanseatic cogs docked on the Untertrave and brought goods from all over the world. In addition to the typical Baltic cargo ships, the historic lightship "Fehmarnbelt" and the replica Hanseatic ship of the Kraweel type, the "Lisa von Lübeck", are also part of the collection.
In winter, the Holsten harbour between the swing bridge and the music and congress hall is better filled, as many of the lovingly maintained sailing old-timers still set sail regularly in summer.
The versatile old town island
The oval old town island is surrounded by the Stadt-Trave to the west and the Kanal-Trave to the east. Until the construction of the Elbe-Lübeck Canal at the end of the 19th century, the Wakenitz flowed around the almost 140-hectare city hill. While the Elbe-Lübeck Canal is only of minor economic importance today, it still plays a major role for leisure traffic - especially for owners who want to take their boat to the Baltic Sea by water.
When the Trave canal was cut through in the north, the old town became an island. Large parts of it have been a World Heritage Site since 1987. These include St Mary's Church, the cathedral, the town hall and one of the city's landmarks, the Holsten Gate. Another is the cityscape with its seven church towers, to which Lübeck owes its nickname "City of Seven Towers". For a good overview of the old town and the surrounding area of Lübeck, it is worth climbing up to the viewing platform of St Peter's Church at a height of 50 metres. From here, you can look down on winding alleyways and hidden courtyards that exude pure Hanseatic charm.
For those who want more: one of the most traditional restaurants in Lübeck - and almost a must for boaters - is the "Schiffergesellschaft" in the former Gildehaus in Breite Straße. The traditional Hanseatic restaurant serves modern, regional cuisine in a historic setting.
Speaking of culinary delights: when you think of Lübeck, you almost always think of marzipan. Hardly any visitor is likely to leave without the classic souvenir. Once you have stocked up in the "Café Niederegger", also in Breite Straße, you can find out more about the world-famous sweet made from almonds and sugar in the Marzipan Museum, which is located on the second floor. It has been produced here since the late Middle Ages.
According to a local legend, marzipan was even invented here. However, it is more likely that it found its way from the Orient to the Schleswig-Holstein coast - on board a sailing "Hanseatic packhorse".
Moorings on the Trave
