Lübeck Architecture

Lübeck’s five principal churches reflect the city’s status as a leading Hanseatic power and a center of Brick Gothic architecture. Each one represents a distinct phase in Lübeck’s religious and architectural history, from Romanesque foundations to Gothic expansions and postwar restoration. Together, they form an essential part of the city’s historic core and are well worth visiting for travelers interested in medieval urban design.

aka St. James’ Church (Jakobikirche)

• Style: Gothic Brick hall church
• Construction period: c. 1300 (replaced an earlier church after the great fire of 1276); main structure completed by early 14th century, tower roof turret added 1622–28
• Location: Koberg, Lübeck Altstadt, Lübeck

A three-aisled brick hall church built atop a 13th-century predecessor, whose tower displays both late Gothic and Renaissance-Baroque elements, notably the baroque roof lantern from 1622–28. Medieval frescoes were uncovered during 19th-century renovations.

Marienkirche 

• Style: Brick Gothic basilica
• Construction period: 1265–1352
• Location: Marienkirchhof, Lübeck Altstadt, Lübeck

A monumental three-aisled basilica featuring the world’s tallest brick vault (38.5 m), and twin towers reaching ~125 m. It established the template for ~70 Baltic Brick Gothic churches and was severely damaged in WWII, then reconstructed 1947–59.

Lübecker Dom

• Architect(s): Originally founded by Henry the Lion; post‑war reconstruction led by Friedhelm Grundmann (1960s–‘82)
• Style: Romanesque-Gothic brick basilica
• Construction period: Begun 1173; substantial completion by 1230; Gothic conversion by 1335; reconstruction after WWII completed 1982
• Location: Mühlendamm 2–6, 23552 Lübeck

Initiated as a Romanesque cathedral under Henry the Lion, it was later heightened in Gothic style. The site was devastated in a 1942 bombing and rebuilt between 1960 and 1982 under Grundmann. It contains notable art, including Bernt Notke’s 1477 triumphal cross.

St. Petri zu Lübeck 

• Style: Romanesque origins, expanded to Gothic hall church
• Construction period: Initial build 1227–1250; Gothic expansion in 15th century; restored post‑WWII, completed 1987
• Location: Petrikirchhof, 23552 Lübeck

Originating as a Romanesque three-aisled church, it was transformed into a five-aisled Gothic hall in the 15th century. Heavily damaged in the 1942 air raid, its restoration concluded in 1987. Today it serves cultural and religious events.

aka Church of St. Aegidien (St. Aegidienkirche)

• Architect: Not recorded (built by anonymous medieval craftsmen)
• Style: Gothic brick hall church with Renaissance and Baroque fittings
• Construction period: Original church mentioned 1227; current brick hall built early 14th century; choir completed c. 1440; chapels added through 1760
• Location: Aegidienstr. 75, 23552 Lübeck

The smallest of Lübeck’s five medieval parish churches, St. Aegidien’s hall design dates to the early 1300s, with later Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque interior furnishings. It’s notable for its 1586–87 “Singechor” by Tönnies Evers the Elder and 1701 Baroque altar. Unlike others, it survived the 1942 bombing intact.

In addition to its major medieval churches, Lübeck is home to a number of other religious buildings that reflect the city’s evolving spiritual and architectural landscape. These include former monasteries, 19th-century Catholic and Reformed churches, and more recent places of worship serving Orthodox, Protestant, and immigrant communities.

Katharinenkirche

• Style: Brick Gothic
• Year built: Early 14th century
• Address: 53°52′09″ N 10°41′22″ E (central old town)

Originally part of a Franciscan monastery, the church now serves as a museum exhibition hall, showcasing artworks by Barlach, Marcks, and a Tintoretto copy of Notke’s Saint George.

Burgkloster 

• Style: Brick Gothic
• Year founded: 1229 (converted from castle ruins); monastery function until Reformation
• Address: Hinter der Burg 2–6, 23552 Lübeck

Once a Dominican convent with rich vaulted interiors, it later served as almshouse, court, and prison. Since 2015 it forms part of the European Hansemuseum within Lübeck’s UNESCO core.

