Travemunde, Germany cruises

Travemunde was once a 12th-century fortress on the shoreline of Lubeck Bay. ‘Lubeck’s most beautiful daughter’ is renowned for sailing, golfing, cuisine, and the Sand World sculpture festival.

In the 12th century the Duke of Saxony, Henry the Lion, built Travemunde as a defence at the mouth of the river Trave in the borough of Lubeck, northern Germany. The fortifications have long since gone but there remains an air of strength and nobility in this small coastal town. Proud of its nautical history and culture, a warm welcome is extended to all who stop here. Enjoy seaside hospitality and the finest gourmet cuisine in Michelin-starred restaurants with award-winning chefs.

Approaching Travemünde, you’ll see the steeple of St. Lorenz church rising from the town skyline above the old wooden Buden houses. Disembark for a stroll along the pretty promenade at the fisherman’s quay where the sail boats bob in the Baltic Sea. Step aboard the 1911 four-masted floating museum, the Passat. One of the famous Flying P-Liner cargo ships, she is among the last surviving windjammer sailing vessels in the world. The working lighthouse here dates back to 1539 making it the oldest on the German Baltic Sea.

The town’s old casino and the Bailiff’s residence built in 1551 are now hotels. Guests can also stay at the newly modernised, white-pillared Kurhaus Hotel, designed in 1820 by neoclassical architect Joseph Christian Lillie from Denmark, who later lived and died in Lübeck.Browse the Vorderreihe pedestrian shopping street where you can sample local produce at the farmers' market from April to October. At your choice of restaurant with a sea, River Trave or forest view, fresh fish is on every menu with herring, cod, plaice and shrimp rolls being very popular. Take the opportunity on this Northern Europe cruise to sample the variety of tasty German meats with a good glass of wine or some of the great beers on tap.

Throughout most much of the year it’s a Travemunde tradition to hire a hooded deckchair called a Strandkorb or ‘beach basket’ for some time out on the beach. The Strandkorbs, which can seat couples for a cosy repose, have become part of the scenery at the seafront resorts of the North and Baltic Sea.