Located where the Trave River meets the Baltic Sea, Travemünde is a major ferry port that connects northern Germany to destinations across Scandinavia. It’s a popular summer destination thanks to its white sandy beach and is home to one of Germany’s oldest lighthouses.

You can watch the ferries coming and going from the sands of Travemünde Beach, which is dotted with beach huts and backed by a breezy promenade. Feast on locally-caught seafood at one of the restaurants that back the beach or one of the eateries lining the river banks near the port.

An architectural highlight of Travemünde is the Alter Leuchtturm, a 16th-century brick lighthouse that houses a maritime museum. Browse the model ships and vintage sea lanterns exhibited across its eight floors before soaking up the sweeping views across Travemünde and the mouth of the Trave River from its viewing gallery.

Getting there

Travemünde is a 20-minute drive from Lübeck and 30 minutes from Lübeck Airport, which has regular flights to Munich and Stuttgart. Trains connect to the Travemünde Hafen and Travemünde Strand railway stations while ferries travel from the Lübeck-Travemünde Skandinavienkai to destinations across the Baltic region.