Sankt-Annen-Kloster

• Style: Late Brick Gothic
• Year built: 1502–1515
• Address: St. Annen-Straße 15, 23552 Lübeck

Former nunnery founded for unmarried Lübeck women, closed in the Reformation. The church was demolished after an 1843 fire, but the monastery church wing now houses the St. Annen Museum.

Evangelisch‑reformierte Kirchengemeinde

• Architect: Johannes Geibel (preacher) likely oversaw design
• Style: Classicism
• Year built: 1824–1826
• Address: Königstraße 18, 23552 Lübeck

Built by and for the city’s Reformed (Dutch and Huguenot) community, featuring a semi-circular nave with central pulpit and gallery reminiscent of classical theatre seating.

Propsteikirche Herz Jesu 

• Style: Neo-Gothic basilica
• Year built: 1888–1891
• Address: Parade 4, 23552 Lübeck

Lübeck’s main Roman Catholic church since the late 19th century, notable for its memorial crypt to the Lübeck Martyrs executed in 1943.

Heiligen‑Geist‑Hospital at Koberg 

• Style: Brick Gothic
• Year built: 1276–1286
• Address: Koberg, Lübeck Altstadt, Lübeck

Among Europe’s oldest social hospitals, originally serving the poor and sick. It remains remarkably intact and part of Lübeck’s Brick Gothic heritage , and was praised in 2024 for its splendid survival through WWII.

Lübeck’s palaces and grand townhouses reflect the wealth and influence of its merchant elite, clergy, and civic leaders from the Middle Ages through the 19th century. These buildings combine elements of Brick Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical architecture, often layered across centuries. Though few in number, they offer important insight into the city’s social hierarchy and evolving urban fabric.

• Style: Early Brick Renaissance
• Year built: Purchased 1535 and remodeled by 1538
• Address: Breite Straße 2, 23552 Lübeck

Originally a 13th-century merchant’s house, it became the guild hall of the shipowners’ association in 1535–38. The façade features a “Gotteskeller” entrance, painted pillars, and a gilded weather vane shaped like a sailing ship; the interior retains much of its Renaissance character.

Buddenbrookhaus

• Architect: Franz von Hoven (original townhouse)
• Style: Neoclassical façade with historicist interior elements
• Year built: Originally 1758; rebuilt and expanded 1840s
• Address: Mengstraße 4, 23552 Lübeck

This townhouse was the childhood home of Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann and the setting for his novel Buddenbrooks. Now a museum, the Buddenbrookhaus preserves period interiors and documents Mann family history, offering insight into Lübeck’s bourgeois culture and literary heritage.

• Style: Mid-20th-century residential architecture
• Year built: Mid-1900s
• Address: Bürgermeister-Müller-Straße 23, 23552 Lübeck

The former residence of Nobel laureate Günter Grass, this unassuming house reflects the writer’s lifelong connection to Lübeck. It remains a private residence but is a point of interest for visitors exploring the city’s literary landmarks.

• Architect: Rebuilt 1783 by Joseph Christian Lillie (interior decoration)
• Style: Neoclassical townhouse
• Year built: 1783 (rebuilt)
• Address: Königstraße 9, 23552 Lübeck

Commissioned by merchant Peter Hinrich Tesdorp, the interior was decorated by Danish decorator Lillie. The structure now houses the Behnhaus Drägerhaus museum, showcasing art and authentic late-18th-century bourgeois interiors.

• Architect: remodeled 1978–81 by Dräger Foundation
• Style: Retains historic façades, interior ornate Rococo
• Year built: c. 1500 (renovated in 1978–81)
• Address: Königstraße 11 (connected to Behnhaus)

Formerly the home of Mayor Nikolaus Brömse, it was adapted to museum space in 1978–81 by the Dräger Foundation. The Rococo-style celebration rooms in the garden wing are architecturally significant.

