Germany
Hanseatic Cities: Highlights of Hamburg, Lübeck and Bremen
Program No. 23867RJ
Learn about the history of German emigration as you explore the hanseatic cities of Northern Germany and trace your own family history with insight from local experts and genealogists.
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8 days
7 nights
13 meals
6B 4L 3D
At a Glance
In 14th-century Northern Germany, bands of merchants rallied together to establish the Hanseatic League – a collection of towns that traded resources along the coast. In the 19th century, millions of Germans passed through on their way to a new life in America, and Northern Germany is still a hotspot for immigration today. With Hamburg, the “gateway to the world,” as your home base, explore the history of German emigration through expert-led lectures and field trips to the Hanseatic Cities of Lübeck and Bremen. With plenty of time to explore on your own, visit medieval towns and memorials, sample regional cuisine and trace your own family’s history with exclusive access to the emigration database at the BallinStadt Museum.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking 2-3 miles per day, sometimes on uneven surfaces and cobblestone streets. Standing up to 2 hours at field trip sites and museums. Must be able to use public transportation and climb stairs in historic buildings.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Learn about Hamburg’s important role in emigration as the “gateway to the world” and research your own family’s journey at the BallinStadt Museum.
- Explore the medieval old town of Lübeck, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the charming cobblestone alleys of Bremen, the inspiration for a Brothers Grimm fairy tale.
- Learn about gravestone masonry at the oldest Portuguese-Sefardic Jewish cemetery in Northern Europe.
General Notes
Program includes independent time to explore the city and several meals on your own. Group Leaders will provide directions for self-directed excursions. Suggestions for free-time activities provided in preparatory materials. Give us a call to combine this learning adventure with “Berlin: Two Pasts, One Present” (#16952) for even more learning in Germany! We'll even transfer you for free between Berlin and Hamburg.
Suggested Reading List
(16 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Hanseatic Cities: Highlights of Hamburg, Lübeck and Bremen
Program Number: 23867
German History in Modern Times: Four Lives of the Nation
This history of German-speaking central Europe offers a very wide perspective, emphasizing a succession of many-layered communal identities. It highlights the interplay of individual, society, culture and political power, contrasting German with Western patterns.
The People of the Hansa
As a historical subject, the Hansa has been largely ignored. As a literary subject, it is usually a small extra, a player you recognise but need not remember. Most, if asked, would be unable to envision the Hansa. Holbein left us two pictures from the 16th century but little else has survived. It has never found itself the setting of a serious book in English literature. So this book is unique. The Hansa, a medieval association of German merchants, trade from Russia in the east to the Bay of Biscay in the west and this gives us the setting. All the historical events presented are true. The main characters are a fictionalised family of merchants who, like the Hansa, have conflicting desires and principles.
Five Germanys I have known
The "German question" haunts the modern world: How could so civilized a nation be responsible for the greatest horror in Western history? In this unusual fusion of personal memoir and history, the celebrated scholar Fritz Stern refracts the question through the prism of his own life.
The Hanseatic League - A History of the Rise and Fall of the Hansa Towns
There is scarcely a more remarkable chapter in history than that which deals with the trading alliance or association known as the Hanseatic League. The League has long since passed away, having served its time and fulfilled its purpose. The needs and circumstances of mankind have changed, and new methods and new instruments have been devised for carrying on the commerce of the world. Yet, if the League has disappeared, the beneficial results of its action survive to Europe, though they have become so completely a part of our daily life that we accept them as matters of course, and do not stop to inquire into their origin. To us moderns it seems but natural that there should be security of intercourse between civilized nations, that highways should be free from robbers, and the ocean from pirates.
The Germans of Charleston, Richmond and New Orleans during the Civil War Period, 1850-1870: A Study and Research Compendium
This work is the first monograph which closely examines the role of the German minority in the American South during the Civil War. In a comparative analysis of German civic leaders, businessmen, militia officers and blockade runners in Charleston, New Orleans and Richmond, it reveals a German immigrant population which not only largely supported slavery, but was also heavily involved in fighting the war. A detailed appendix includes an extensive survey of primary and secondary sources, including tables listing the members of the all-German units in Virginia, South Carolina and Louisiana, with names, place of origin, rank, occupation, income, and number of slaves owned. This book is a highly useful reference work for historians, military scholars and genealogists conducting research on Germans in the American Civil War and the American South.
Germany Map
A sturdy map of Germany (including the region east to Prague) at a scale of 1:700,000 with good topographic relief, roads, waterways and index.
Luebeck City Guide
This book leads you through alley-ways, walks and passageways of the old town center, shows you the beauty of the medieval North German brick stone Gothic buidlings and gives you short information about the important sights.
Forces of the Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was a commercial and defensive federation of merchant guilds based in harbour towns along the North Sea and Baltic coasts of what are now Germany and her neighbours, which eventually dominated maritime trade in Northern Europe and spread its influence much further afield. This title deals with this topic.
Germans to America: 300 Years of Immigration 1683-1983
A look at German immigration into America. Nice book for genealogy or those interested in the immigration of Germans. Lots of photos and illustrations.
