Hamburg-Lubeck-Rostock

CRUISING

City surfers: Anyone can conquer the city on foot. But here in the north you can also do it by stand up paddleboard or canoe on the Alster, the Stadtparksee, on the Isekai or (as an advanced surfer) on the Elbe and for less balanced people there are also pedal boats!

Fasten your seat belts: A faster method is definitely a Hotrod-City Tour with your own speedster, passing the most important sights of Hamburg. The meeting point is always at the Hamburg Landungsbrücken. 

 

OASES

Planten un Bloomen: In the middle of the city centre, "Plants and Flowers" - and also the largest Japanese Garden in Europe - await you in the city park, which covers over 40 hectares. Just relax or prove yourself at mini golf and roller skating. The Gänsemarkt as well as the Reeperbahn and the fish market on Sunday morning are also in the immediate vicinity. So this is the perfect place to take a break while exploring the city.

Mediterranean feeling: Do you know the Roman Garden in Blankenese with a view of the Elbe? Most people from Hamburg don't either! So head out to Falkensteiner Ufer and check out this Italian-style horticultural monument! (approx. 40 min car / 1 hour train)

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Action! Under the motto "Turbulent times" Hamburg finally gets a drive-in cinema again on the Heiligengeistfeld (which is the direct neighbour of Motel One Hamburg am Michel).

Get high... despite the flat land? It's a can-do in and around Hamburg in several locations, e.g. in the high ropes course HanseRock (20 minutes by car or S-Bahn), in the high ropes course Cap San Diego, high ropes course Kiekeberg...

 

POP OUTSIDE

Photo spot! In Steinwerder, you can experience Hamburg from a completely different side: Through the Old Elbe Tunnel built in 1911 from St. Pauli to Steinwerder under the Elbe - because on the square in front of the "Theater im Hafen", the musical boulevard, there is a beautiful view of Hamburg and especially of the Elbe Philharmonic Hall - and some open-air art objects, such as the "Space Elephant" sculpture by Salvador Dalí, are waiting to be seen.

Follow the Elbe, by bike e.g. starting from Bergedorf, to which the S21 will take you to within 20 minutes. The Elbe shuttle bus (free of charge) drops of cyclists at any point and picks them up again. By the way: The route also connects the Elbe river landscape directly with the Lüneburger Heide nature park via the Seeveradweg (cycle path).

Quite sheepish: The Lüneburger Heide, about 42 kilometres from Hamburg, is not to be missed. There are great hiking trails and especially the Heidschnucken sheep to marvel at. Tip: The heath blooms most beautifully throughout August and into September. 

 

 

IN & AROUND

Very traditional: Lübeck's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and can be easily explored on foot. Just stroll along, then you will reach the Holstentor, the salt storehouses, St. Peter's Church, City Hall, St. Mary's Church, the Lubeck Cathedral and Buddenbrockhaus and the obligatory marzipan heaven Café Niederegger almost by itself. And apropos local specialities: Lubeck Rotspon, a Bordeaux wine imported in barrels from France and stored in Lübeck until it is ready for bottling should also be on your list for tasting.

Detours: If you are through with the usual suspects:explore the enchanted corridors and backyards, relics of medieval town planning, to discover the charm of the merchant city, e.g. the baker's corridor or the Angel's Pit.

 

CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE

Set sail, or better said, into the Trave, and go around the old town on your own in an electric boat from BoatNow (no driving licence necessary!).

Above the roofs: On a tour of the tower and vaults of St. Marienkirche look out over the old town through thewindow hatches, open work gates and from the ridge turret and - on a clear day - see as far as Travemünde, Mecklenburg and into the Holstein countryside.

WHERE'S THE BEACH?

Here, of course: Timmendorfer Strand is located about 15 kilometres north (30 min car/ 15 min train) of Lubeck, directly on the Baltic Sea coast and stretches for 6.5 kilometres. In its idyllic bays feel free to sunbathe, swim, paddle, rent a boat.... A little to the south, at the port of Niendorf, you can strengthen yourself. Those who are still able to after a hearty fish roll, walk a little further along the coast and you will be rewarded with a view of the bay from the Brodtener steep coast.

By the way: In the neighbouring community of Scharbeutz, our Motel One Lübeck has private beach chairs on offer, just ask at the reception.

ROUND AND ROUND WE GO

Large parts of Rostock's city fortifications are still preserved today, hence the original circular shape of the centre. The best way to conquer Rostock is on a walking tour: from the ramparts, where our Motel One is located directly, to the 13th century Kröpeliner Tor, along Lange Straße to the Neuer Markt, City Hall and St. Mary's Church, Steintor (stone gate), Kuhtor (cow gate) to the city harbour with the Mönchstor (monk's gate) and via the Brunnen der Lebensfreude (Fountain of Vitality) back to the University - the oldest university in Northern Europe.

TRY SOMETHING NEW

Change of discipline: In Rostock, too, a guided city tour "by water" is actually obligatory. Here you can change to kayaks for the city exploration and paddle either "only" through the city harbour or up to the Baltic Sea or in the moonlight on guided tours. 

Dredging site: On the dredging playground "Baggerspielplatz" Rostock adult dreams come true: here grown-ups can play with the really big equipment.

 

MORE TO SEA

The widest beach of the Baltic Sea coast, the place of origin of the "Strandkorb" beach chair, a paradise for fish sandwiches... the seaside resort Warnemünde is also known as the "most beautiful district of Rostock" and can be reached in only 15 minutes by car or 20 minutes by S-Bahn - or of course by boat.  The best way to start is to walk along the promenade "Am Strom" and the fish market to Warnemünde's landmarks: the lighthouse with the "Teepott" - a tea pot shaped building. If you continue along the promenade, you will come to the Hotel Neptun from 1971, which was home to many "celebrities" in GDR times, including Fidel Castro and Willy Brandt. Today it is a luxury hotel. No less feudal is the residence of the sea dwellers on the other side of the "Alter Strom", the old stream, in the Hohe Düne district: the world's largest seal research facility is located here.

Fantastic! A very special backdrop awaits in the so called ghost forest in the Baltic resort of Nienhagen. Approx. 10 minutes by car from Rostock, located directly at the sea, there is a mixed forest of approx. 180 ha with bizarre, fairy-tale trees shaped by the sea wind, some of them up to 170 years old. A must for hobby photographers!