• Architect: rebuilt by Kaufmannschaft zu Lübeck after WWII
• Style: Late 18th-century bourgeois townhouse (Brick Renaissance)
• Year built: c. 1350 (restored 1954)
• Address: Mengstraße 48–50, 23552 Lübeck

Named after baker Schabbel, its two 18th-century merchant houses now form a museum-style restaurant. Restoration retained original features like the upper-level galleries and cargo winch in the loft.

• Style: Romanesque-Gothic brick townhouse
• Year built: c. 1230 (modified 1358, 1403)
• Address: Dr. Julius‑Leber‑Straße 13 (corner of Königstraße), 23552 Lübeck

One of Lübeck’s oldest gabled merchant houses, the pharmacy has operated since 1812. Romanesque gables and Gothic features survive, and its interior and façade were restored after WWII damage.

• Architects: Christian Zauleck and Franz Hormann
• Style: 1920s Brick-Expressionist office palace with Neo-Gothic elements
• Year built: 1924
• Address: Bahnhofsvorplatz 12–14, 23558 Lübeck

Designed in 1924 as a modern brick-clad office block inspired by Hamburg Kontorhaus architecture. It features brick-expressionist façades, ceramic sculptures by Richard Kuöhl, and is now repurposed as a hotel.

(of the Burgtor ensemble)

• Style: Renaissance brick townhouse
• Year built: 1571
• Address: Große Burgstraße 5, 23552 Lübeck

Located adjacent to the Burgtor (Castle Gate), this Renaissance-era brick house features a three-tiered stepped gable and richly detailed terracotta frieze by Statius of Düren depicting heraldic motifs. Originally part of the customs and toll complex, it retains an 18th-century interior hall and a hidden garden behind medieval city walls.

Haus der Kaufmannschaft

• Style: Neogothic façade with renovated Renaissance interiors
• Year built: Renaissance structure; façade renovated in 1838; interior rooms installed mid-19th century
• Address: Breite Straße 6–8, 23552 Lübeck

Across from the Schiffergesellschaft, this guild hall features an 1838 Neogothic exterior while preserving two ornate Renaissance-era meeting rooms: the Große Gemach and the Fredenhagen-Zimmer. It’s still in use by the modern merchants’ association and hosts cultural events.

aka Schloss Rantzau

• Style: Neo-Gothic town palace, built around older medieval brick structure
• Year built: Current Gothic façade dates to 19th century; core from 13th and 15th centuries
• Address: Kapitelstraße / Parade 1, 23552 Lübeck

This “palace” evolved from a medieval domherr (cathedral canon) house dating to 1290, with Gothic cellars and Renaissance interior elements (1586). In the 19th century, it was expanded into a Neo-Gothic palace-like structure. It exemplifies Lübeck’s layering of religious and residential architecture.

• Style: Rococo townhouse
• Year built: Likely mid‑18th century (Rococo façade restoration in 1924)
• Address: Königstraße 81, 23552 Lübeck

Considered Lübeck’s finest Rococo residence, this ornate townhouse on Königstraße features restored elaborate plaster façades typical of the period.

• Style: Late Baroque palace
• Year built: Core back to 1344; current Baroque form from late 17th–18th centuries
• Address: Aegidienstraße 22, 23552 Lübeck

One of the few late‑Baroque palaces preserved in Lübeck’s old town, originally a medieval farmstead and later a banker’s urban residence evolving into an elegant Baroque courtyard house.

• Architect: Joseph Christian Lillie
• Style: Neoclassical villa
• Year built: 1804
• Address: Ratzeburger Allee (St. Jürgen), 23564 Lübeck

Designed by Danish architect Lillie as a summer villa for Senator Haartmann and later home to art collector Max Linde, the villa features a park setting and has served as Lübeck’s standesamt (civil registry) since 1968.

• Architect: 15th-century modifications by Nicolaus Peck
• Style: Brick Gothic medieval “high house” later given a classical attic façade
• Year built: Core around 1216–1280; renovated in 1796 with new classical façade
• Address: Koberg 2, 23552 Lübeck

The largest surviving medieval civic residence in Lübeck, originally cited as “alta domus” in 1322. It shows successive architectural layers: Brick Gothic cellars and gables, Renaissance interiors, and an 18th-century classical street façade.

