The Bruner Family Journey: Our Hanseatic Holiday, Part 2

Wismar may be more charming and historically pristine, and Stralsund may be a wilder and more adventurous destination, but Lübeck is the queen of the Hansa. In terms of the sheer number of visually stunning buildings, Lübeck takes the 12th century Hanseatic cake. The city suffered some big hits in World War II, but countless old lanes, alleyways and courtyards still remain, with more than 1,000 historic landmarks if you're counting. The city's old quarter sits on an island in the Trave River, so pick your bridge, walk half-way out, and start taking pictures! Our main activity consisted of walking aimlessly through town, although we did spend an hour in the Behnhaus Museum perusing the small but excellent collection of German Romantic paintings and the extensive temporary exhibit of works by Edvard Munch, who lived and worked in Lübeck for a few years. We also made time to play soccer and ping pong (there was an outdoor table at the hostel where we stayed), and I seem to recall some serious pigeon chasing as well. Overall, we were very impressed by the Hanseatic trio of Lübeck, Stralsund and Wismar - a trip to these places defeats the myth I've heard that the tourist sights in northern Germany are inferior to those of the south.

Sad spire of St. Nikolai

From Lübeck, it was short drive to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Hamburg was heavily bombed during World War II, so only a small portion of its historic architecture remains. The city has grown tremendously since its Hanseatic days and is now Europe's third largest port and Germany's second largest city. It's an affluent and dynamic place, with plenty of open air opportunities for eating and drinking (at least in summer), a diverse population with immigrants from countries that span the globe, cultural events galore, and a vibrant alternative scene. One of the city's landmarks is the towering neo-Gothic spire of Saint Nikolai's Church, which was the tallest building in the world for a brief stint in the 1870s. Pretty much everything but the spire was flattened in World War II and the church now lay in ruins. Surrounded by modern office buildings, the spire stands as a poignant memorial. The kids didn't quite grasp the heaviness of the place as they played among the old ruins and solemn modern statues.

Evening in the Speicherstadt

Another distinctive feature of the city is the Speicherstadt, or warehouse district, which was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Gothic revival red-brick architecture is perhaps a bit severe, especially in the evening when all the people vanish after the close of business, but it's unlike anything I've ever seen before. The buildings are still used as warehouses, and in 2005 they apparently handled one third of the world's carpet production.

Between the outdoor attractions and the mandatory German wine tasting in front of the Town Hall, we had time only for two of Hamburg's many renowned art museums - the Kunsthalle (featuring an exhibit of drawings entitled "Bruegel, Rembrandt & Co."), and the Kunstmeile (featuring an exhibit of paintings by J.M.W. Turner). Apparently, "kunst" is German for art. The Kunsthalle contains a classic painting of 19th century German Romanticism (Caspar David Friedrich's The Wanderer Above the Sea and Fog) that I'd written a paper on in college.

Enjoying some wine in front of Hamburg's Town Hall

Caspar David Friedrich, The Wanderer Above the Sea and Fog (taken from the internet)

Youthful joy among the somber ruins of St. Nikolai

The Marketplatz in Bremen

After Hamburg, we had our eye on The Netherlands, the final destination of our year-long adventure. But we made two more Hanseatic stops in Germany. First was Bremen, where we started our tour at the main square in town (the Marktplatz), which is dominated by the opulent façade of the city's Town Hall. We also walked down the Böttcherstrasse, a tiny street that was transformed in the 1920s into a showcase for what has been termed "Brick Expressionism," a unique and unusual architectural style that combines elements of Hanseatic, neo-Gothic, Art Nouveau and Art Deco. The Nazis were not impressed and denounced the street as an example of "degenerate art." While the kids finished lunch, I also took a quick peek at the nearby Schnoor quarter, the oldest part of the city, where fisherman, craftsman and traders once sold their wares. Although the area was not bombed during World War II, it was in a state of utter disrepair by the mid-1950s. Having been extensively renovated, it's now filled with shops, restaurants and tourists.

About to enter the Böttcherstrasse

Talia with one of her many stuffed animals

Back at the Marketplatz

Town Hall

Our final stop in Germany was Münster, a lively university town that is known to history geeks as the place where the Treaty of Westphalia was signed in 1648 to end the Thirty Years War. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II, but there are several extremely impressive groupings of old buildings that remain (or were rebuilt after the War). Münster also boasts an impressive number of bicycles. Throughout Germany, cities have made a considerable effort to go green and one notable feature is the ubiquitous, wide bicycle lanes that fill the urban streetscape. This effort has reached a crescendo in Münster, which is known as Germany's "Bicycle Capital." According to the city's website, there is now more bicycle traffic than car traffic. It was a great place to end the German part of our journey, and the kids were particularly excited at the excellent Thai-Vietnamese nouvelle-fusion dinner on our last night in the country.