Originally Travemünde was a small fisher village but it’s position at the river Trave & the proximity to Lübeck let it grew to a smaller harbor town. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes subsequently strengthened it. It became a town in 1317 and in 1329 passed into the possession of the free city of Lübeck, to which it has since belonged.
Today tourism is the main source of employment and income. The old town maintained it’s sleepy character despite the fact that at weekends there are loads of tourists. The lighthouse is the oldest on the German Baltic coast, dating from 1539. Another attraction of Travemünde is the Flying P-Liner Passat, a museum ship anchored in the mouth of the Trave.
Travemunde is perhaps best known to cruise passengers simply as the gateway to medieval Lubeck, only 18 km and a 25-minute drive away. The great Hanseatic League city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lubeck is, indeed, close by and tremendously inviting if you love medieval architecture. Its Old Town is home to more than 1,800 listed buildings and a lovely riverfront.
Travemunde ferry port in Germany is served by a number of ferry routes with crossings to Liepaja, Ventspils, Trelleborg, Helsinki & Malmo available. With a selection of up to 49 Sailings Weekly, the port of Travemunde connects Germany with Latvia, Sweden & Finland. Annually, some 1 million passengers pass through the Travemünde Skandinavienkai ferry terminal as the starting point or destination of their trip across the Baltic Sea. The terminal is also the contact point for a number of impressive cruise ships from all over the world.