Schwedische Kirche 

• Style: Early 20th-century Protestant (former) church
• Year built: Early 1900s (exact date not found)
• Address: Hafenstraße 24, 23568 Lübeck, Germany

Originally built to serve the Swedish Lutheran community, this smaller church has since been deconsecrated and converted into a residential building. It represents the presence of immigrant religious communities in Lübeck’s social history.

Lübeck’s public buildings reflect the city’s long history of civic governance, trade regulation, and cultural development. From medieval warehouses and Gothic town halls to 19th-century theaters and modern museums, these structures illustrate the evolving role of public institutions in Lübeck’s urban fabric. Many remain in active use today, offering insight into the architectural and administrative legacy of a former Hanseatic capital.

aka City Hall (Stadtverwaltung Hansestadt Lübeck)

• Style: Brick Gothic with Renaissance and Rococo additions
• Year built: c. 1230–1350, major additions 1435–1572, Rococo interior ~1760
• Address: Breite Straße 62, 23552 Lübeck

A UNESCO‑listed civic complex beginning as three Gothic townhouses, later expanded with a long hall, shield wall, and Renaissance façade. Its opulent Audience Hall contains 18th-century Rococo décor and paintings depicting governmental virtues—while the 1573 Renaissance door features Low German inscriptions and door height differences to signal court judgments.

Kanzleigebäude

• Architect: 1920s renovation by Klaus Mai
• Style: Brick Gothic core with Renaissance extensions and 20th‑century refurbishments
• Year built: Completed 1485; Renaissance additions 1588–1614; modern updates c. 1920s/1939
• Address: Breite Straße (north of Town Hall), Lübeck Altstadt

Once home to city scribes and archives, this Gothic building gained Renaissance wings and later housed municipal information offices. Its arcade ground floor now hosts shops and a café in rooms like the “Eagles’ Hall”.

Zeughaus Lübeck

• Style: Dutch Renaissance
• Year Built: 1594
• Address: Parade 10, 23552 Lübeck, Germany

Former granary converted into a Renaissance armory with red brick walls and sandstone details. Now home to the Lübeck city archives, it reflects the evolution of military architecture and includes later additions from the 20th century, including police and Gestapo uses.

Marstall

• Style: Brick Gothic with Renaissance additions
• Year built: First mentioned 1298; gatehouse survives; smithy demolished c. 1894
• Address: Marstallhof, between Burgkloster and Burgtor 23552 Lübeck

Formerly the site of municipal stables and forging operations, this complex includes a preserved gatehouse and courtyard. Today the structures form part of a youth center.

Salzspeicher

• Style: Brick Renaissance warehouses
• Year built: c. 1579–1745
• Address: An der Untertrave 26-30, 23552 Lübeck

A row of six vaulted warehouses storing Lüneburg salt for Baltic export. Their massive brick facades and waterfront setting symbolize Lübeck’s Hanseatic trading wealth.

Rossmühle

• Style: Brick vernacular industrial
• Year built: c. 1750
• Address: Obertrave riverside, Lübeck Altstadt

Once a riverside mill and warehouse, this building exemplifies Lübeck’s small-scale industrial architecture and now contains residential units.

aka Burgtor Customs

• Style: Brick Gothic
• Year built: c. 1444
• Address: Große Burgstraße 5 (Zöllnerhaus), adjoining Burgtor, 23552 Lübeck

Attached to the northern Burgtor, this customs office has a stepped gable and terracotta frieze. It managed tolls on goods entering the city and retains a hidden garden behind the medieval walls.

• Style: Brick Gothic with Renaissance elements
• Year built: c. 13th–15th century, remodeled c. 1594
• Address: Große Burgstraße (near Marstall)

Served as city court before WWII, this block exhibits stepped gables and Gothic windows. It was partly integrated into modern structures after the 1890s reconstruction of adjacent armory and stables.

