Based on the banks of the Trave River in Holstein, northeast of Hamburg, the medieval city of Lubeck is a major German port and the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League. This picturesque fairytale city is best known for its impressive Brick Gothic Architecture, earning it a place on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Heritage buildings line the city streets with historic medieval merchants’ homes and spired churches. Visitors can look forward to viewing the Holstentor, a red-brick city gate, exploring the old streets of Lubeck’s Altstadt and visiting the magnificent ‘Marienkirche’, St. Mary’s Church, the third-largest church in Germany. Other must-see attractions include the Museum Behnhaus Dragerhaus, the Travemunde, a popular Baltic Sea resort, and Buddenbrookhaus, a museum devoted to the author Thomas Mann.