Anybody got any must-do activities? I'm planning on spending some time in the Altstadt of course, but is there anything else I shouldn't miss?

Also, any restaurant recommendations, particularly places where one might get some local brew?

Danke.

How much time do you have?

If you have more than just a couple of days I would thoroughly recommend a boat trip on the river Wakenitz, from Moltkebrücke to either Absalonshorst or Rothenhusen (they are both restaurants, and both are very nice). The scenery along the river is just lovely.

To get a good view of the town you should consider going up the tower of St Peter's Church (Petrikirche).

Kartoffelkeller is one of my favourite restaurants in the town centre - and I would have no hesitation going again despite the fact that they were implicated in the e-coli outbreak (not their fault, as we now know).

The local beer is Lück - which disappeared for about 20 years but, much to the delight of the locals, has just been revived

Don't miss Niederegger, the marzipan shop.

Audrey

I'm there Fri-Sun. Kartoffelkellar sounds good, as I like potatos. I was thinking about doing at least one boat trip, depending upon the weather.

If you're interested in beer, you might find this useful:

http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/luebpubs.htm

The Wakenitz trip is quite a long one... if you want a shorter boat trip there is one that does a circular tour round the town centre (which, as you may know, is an island)

Mini trip report:

1. Kartoffellkellar: Very good but crowded. Easy enough to find under the Holy-Ghost hospital. I had the coalfish/salmon on a bed of potatoes and veggies with a sharp horseradish sauce, along with a Duckstein.

2. Lück: I only found in one place serving it, in a little Kneipe off Königstrasse by the Haerder Center. The locals looked at me funny when I walked in and were standoffish until the resident big, friendly dog took a liking to me (then everything was OK). Kids and dogs seem to like me.

3. Boat Trip: I opted for the shorter, round the town boat trip. It was a very nice ride, with all commentary in German, but everything was pretty easy to understand. The day of the trip (Saturday) could not have been prettier.

I also had lunch in the Rathaushof, which has a fantastic view of the roof and twin spires of the largest church on the island. The food was excellent. I did not make it up to Travemünde. Also I had some time in Hamburg before my flight and visited the fish market (Sunday morning, live concerts and beer before noon in the warehouse ). Also did a harbor cruise with fascinating views of the container ship port.

I'm amazed it hasn't caught on more - everybody seemed SO excited about its return!

Probably a wise decision as it was only a short visit. And yes, wasn't the weather just fantastic? By some strange coincidence I found myself at the final stop of the other boat trip on Saturday (Rothenhusen), enjoying a meal on the terrace overlooking the lake. Pure bliss!

I recommend to go to Travemünde, which has a nice harbour-front walk with many historic buildings and nice views, shops and restaurants. And you can buy or eat fresh fish from the fishermen.

http://www.travemuende.de/tourismus/.../en/index.html

Travemünde can easyly be reached by bus, train (15 minutes) or even a boat tour from the center of Lübeck.

I recommend to go to Timmendorfer Strand (1 houre by car). It has a nice beach and a Sea Live Aquarium. Even if the weather is to cold to go swimming, the beach is always nice for a walk.

http://www.timmendorfer-strand.de/en...tion/home.html

http://www.visitsealife.com/Timmendorfer-strand/en/

Obviously too late now for the OP (who has been and gone), but...:

Although Timmendorf is a pleasant enough place it's not somewhere I would go out of my way to visit. It's just a beach resort like many others, and the town itself is pretty boring. Travemünde is closer, and has more to offer... the river estuary with its harbour, the Priwall peninsula, the S/S Passat, the Brodten Cliffs.

If I had time to spare in Lübeck, and I wanted to do two out-of-town excursions, I'd choose Ratzeburg as the other one - a pretty little lakeside town about an hour south.

Any suggestions for Lubeck and the surrounding area in early December?

When in early December?

The main Christmas market (in the town square) is pretty average (lots of food stalls, lots of stalls selling cheap Christmas decorations, but nothing that really sticks out).

There is a Christmas craft market at the Medieval Heiligen Geist Hospital which is definitely worth going to, but it's only open from 25 November until 5 December... and there are often long queues to get into the building. I usually find that early evening on a weekday is the quietest time with the shortest queues.

There is another Christmas craft market (much less crowded) at St Peter's Church which is open throughout the Advent season. I actually prefer it to the one at Heiligen Geist Hospital

Aviatrix - first week in December. Any other Christmas markets you would recommend in Northern Germany? Any favorite small town B&B's or country inns? I prefer family run places with some charm instead of a business type hotel. Also under 100euro/night. Thanks.

The only ones I have been to in recent years are the ones in Lübeck, and a large (and very popular) weekend-only one held on a farm about an hour's drive south at Gut Basthorst. You do do need car to get there.

http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-deutschla...basthorst.html

Absalonshorst - mentioned in my earlier post - might fit the bill (country inn rather than small town B&B). It's not actually all that far from the centre of Lübeck (15-20 minutes by car) but not easy to get to by public transport - the nearest bus stop is a 15 minute walk away, most of it through fairly dense woodland (lovely on a summer afternoon but probably not recommended in the middle of winter). It's one of the most idyllic places imagineable. Room prices start at EUR 55 for a single room. Web site at www.absalonshorst.de