• Architect: Heinrich Wolff (Reichsbank building authority)
• Style: Neo-Gothic
• Year built: 1894–95; enlarged 1934–36
• Address: Königstraße 42, Holstentorplatz, 23552 Lübeck

Constructed for the Reichsbank, later Bundesbank, this protected bank building is now part of the Lübeck University of Music, following the 2024 transfer.

aka Theater Lübeck

• Architect: Martin Dülfer; site manager Max Baudrexel
• Style: Art Nouveau (Jugendstil)
• Year built: 1908
• Address: Beckergrube 10–14, 23552 Lübeck

Replacing an 18th‑century theater, this Art Nouveau landmark features a sandstone facade with Caryatids and a relief of Apollo and the Muses. It hosts opera, theater, ballet, and orchestra performances.

Stadtbücherei

• Style: 1920s Functionalist
• Year built: c. 1926–28
• Address: Hundestraße 5–7, 23552 Lübeck

Built to house the municipal book collection, this functionalist brick building features large windows and modest detailing. It remains a central public-library facility in the Altstadt.

Prahl-Denkmal

• Architect: Sculptor Ludwig Gies (1900)
• Style: Art Nouveau bronze sculpture with plinth
• Year built: 1900
• Location: Wallanlagen park, near Königstraße bridge

A bronze statue commemorating merchant Wilhelm Prahl, set on a stone plinth and surrounded by a landscaped wall-garden. It offers a human-scale monument within Lübeck’s defensive ring parks.

Lübeck Hauptbahnhof

• Architect: Fritz Klingholz
• Style: Historicist station architecture with functional elements (“Reiterbahnhof”)
• Year built: Opened May 1, 1908; electrified in 2008
• Address: Am Bahnhof, 23558 Lübeck

A major transport hub, the reception building spans the tracks in typical “bridge” form and combines decorative historicism with early-20th-century functionality, marking Lübeck’s status as a regional rail center.

• Architect: Andreas Heller Architects & Designers (new museum building)
• Style: Modern brick architecture echoing medieval wall textures, integrated with historic Friary ruins
• Year built: New museum opened 2015
• Address: An der Untertrave 1, 23552 Lübeck

This award-winning museum complex blends a contemporary brick-clad structure—evoking Lübeck’s city wall—with restored medieval monastery elements, offering travelers an architectural bridge across eras.

Kranen-Konvent

• Style: Brick Gothic
• Year built: c. 1260
• Address: Near Drehbrücke, Lübeck Altstadt

An early Gothic canal-side building that served varied charitable functions over centuries. It now houses social services, preserving a medieval façade in a working urban context.

• Style: Historicist (19th-century) townhouse
• Year built: Renovated into museum and opened December 18, 2007
• Address: Königstraße 21, 23552 Lübeck

Once a merchants’ assembly house and later the appellate court, this building now honors former Chancellor Willy Brandt. It merges 19th-century civic architecture with a contemporary museum layout, enhancing the cultural route along Königstraße.

Lübeck’s city fortifications once formed one of the most formidable defense systems in Northern Europe, enclosing the Old Town with walls, towers, gates, and moats. These structures protected the city during its Hanseatic peak while also projecting civic authority and wealth.

Holstentor

• Architect: Hinrich Helmstede
• Style: Brick Gothic (late Gothic)
• Year built: 1464–1478
• Address: Holstentorplatz, 23552 Lübeck

Lübeck’s iconic twin-towered western gate, originally designed for defense and civic symbolism. Its massive brick walls, conical-roofed towers, and terracotta bands make it an emblem of Hanseatic power. After near demolition in the 19th century, it was restored and now houses the Museum Holstentor.

Burgtor

• Architect: Nikolaus Peck
• Style: Late Gothic with Baroque roof addition
• Year built: 1444 (tower); Baroque roof added in 1685
• Address: Große Burgstraße, 23552 Lübeck

Lübeck’s northern gate and counterpart to Holstentor, once part of a three‑gate defense system. It controlled the only land approach, named after the adjacent castle-turned-monastery. The gate was expanded in the 19th century and remains a prominent medieval landmark.

