HOLSTENTOR

The Holstentor is the best known and most beautiful of the Lübeck gates. It dates from the Middle Ages (1464-1478) and is one of the best preserved gates in Germany. The building consists of two towers with conical slate roofs and a central wing in which the rounded entrance door is located. The fortified walls of the towers are more than 3.50 m thick. You can see that it is strongly leaning, due to the sandy soil that gave the builders a hard time from the beginning of the work; the result is nevertheless superb. Today, the walls also house a modern and very well-done museum on the history of the city (explanations in English and German) with an exhibition called "The Power of the Hanse" presenting the power of trade. The gate was equipped in the Middle Ages with 30 cannons! The Latin inscription "Concordia domi foris pax" (concord within, peace without) reminds visitors that Lübeck was a merchant city with a strong commitment to a policy of neutrality. On the other side, SPQL stands for "Senatus populusque Lubecensis", in analogy to the Roman SPQR.

On the right, you should not miss the beautiful salt granaries, six brick buildings on the banks of the Trave. The walk through Lübeck begins at the city's emblematic gate, which offers a first glimpse of its characteristic architecture, and continues to the salt storehouses and the historic center.