L T I P S V E R T
Mowenschiet, as it is known locally, a speciality of our host city Rostock, is nearly as bad as it sounds – schnapps topped with salami and horseradish. And, of course, it’s to be downed in one.
Well, I did the deed, only to come up coughing and, er, splattering.
But hubby Tom and I soon learned there was more to Rostock, one of the Hanseatic cities – a trading alliance in northern Europe between the 13th and 17th centuries.
This was our culinary and cultural tour of northern Germany and we were there at an exciting time – a double anniversary. The city is celebrating its 800th birthday and next year it will be 600 years since its university was founded.
A Rockstock Card, £15 for 24 hours, will help you see the sights for less as it covers public transport and gives discounts for museums, entertainment, shops and restaurants.
Be sure to take in the most important sights – the magnificent Kropelin Gate, Convent of the Holy Cross and St Mary’s Church.
Encounter Churchill at the zoological museum, a stuffed bear who roamed the local zoo for 30 years before being preserved. Enjoy the cuisine. The harbour’s Hafenrestaurant has a special fresh fish menu on the blackboard – I promise you’ll be hooked.
Take a cruise along the River Warnow to the nearby seaside resort of Warnemunde for sandy beaches, quirky shops and a delightful little museum in a fisherman’s cottage.
Lunch on fish bread rolls or curried bratwurst. Dine at the Broiler Stube in Hotel Neptun. It’s worth waiting for a table to taste the local version of roast chicken and chips with spicy veg.
Return to Rostock by train and tram. It’s so easy to get around by public transport. German trains, with plentiful toilets, are generally much cleaner than we’re used to.
Our next stop was two trains and two hours west to Lubeck – and another city looking forward to birthday celebrations, its 875th. The GO on, treat yourself to a night out at La Vie. Be warned, its three Michelin stars will make you go home with a Michelin tyre belly – the food is fabulous. See restaurant-lavie.de/cms_en MAKE sure you take a cozzie for the beautiful beach at Warnemunde and to surf the wave machine at the L&T store. DON’T take no seagull s*** – stick to the wonderful Lubecker Rotspon red wine. old part of the town is on an island enclosed by the River Grave.
Lubeck is proud of its three Nobel Prize winners, Thomas Mann, Willy Brandt and Gunter Grass. Each has his own museum. The European Hansemuseum is a new highlight where you can learn about medieval merchants. Churches are a big feature of the City of the Seven Towers but a mighty must is the town hall, dating from 1230. The council chamber is quite a sight.
Lubeck is also known for marzipan. Sugar overload can be yours from a dazzling array of sweets and cakes at Cafe Niederegger.
But my own preference was for the city’s other speciality, Lubecker Rotspon – a gorgeous red wine. The sommelier at H.F. von Melle will convince you too, with a tasting. We were to savour the flavour again with our meal that night at the Schiffergesellschaft restaurant, accompanied by more fresh fish.
And don’t leave Lubeck without experiencing another high – views across the city from the observation deck of St Petri church.
We again let the train take the strain to Osnabruck, known as the City of Peace for its role in ending the Thirty Years War in 1648.
The Hegor Tor – a memorial to soldiers at Waterloo – dominates the old town entrance. One of Osnabruck’s most famous natives was Erich Maria Remarque, author of All Quiet On The Western Front.
Pool
We learnt all about him at the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Centre. The Felix-nussbaum-haus Museum also offers an interesting insight into the Jewish painter who was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944.
Today, chef Thomas Buhner has made a name for himself at La Vie restaurant. Three Michelin stars and several courses later, we threw in the napkin.
Another modern addition to the charming streets is the L&T store, a sports retailer which has a pool within the shop with a wave machine, where surfer dudes can practise their bottom turns. Unfortunately we hadn’t brought our cozzies…
It didn’t matter – we were riding the wave of a fabulous few days. FACTFILE: Return flights to Hamburg from Heathrow from £85pp, see eurowings.com. For rail travel, see deutschebahn.com. For more information see historicgermany.com.