The Kaisertor

• Style: Brick Gothic tower with later historicist upper story
• Year built: c. 1300; blocked c. 1500; reopened and expanded 17th–19th centuries
• Address: Wallanlagen park, near Wallstraße, Lübeck

A lesser-known former gate protecting the Mühlendamm and water mills. It was walled up around 1500 due to jurisdictional conflicts, then reopened in 1900 to commemorate Kaiser Wilhelm II’s canal inauguration. The gate now stands as a quiet medieval relic within the city’s green belt.

• Architect: reinforcement by Johan van Valckenburgh in early 17th century
• Style: Brick Gothic city walls and bastions
• Year built: Wall origins from 1181–1217; bastions added 1613–1643; most walls dismantled post-1813
• Address: Sections along An der Mauer, Wakenitzmauer, Wallanlagen park, around old town

Lübeck once had one of Northern Europe’s most extensive fortifications, with walls, moats, bastions, and towers encircling the Old Town. While much was dismantled in the 19th century, significant sections and bastions remain intact as part of the “Wallanlagen” park, preserving the historic defense line.

Bridges in Lübeck have long been essential to the city’s development, linking its historic island Old Town with surrounding neighborhoods across canals and rivers. These structures—ranging from medieval stone arches to industrial-era engineering and modern pedestrian spans—facilitate commerce, transport, and daily life.

• Architect: Designed by Stadtbaumeister Johann Adam Soherr
• Style: Neoclassical stone segment-arch bridge with figures
• Year built: Originally stone bridge erected 1770–73; rebuilt 1907
• Location: Spanning the Stadtgraben, west of Holstentor

Lübeck’s first stone bridge serves as a formal gateway to the Old Town. Sculptor Dietrich Jürgen Boy’s eight allegorical statues (representing virtues, gods, and veneration) gave the structure its name; originals now preserved indoors, replicas mark the crossing.

Marstallbrücke

• Architect/Engineer: Designed under engineer Peter Rehder
• Style: Steel lift bridge with neo-Gothic towers
• Year built: 1896–1900; heritage-protected since 1988
• Location: Over the Klughafen near Burgtor—connects Hafenbahn tracks and roadway

Built to service the Elbe–Lübeck Canal, it once carried railway, road, and pedestrian traffic. The complex three-part lift bridge typifies late-19th-century harbor engineering.

Drehbrücke

• Architect/Engineer: Constructed by Gutehoffnungshütte, Oberhausen, as part of Rehder’s 1884 plan
• Style: Steel swing bridge with Gothic Revival control building
• Year built: 1892; operations updated since 2014
• Location: At Willy‑Brandt‑Allee, connecting Altstadt and St. Lorenz

A rare working hydraulic swing bridge in Schleswig‑Holstein, it rotates about 56° in under 3 minutes. Built to run rail traffic to the northern harbor and now serves as a functional road and pedestrian bridge.

• Style: Steel-arched bridge spanning Elbe–Lübeck Canal, complementing medieval masonry
• Year built: Around 1900
• Location: At the base of Burgtor, crossing the canal near Burgtorbrücke area

Part of an ensemble of harbor bridges featuring diverse engineering designs, this arch bridge aligns with the historic castle gate and canal locks.

• Style: Modern beam pedestrian bridge
• Year built: 2004
• Location: Crossing the Untertrave, linking Convention Center and Beckergrube

A contemporary pedestrian connector facilitating access from the Congress venue to the Old Town; its clean design supports both function and urban flow.

• Style: Brick and stone arch bridge
• Year built: First iteration as wooden drawbridge c. 1644; current stone version completed 1931
• Location: Carries Wallstraße over the Trave, just south of Lübeck Cathedral

This early bridge connected the city’s bastion defenses and later became a key public thoroughfare. Its stone arch design replaced older versions and remains a vital landmark linking the Old Town’s southern edge.

• Architect/Engineer: Named after Peter Rehder, engineer of the Elbe–Lübeck Canal
• Style: Steel deck plate girder bridge with cantilever supports
• Year built: 1935–1936
• Location: Extends Krähenstraße over the Kanaltrave and connects to Hüxtertorallee

Built to enhance eastern access for St. Jürgen and St. Gertrud to central Lübeck, this functional yet historically notable bridge includes roller-mounted expansion bearings. It stands as a municipal landmark.

