Lübeck

Lübeck is a city on the Baltic in northern Germany, and for centuries the **«Queen of the Hanse»** — the effective capital of the Hanseatic League, which controlled northern European trade from the thirteenth century to the seventeenth. At its height Lübeck dictated trading terms to cities from Novgorod to Bruges, and its centre was built from the wealth of that trade. The centre is itself an **island** ringed by two rivers, and UNESCO-listed — the first city centre in northern Europe to be inscribed. Its architecture is **brick Gothic** (*Backsteingotik*): a northern style that arose because the region has no building stone, so churches and gates were raised in red brick at enormous scale. Lübeck is the model city for that style, and it influenced every Baltic city. Its emblem is the **Holstentor**, the gate with two leaning towers — on the cover of every book about northern Germany. Note: Lübeck is a literary city: **Thomas Mann**, the Nobel laureate, was born here, and his family's house is the subject of his novel *Buddenbrooks*. Note: it is also the source of the **marzipan** it is known for worldwide.