Our most recommended things to do in Lübecker Altstadt

Lübeck: 1-Hour City Cruise in German

1. Lübeck: 1-Hour City Cruise in German

Experience the most beautiful sights in Lübeck, and admire the city's mesmerizing skyline on this sightseeing cruise. Relax onboard the comfortable boat, equipped with a minibar and a bathroom, while enjoying fascinating live commentary in German. Learn about the glory days of Lübeck, explore its history, and hear stories about the city's most famous inhabitants.  This 1-hour cruise takes you through the harbor and around the historic old town. See Lübeck's main sights from the water, including the seven towers of the city, Holsten Gate, the romantic garden district, and the houses of old town. Your captain will take you on a journey through his home-town, mixing personal stories with historical facts to make this a truly special experience.

Lübeck: Courtyards and Alleys Guided Walking Tour

2. Lübeck: Courtyards and Alleys Guided Walking Tour

Discover the most beautiful courtyards and corridors of Lübeck on a guided tour. Be led along narrow paths to the small, picturesque courtyards that the city is famous for. Explore the small stalls where workers used to live and immerse yourself in local history. Learn all sorts of interesting facts about the Hanseatic League and how the city's population increased sharply in the Middle Ages. Hear why living space had to be created, leading to the construction of narrow and crooked corridors between the front buildings. See the monastery courtyards and be taken back in time. Admire how merchant and shipper widows were housed at that time.

Lübeck: Self-Guided Walking Tour Seafarers' Quarter

3. Lübeck: Self-Guided Walking Tour Seafarers' Quarter

Explore Lübeck, one of Germans UNESCO Heritage at your own pace and see its seafaring quarter on this interesting and historic tour with your smartphone. Walk through the Marien-Magdalenen quarter, named after the patron saint of the Burgkloster, a former seafarers' and travelers' quarter, characterized by numerous inns and hostels and oriented towards the long-distance trading port. Take a leisurely 3-4 hour walk through the old streets, alleys, and passageways typical of Lübeck, to discover secrets in backyards and to take a closer look at the many small details along the way. Visit the museum harbor and the former red light district, and enjoy a great vantage point high up at the Burgkloster. Meet mafia birds, hand weavers, an order of knights, a magician and much more. At the stops, there are entertaining tasks to solve and fun questions to answer. For example, who knows what a nose shield is? The tour is a great way to get outside and discover new things with family, friends or on your own. It's like being shown Lübeck by a good friend. Many anecdotes will enrich your walk through the city. You can start the tour at any time and as often as you like in the browser of a smartphone. On site or even from the comfort of your sofa. Enjoy your time in Lübeck! *** Good to know *** You will receive the link to start the tour in an email directly after booking.

From Kiel: Lübeck Shore Excursion

4. From Kiel: Lübeck Shore Excursion

Welcome to your exclusive day trip from Kiel Port to the charming city of Lübeck. Designed especially for cruise ship passengers, this tour offers a perfect blend of comfort, history, and cultural exploration. Lübeck, famed for its iconic red-brick Gothic architecture and rich Hanseatic heritage, promises an unforgettable experience for all history and architecture enthusiasts. We start our journey with a comfortable ride in an air-conditioned vehicle directly from your ship to the heart of Lübeck. Here, you'll be introduced to a local guide, a true connoisseur of the city's many tales and secrets, eager to share their love for this fascinating city with you. Our first stop is the striking Holsten Gate, an enduring symbol of Lübeck's medieval legacy. Step back in time as you admire its Gothic design and learn about its construction dating back to 1464. The exploration continues with a tour of the old salt storehouses, the vibrant marketplace, and the stately Town Hall, each bearing witness to Lübeck's past and present vitality. Your guide will enrich your visit with captivating stories and insights about these historic landmarks. Our highlight is the visit to the Basilica of St Mary's Church, an architectural masterpiece that has inspired many other red-brick churches across the Baltic Region. Stand beneath the world's highest brick vault and let the enormity of this structure amaze you. After the guided tour, you'll have leisure time to enjoy Lübeck at your own pace. Whether you choose to browse the local boutiques, sample some authentic German cuisine, or just wander the city's enchanting streets, the choice is yours. At the end the driver will escort you back to your cruise ship, capping off your memorable day in comfort and style.

Lübeck: Self-Guided Walking Tour and Scavenger Hunt

5. Lübeck: Self-Guided Walking Tour and Scavenger Hunt

Discover Lübeck's hidden gems on a self-guided walking tour of the Hanseatic city. Visit the Holstentorplatz, St. Aegidien Church, and other interesting attractions while using your smartphone to solve riddles. Head to the starting point in the heart of Lübeck and begin your quest. Happiness researcher Merle is out of luck. She was meant to come to Lübeck to conduct research but has been caught in a storm and can't make it. Now, she needs your help. Embark on a creative expedition through Lübeck's Old Town on Merle's behalf and discover the city's romantic side. Go off the beaten path as Merle guides you to inspiring places, from the Lübeck Theater to a small café. Solve puzzles, draw, write poetry, and more, all while getting to know the city of Lübeck. Play at your own pace and pause whenever you need to take a break.