• Style: 20th-century lift/klapp-style engineering
• Year built: Early 20th century (100‑year planning period noted)
• Location: Spans the Hafenbahn near the Old Town

This lift bridge supports rail and road traffic over Lübeck’s port railway. Its century-long planning reflects strategic transport integration around the Old Town.

Lübeck’s historical alleys and courtyards offer visitors a glimpse into the city’s medieval and early modern urban life. These intimate, often hidden spaces showcase a variety of architectural styles and reflect Lübeck’s long tradition of community-focused housing and craftsmanship. Exploring these passages reveals layers of social history and adds depth to the experience of the Old Town’s built environment.

• Architect: Andreas Jeger
• Architectural Style: Early Baroque
• Year of Origin: 1639
• Address: Glockengießerstraße 25–29

Founded by merchant and councilor Johann Füchting, this courtyard was established to house widows of merchants and seafarers. The complex features a notable sandstone portal adorned with the allegory of Caritas and the founder’s coat of arms. The “Vorsteherzimmer” (superintendent’s room) is renowned as one of Lübeck’s most exquisite 17th-century interiors.

• Founder: Johann Glandorp 
• Architectural Style: Renaissance
• Year of Origin: 1603
• Address: Glockengießerstraße 39–53

Established by Lübeck merchant and councilor Johann Glandorp, this courtyard was intended for widows of honorable standing. The complex includes a three-story brick house, two wings with seven two-story row houses each, and a single-story building with 13 “gangbuden” (small rooms). The entrance features a copper plaque commemorating the foundation from 1612.

• Year of Origin: First development around 1587
• Street Name: An der Untertrave 19 and 26

This alley, part of a labyrinthine system between Untertrave and Engelswisch, is characterized by its narrow passages, small huts, gardens, and dead ends. It offers a glimpse into the old Lübeck, with a mix of residential and communal spaces.

• Founder: Elisabeth Haase
• Architectural Style: Baroque
• Year of Origin: 1725
• Address: Dr. Julius Leber Straße 37–39

The youngest of Lübeck’s major foundation courtyards, Haasenhof was established by Elisabeth Haase, widow of wine merchant Johann Haase. The complex comprises 13 single-story houses for widows and unmarried women. The interiors feature polychrome wood paneling with genre scenes, created by J.S. Schmidt between 1726 and 1728.

• Year of Origin: 15th century
• Address: Hartengrube 52

Initially known as “de wide Hagen” due to its unusual width, this alley was expanded in 1489 to house individuals of questionable reputation. In 1557, a brotherhood (Kaland) took over the alley, leading to its current name. It represents a unique aspect of Lübeck’s social history.

• Founder: Tidemann Evinghusen 
• Year of Origin: 1483
• Address: Wahmstraße 73–77

Created by Lübeck councilor Tidemann Evinghusen as a passageway for the poor, this alley was later managed by Mayor Gotthard von Höveln, after whom it is named. The existing structures date back to 1792, and after a renovation in 1972, ten modern senior apartments were established while preserving the historical form.

• Founder: Named after mayor Bernhard Illhorn
• Architectural Style: Renaissance foundation courtyard
• Year of Origin: Founded 1590
• Address: Glockengießerstraße 31–35

Established as a charitable foundation for widows and the poor, the Illhornstift features a distinctive Renaissance portal and well-preserved residential wings. Its architectural ensemble exemplifies Lübeck’s tradition of social housing within ornate courtyards.

• Architectural Style: Brick Gothic with Baroque modifications
• Year of Origin: First documented in the 14th century, rebuilt 17th century
• Address: Königstraße 1–3

Once a merchant’s courtyard, the Kapphof displays typical Hanseatic brick architecture with later Baroque features. It offers insight into Lübeck’s commercial residential typology.

• Architectural Style: Narrow medieval alley
• Year of Origin: Medieval, exact date unknown
• Address: Near St. Michaelis Church, Altstadt

A classic example of Lübeck’s medieval urban fabric, Michaelisgang is a narrow passage lined with historic timber-framed buildings, preserving the intimate scale of the Old Town’s pedestrian routes.

