And so my trip along the most beautiful Hanseatic League Towns continues. Rostock and Wismar impressed me very much and were so far my favourites. That was, until I found the prettiest town of them all. Must see Lueneburg, just 50 km south of Hamburg! And what about Bremen and Hannover?
Due to the weather and my personal goal of following the sun, for a few days I was basically pivoting around Hamburg. From Wismar I went straight to Bremen, then Lueneburg, Hamburg and Hannover last.
I was very close to leaving the Hanseatic towns behind, heading south again. But first…
Hannover 
Lueneburg 
Bremen
_________________________
Bremen
Bremen was quite interesting, so even now, after a few days since I have visited, I am not sure what to think of this town. As I cycled into the old city from my hotel, crossing the South Gate and seeing the market square, my first thought was ‘Wow’! What an amazing place! The architecture in that particular square was just stunning and picturesque!
Thinking I would walk around a little bit, I parked my bike, to explore more by foot. I soon realised however, what I saw on the market square, as stunning as it was, that was basically it. Hmmm..
Back on my bike I cycled through the ‘Steintor’ part and a short distance along the Weser river, before realising Bremen is more of a young people’s city. The city itself offers a wide range of international restaurants, hip bars, groovy coffee shops and lots of multicultural people. It felt busy and the streets packed with locals, enjoying a sunny day. Although it was a great vibe, I was glad to be back outside of the city again, in the quieter suburbs, cycling along some nature.
_________________________
Must see Lueneburg (Lüneburg)
To be honest, I only stopped in Lueneburg because I googled ‘Hanseatic League Towns’ and Lueneburg was listed and close enough to have a look. And Wow, what an amazing and gorgeous city Lueneburg is. Really! Unlike the others (e.g. Rostock, Bremen and Hannover), it hasn’t been bombed during WWII. Therefore, walking through the town is basically like stepping back in time.
So, there is only one conclusion. Lueneburg belongs to one of the prettiest and oldest cities of Germany. (Apparently their records go back to year 956).
I am so glad I found this little gem and I would recommend highly to see it for yourself! Must see Lueneburg is a gorgeous and unique Hanseatic League town!
A little bit like Hallstatt maybe?
_________________________
Hannover
I wasn’t sure whether Hannover would be worth a stop or not, but it was on my way, going towards Dresden again, so I was curious enough to stop. After all the head of state was named the ‘King of Hannover‘ up until 1866.
The standout in Hannover is definitely the Town Hall (Rathaus), opened in 1913 (after been under construction for 12 years). What a stunning, grand building it is. The day was perfect for some great photos.
In addition, and apart from an old church ruin, Hannover has a pretty old centre, with some traditional timber framed houses. So that was nice. However, I must say, after all the other pretty towns, it didn’t stand out for me as much as the others.
And so, I was finishing the tour of the Hanseatic League towns. Bremen and Hannover are nice but not really worth a special trip. However you definitely must see Lueneburg!! In my opinion anyway.
Did I mention it already?
I feel I have done well with my northern Germany, Hanseatic League Towns trip. Each town was different, pretty and unique in their own way. Unfortunately the history and the WWII defined which ones have the most characteristic and historical old cities.
(post 138)