Boat Cruise and a Private Walking Tour of Lubeck's Old Town

6. Boat Cruise and a Private Walking Tour of Lubeck's Old Town

Join an experienced Local Guide on the streets of Lubeck’s Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover must-see sights and hidden gems of the Hanseatic City of Lubeck on foot and on the water with tickets for a 1-hour boat cruise down the canals. Choose the 3-hour option for a basic 2-hour walking tour of the Old Town with tickets for a 1-hour boat cruise. Your Private Guide will show you the best-selected highlights of this historic city, including the iconic Holsten Gate, Salzspeicher (old warehouses), and the Rathaus (Town Hall) at the lively Marketplatz. You will also see a couple of the iconic spires of Lubeck: St Peter’s Church and St. Mary’s Church. The guide will escort you to the pier where you will hop on board a modern, comfortable boat that will take you on a 1-hour cruise down the canals surrounding the Old Town. Enjoy a wonderful view of the 7-tower panorama of the Hanseatic city, the romantic salmon row, the charming Gängeviertel, and the Malerwinkel. Choose the 4-hour option for an extended 3-hour walking tour of the Old Town with tickets for a 1-hour boat cruise. This option includes tickets to St Mary’s Church (Marienkirche), which is the largest church in Lubeck. Inside you will marvel at its unique astronomical clock and hear the story of its Broken Bells. The extended itinerary also includes a visit to the Lubeck Cathedral, which houses the famous works of Bernt Notke and Thomas Quellinus.

Lübeck from Hamburg 1-Day Private Trip by Train

7. Lübeck from Hamburg 1-Day Private Trip by Train

Take a short train journey from Hamburg to the charismatic Lübeck to experience life in a medieval town, admire the iconic red brick buildings, and discover the most important world heritage sites. Includes round-trip train tickets and Private Guide in Lübeck. Immerse yourself in the history, cultural heritage and legends of medieval Germany! Choose the 6-hour option to discover the highlights of Lübeck, which is less than an hour away from Hamburg. For your convenience, round-trip train tickets are included so you can easily join a Local Guide at the Lübeck’s train station for a walking tour of this historic city. The first major highlight will be the Holsten Gate (Holstentor Museum), a unique Brick Gothic construction of the city’s medieval fortification that houses Lübeck’s history museum. Inside you will find antique ship models, suits of armor, weapons and other artifacts related to commerce, power, and wealth. Walking through the narrow medieval streets of Lübeck’s Old Town, you will quickly get a feeling as if you're lost in time. Enjoy the lively atmosphere of the Market Square and admire the medieval bricks and towers of St Peter’s Church, St Catherine's Church and St Jacob Church. Learn the fascinating history of the precursor of modern hospitals, the Heiligen-Geist-Hospital. Another point of interest will be the elegant Gothic Church of St Mary. Inside, you will be astonished by the gravity-defying high ceiling, a unique wall clock, and a bell that fell from the tower, hit the floor and was left there for everyone to admire. At the end of sightseeing, your Private Guide will escort you to the train station, where you will board the return train to Hamburg. Choose the 7-hour option to book private car transfers between the train station and your accommodation in Hamburg. This option includes pickup and drop-off in a private vehicle to make it easier for you to get to the station on time for your train. Save time and effort by booking private transport in advance.

Lubeck:Private Tour of Jewish Lubeck, History and Highlights

8. Lubeck:Private Tour of Jewish Lubeck, History and Highlights

The history of Jews in Lubeck tells the history of antisemitism in Germany before Hitler and World War II. On this original tour you will discover forgotten stories of Jews from the Hanseatic era and learn about the anti-semitic prejudices that led to the”Final Solution” and the Holocaust. Experience Jewish Lubeck! Choose the 2-hour option to explore the highlights of Lubeck’s Old Town with the Jewish History Guide. Most city tours skip on the Jewish history, but it is actually pretty interesting and worth discovering. As an imperial city and capital of the Hanseatic League, Lubeck did not permit Jewish people to reside within its gates, with a few exceptions that you will learn about during the tour. You will see the famous Holstentor gate and the impressive St. Mary’s Church, located within the Hanseatic merchants' district where some Jewish merchants would also come from time to time. Another point of interest will be the Katharineum, where Rabbi Felix F. Carlebach and his son, and some other Jewish students and professors attended. You will also see the only synagogue in the “City of Seven Towers”, and learn about the “Night of the Broken Glass” and the Holocaust. The tour will pass the Museum of St. Anne’s Church, and end in front of the magnificent Lubeck Cathedral. If you wish, you can enter inside and hear its fascinating history from your passionate Private Guide.

Other Sightseeing Options in Lübecker Altstadt

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What people are saying about Lübecker Altstadt

Overall rating

4.4 / 5

based on 506 reviews

Our guide, Axel Schattschneider, has really well-founded and comprehensive knowledge of the history, culture, architecture and social development of the city of Lübeck over the course of history. He imparts this knowledge in an understandable, vivid and entertaining way. He was a pleasure to listen to and there was never a dull moment throughout the tour. We learned a lot on this tour and got impressions of Lübeck that we would never have experienced otherwise. Axel was just great.

Nice trip with the family, we will definitely do it next time we come to Lübeck. The staff were nice and accommodating. We had booked a trip, but were allowed to get on an earlier one. We were not aware that you could only pay for drinks in cash. It was a shame, because it would have been even better if you could have enjoyed a beer/soda at the same time. I would have liked that when booking, you also order and pay for drinks for the trip.

Interesting tour with many stories about Lübeck and a city tour where you would never go alone! Thanks to our guide Thomas

A nice boat trip to get to know Lübeck a little better than just the old town. You get a good overview.

Nice sailing trip, got to see and hear a lot about Lübeck.