This section highlights a selection of notable architectural sites in Lübeck that do not fall neatly into categories like churches, palaces, or bridges. These buildings and complexes offer additional perspectives on the city’s diverse architectural heritage, showcasing cultural, residential, and commercial facets that contribute to Lübeck’s unique urban character.

• Architect: Andreas Heller Architects & Designers
• Style: Contemporary modern architecture with brick façade referencing traditional Hanseatic brickwork
• Year built: Opened 2015
• Address: An der Untertrave 1, 23552 Lübeck

This museum building combines modern design with historic references to Lübeck’s Hanseatic past. Its striking brick exterior and angular forms create a dialogue between contemporary architecture and the medieval cityscape.

• Style: Brick Gothic
• Year built: Founded in 1286; major Gothic rebuilds in 14th century
• Address: Koberg 7, 23552 Lübeck

One of Europe’s oldest social institutions and hospitals, the complex features typical Brick Gothic architecture with vaulted halls and a large courtyard. It reflects Lübeck’s medieval charitable traditions and urban development.

• Style: A hybrid of medieval Gothic (ex-Franciscan monastery) and 19th-century historicist additions
• Year built: Founded 1531; major Gothic renovation in 1880s
• Address: Königstraße 27–31, 23552 Lübeck

This historic humanist school occupies former Franciscan monastery buildings dating to the 13th–14th century, extended in the 1880s. Its association with intellective education—beloved by Thomas Mann—enriches Lübeck’s civic architecture heritage.

Seemannsverein

• Style: Historicist/Neo-Renaissance
• Year built: 1887
• Address: Königstraße 143, 23552 Lübeck

Built to support maritime laborers and visiting sailors, it features ornate brick detailing and maritime-themed reliefs. The society provided social and recreational services at Lübeck’s busiest port area.

Lübeck is renowned for its extensive Brick Gothic architecture, a hallmark of the Hanseatic League’s wealth and influence during the medieval period. Look for red brick façades, pointed arches, and ornate gables throughout the Old Town.

The city’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, reflecting its importance as a medieval trading hub and well-preserved urban fabric with churches, merchant houses, and fortifications.

Beyond Brick Gothic, Lübeck features Renaissance and Baroque courtyards and alleys that reveal layers of social history, including charitable housing complexes founded between the 15th and 18th centuries.

Notable architects and builders from Lübeck’s past include municipal master builders like Nicolaus Peck, and more recently, contemporary architects such as Andreas Heller, who designed the European Hansemuseum.

Many key architectural sites are concentrated within walking distance of each other in the Old Town, making it accessible for travelers on foot. However, some courtyards and private buildings may have limited public access or require guided tours.

Pay attention to how Lübeck’s waterways and bridges integrate with the urban landscape, illustrating the city’s historic reliance on maritime trade and defense.

When visiting, consider exploring beyond the main churches and palaces to discover hidden alleys, courtyards, and smaller landmarks that provide insight into everyday life in Lübeck’s history.

If you’re planning to explore Lübeck’s Gothic spires, merchant townhouses, and medieval streetscapes, we recommend staying near Market Square (Marktplatz) in the Old Town. This central area offers walking access to the city’s most architecturally significant landmarks, including St. Mary’s Church, the Holstentor Gate, and several brick-gothic civic buildings.

Many hotels and guesthouses near Marktplatz are housed in converted historic structures—some dating back to the Hanseatic period—providing a direct connection to Lübeck’s architectural history. From vaulted cellars to stepped-gable façades, these lodgings allow travelers to experience the city’s design legacy first-hand.

Use the interactive map below to search for accommodations by date, budget, and amenities.

To truly appreciate Lübeck’s architectural legacy, consider booking a guided city tour. Knowledgeable guides provide context for the city’s Gothic churches, merchant residences, medieval gates, and narrow alleyways—details often overlooked without expert interpretation. Tours can be tailored to focus on specific architectural styles, historical periods, or neighborhoods, making your visit both informative and engaging.