Accommodations Women Only New York

Lübeck's Spires, a Quick Hop From Hamburg

An hour from Hamburg by rail or car, Lübeck, a city of 212,000, offers the overnight visitor a chance to revel in a dreamlike panoply of architectural history. Some 1,300 buildings — Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance and Classical — are situated within the city’s compact center on an island that is surrounded by the Trave River and a canal that leads to the Elbe River. Barely a mile long, the island can be traversed on foot in less than an hour. But don’t rush, because there is much to explore — from quiet side streets and busy thoroughfares to historic squares and medieval churches.

For all its history, there is nothing stuffy about Lübeck. Founded in the 12th century, the city exudes an independent air, likely a product of its maritime heritage as a major Baltic port and its centuries-long status as a free city-state governed not by royalty but by wealthy merchants who helped found the powerful economic alliance known as the Hanseatic League . These days, this egalitarian sensibility is abetted by three universities and a vibrant community of Turks and other immigrants. Music , theater and artistic options abound, as do restaurants offering regional and ethnic dishes, shops selling the city’s famed marzipan confections, and waterfront cafes where you can sip a beer while taking in the intriguing juxtaposition of ancient architecture , cargo ships and tour boats. Political fans can visit a museum about Willy Brandt, the former German chancellor, who was born in Lübeck, while those with a literary bent can explore museums devoted to Thomas Mann, another native son, and Günter Grass, who has lived in the region since the 1980s, and has been known to occasionally pop into Buthman’s Bierstube, which served its first drink in 1697, on Glockengiesserstrasse.

But the main attraction remains the architecture. A good place to start is the 15th-century Holsten Gate, which sits across the Trave and once guarded Lübeck’s western entryway. Today it is the city’s symbol, with its arched entrance, stout walls and two towers overlooking a wide green lawn. Inside, after perusing swords, armor and other artifacts, climb one of the spiral staircases and peer out the tiny windows for a view of ships and the town.

Then it’s on to the churches. Lübeck is known as the City of Seven Spires for the Gothic churches that punctuate its skyline. The best known are the Church of St. Mary, Germany ’s third-largest church (Schüsselbuden 13; st-marien-luebeck.de/kontakt.html ) and the Lübeck Cathedral (Mühlendamm 2-6; domzuluebeck.de/en/index.php ), with its nearly 400-foot spires. Their enormity is impressive, but it is their many details that are most captivating. At St. Mary’s, skeletons carved in stone lurk on the walls and columns, while two bells lie broken on the ground where they fell in 1942 after an Allied attack during World War II. The cathedral is no less enthralling, with 14th-century tombs, iron gates donated by riverboat captains hoping to improve their odds of salvation, and a gold crucifix from 1477 that includes the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and the apostles.

Hotels in Rochester, New York Reviewed

Hotels in Rochester, New York: Rochester has over 2,000 acres of parkland and so if you like hiking or walking in nature, there is plenty for you to do here. There are many museums and there is also the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra so check what maybe available while you are here.

You can visit the Casa Larga; this is a winery that is based on the Italian vineyards but there are more than 100 wineries and some great wine trails in the Finger Lakes area. So you can go from wine to walks and sightseeing to history, in the form of the Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse, by the port, which was built in 1822.

Gardeners will love a look at the gardens at Sonnenbrug Gardens as here there are nine formal gardens within this Victorian estate. Rochester Museum and Science Centre has many interactive exhibits and the wish of this museum is to build up an interest in science and technology, in the whole family.

There is a museum for Victorian Dolls here and there are over 3000 dolls to see, which is a wonderful collection. If you take a little time then you can plan ahead to book tickets and go to hear some great music with Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hyatt Regency Rochester

125 East Main Street

Rochester, New York 14604 USA

This hotel is attached to the convention centre by a sky bridge and offers many great things; from the only indoor pool, in the downtown area, to yoga away and a fitness concierge. There is a 24 hour fitness gym on-site, that also has a whirlpool. This hotel offers the guest complimentary airport bus and train transportation.

There is a 24 hour business centre here as well as a 24 hour gift shop. The Hyatt offers the guest hypo-allergenic rooms and in these you have the room cleaned in PURE, to minimize allergens on the furniture and carpets, the disinfection of air handling unit also has a tea tree oil cartridge that is changed to keep these conditions. The bed has the best hypo-allergenic mattress and pillows, as well as the room having a powerful air purifier.

These rooms get recertification every six months. Then you have the other things such as a good in-room entertainment system that offers the guest video on demand, TV, internet access, cable TV, and a 42 inch flat screen TV. There is a coffee maker as well as a morning newspaper and a hairdryer. The bathroom has some small extras, such as toothpaste, and the bath is elegant. The whole room is modern with luxury and a good standard of decoration.

New York Magazine

Public opinion, a comprehensive summary of the press throughout the world on all important current topics

New York Magazine

New York Magazine

New York