Luebeck

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Luebeck

The entire oval old town, the setting for Thomas Mann's novel Buddenbrooks, is a UNESCO world heritage site. Luebeck is also a modern trading port and, via the coastal resort of Travemuende, a terminal for ferries to and from Scandinavia and the Baltic.

Luebeck has a medieval atmosphere and many sites of cultural and historical interest: the Holsten Gate, St. Mary's Church, the town hall and historic administration building, alleyways and courtyards, the four-mast barque Passat that has become the symbol of Travemuende, the Hospital of the Holy Ghost and St. Peter's Church, whose tower offers awe inspiring views over the town. There is also the Marzipan Salon which tells the story of the popular Luebeck delicacy.

The Holsten Gate, this massive, 15th-century fortification with its twin towers is Luebeck's famous landmark. It is a reminder not only of the military strength of the "queen of the Hanseatic League" but also of her self-assurance. A permanent exhibition in the Museum of City History is devoted to Luebeck merchant life in the late Middle Ages and early modern period.

St. Mary's Church a triple-naved basilica is a distinctive and hugely impressive brick building. With a central nave almost 40 metres in height and two towers rising to 125 metres, it is the third-largest church in Germany and the highest brick vaulted construction in the world. St. Mary's Church was the first example of Gothic-style architecture using local brick instead of natural stone, and it became a model for numerous Gothic brick churches all over the Baltic region.

The Buddenbrooks House at Mengstrasse 4 opposite St. Mary's Church owes its fame to Thomas Mann's novel Die Buddenbrooks. Behind the historical facade is the modern Heinrich and Thomas Mann Centre, the natural location for experiencing the life and work of the two Mann brothers. The permanent exhibition on the ground floor illustrates the relationship between Thomas and Heinrich Mann and their associations with their home town of Luebeck. Special exhibitions, seminars, film and video screenings and readings take place on the upper and lower ground floors.

The Castle Monastery Cultural Forum is in a restored Dominican monastery. St. Katharine's Museum Church has a frieze of figures by Ernst Barlach and Gerhard Marcks. Amazing puppets and marionettes from many different eras and from all over the world can be seen at the Puppet Theatre Museum.

Three centuries of theatre puppets, hand puppets, marionettes, puppets on a pole, dangling puppets, puppets for shadow plays, ventriloquist's puppets and other puppets from Europe, Asia and Africa. Posters, leaflets, entrance tickets, trading licences of players' dynasties, complete stages, scenery, props and tools are also on display. There is also an extensive collection of organs, musical instruments and street ballad display panels.