Lübeck, Germany
Best for marzipan & Christmas markets
If marzipan is your idea of festive indulgence, a trip to Lübeck – home to the famous Niederegger brand – is a must. Even if this sweet treat isn’t your preferred stocking filler, Lübeck’s Unesco-listed old town is a winning winter destination. Here, in a gorgeous setting encircled by the Trave river, stick-to-yourribs comfort food reigns supreme, with bread and schmalz (lard) the typical way to begin a meal. Lübeck bills itself as the Christmas capital of northern Germany and, from 26 November, you’ll find city-centre fir tree ‘forests’, craft markets and traditional food stalls all over town. To really get to know the city, join the two-hour guided tour that departs from the tourist information office on Holstentorplatz at 11.30am every Saturday in December (£8.75 per person; tours given in English). Much of Lübeck’s historic old town retains its medieval feel, with narrow streets, archways to duck under and backstreets lined with tiny houses (some are available to rent if you want to stay in the heart of the action). Among the city’s oldest buildings are its waterside brick warehouses, including the handsome Salzspeicher (salt storehouses), and the twin-towered Holsten Gate, an imposing gothic structure with a drunken lean that rivals Pisa’s tower. Metres away, H7 (h7-luebeck.de) is a tiny bar/takeaway majoring in hot dogs. There’s an extensive beer list, champagne is considered a good accompaniment to a dog and the team serve a mean Hamburg gin and tonic. The accompaniments to all are seasonal and made in-house (hot dogs from £2.50).
To the north of the old town lies the woodenbeamed Schiffergesellschaft restaurant (schiffergesellschaft.de), the historic guildhall for seafarers. Giant-portioned northern German food is the order of the day here, with dishes such as herring (£10), traditional lobscouse made with brisket, beetroot and onions (£16) and zander fillet in riesling (£22). For dessert, try rumtopf (£8): berries and sugar topped with rum, served over hazelnut ice cream. Less sweet, and classified PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) status, is Lübeck’s marzipan, which is nothing like the stiff paste you find hidden under a layer of icing on your
Christmas cake. At Niederegger (niederegger.de), its constituent almonds are crushed, roasted and mixed with sugar to make a marzipan that has an open, almost cakey texture. In Germany, ‘loaves’ of chocolate-covered marzipan are eaten in slices. Head to Café Niederegger to visit the marzipan museum and sample classic marzipan nusstorte, made with a light hazelnut mousse.
Lübeck is also known for rotspon, a red wine imported young from Bordeaux and aged in barrels. Visit wine merchants H. F. von Melle (von-melle.de) or Carl Tesdorpf (tesdorpf.de) to try a glass – and stock up on a few bottles to take home.
Lulu Grimes
For dessert, there’s rumtopf: berries and sugar topped with rum, served over ice cream