A Companion to the Hanseatic League
The Companion to the Hanseatic League discusses the importance of the Hanseatic League for the social and economic history of pre-modern northern Europe. Established already as early as the twelfth century, the towns that formed the Hanseatic League created an important network of commerce throughout the Baltic and North Sea area. From Russia in the east, to England and France in the west, the cities of the Hanseatic League created a vast northern maritime trade network. The aim of this volume is to present a “state” of the field English-language volume by some of the most respected Hanse scholars.
Lonely Planet Pocket Hamburg
Lonely Planet's Pocket Hamburg is a colorful, easy to use and handy guide that literally fits in your pocket, providing on-the-go assistance for those seeking the best sights and experiences on a short visit or weekend away.
This house is mine
All her life Vera has felt like a stranger in the old and drafty half-timbered farmhouse she arrived at as a five-year-old refugee from East Prussia in 1945, and yet she can’t seem to let it go. Sixty years later, her niece Anne suddenly shows up at her door with her small son. Anne has fled the trendy Hamburg, Germany neighborhood she never fit into after her relationship imploded. Vera and Anne are strangers to each other but have much more in common than they think. As the two strong-willed and very different women share the great old house, they find what they have never thought to search for: a family.
Germany: Memories of a Nation
From Neil MacGregor, the author of A History of the World in 100 Objects, this is a view of Germany like no otherFor the past 140 years, Germany has been the central power in continental Europe. Twenty-five years ago a new German state came into being. How much do we really understand this new Germany, and how do its people now understand themselves?
Six Essays in Hanseatic History
The Hanseatic League was a remarkable and unique organisation in medieval Europe. It extended from Novgorod to London, Lubeck to Venice. The Wash havens of Lynn and Boston have the earliest and strongest commercial links; six experts, working from their own specialisms and viewpoints, contributed conference papers which are presented in this title.
Bremen Compact
This city guide offers you 5 walking tours through Bremen, short historical information about this beautiful Northern city and further tips for restaurants, coffee shops and museums.
Buddenbrooks: decline of a family
First published in 1900, when Thomas Mann was 25, Buddenbrooks is a minutely imagined chronicle of four generations of a North German mercantile family - a work so true to life that it scandalized the author's former neighbors in his native Lübeck.
As he charts the Buddenbrooks' decline from prosperity to bankruptcy, from moral and psychic soundness to sickly piety, artistic decadence and madness, Mann ushers the reader into a world of rich vitality, pieced together from births and funerals, weddings and divorces, recipes, gossip and earthy humor. It is perhaps the first great family saga of modern literature, and it brought to public notice a writer of world stature who, three decades later, was to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Year
- 2025
Date
- May 10 - May 17
- Jun 14 - Jun 21
- Sep 13 - Sep 20
- Oct 11 - Oct 18
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Oct 11 - Oct 18, 2025 Itinerary Differences: For those participants on program #23867-101125 who are arriving from Road Scholar program, "Berlin: Two Pasts, One Present" (#16952-100425), a high-speed train ticket to Hamburg is included at no additional cost. To avail yourself of the hotel transfer and train ticket, please contact Experiment e.V. (roadscholarprograms@experiment-ev.de) to make arrangements.
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Select trip year and date
- 2025
- May 10 - May 17
- Jun 14 - Jun 21
- Sep 13 - Sep 20
- Oct 11 - Oct 18
Oct 11 - Oct 18, 2025 Itinerary Differences: For those participants on program #23867-101125 who are arriving from Road Scholar program, "Berlin: Two Pasts, One Present" (#16952-100425), a high-speed train ticket to Hamburg is included at no additional cost. To avail yourself of the hotel transfer and train ticket, please contact Experiment e.V. (roadscholarprograms@experiment-ev.de) to make arrangements.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
8 days
7 nights
What's Included
13 meals (
6B, 4L, 3D
)
4 expert-led lectures
8 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
6 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
In Transit to Program
Location:
In Flight
Day
2
Arrive Hamburg, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Hamburg
Meals:
D
Stay:
The Madison Hotel Hamburg
Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Luggage can be stored at the hotel if you arrive early. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Orientation: 4:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be either via public transportation or private motorcoach depending on what is most convenient. In Hamburg oftentimes it is faster to travel by public transportation to avoid traffic jams within the city. We will mostly eat in local restaurants and offer a selection between meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
3
Lecture, City Motorcoach Field Trip, Jewish Cemetery
Location:
Hamburg
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
The Madison Hotel Hamburg
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach several times; driving 20 miles, approximately 3 hours riding time with stops. Short walks to and standing at field trip sites; cobblestones. The specific sites seen during our motorcoach field trip will depend on schedules and local conditions at the time of the program.
Breakfast:
In the hotel dining room.
Morning:
We’re joined at the hotel by a local expert who will give a presentation on the history of Hanseatic cities such as Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck, and their important role in emigration from Germany. We’ll then board a motorcoach with an expert for a field trip to see some of the city’s highlights, including the harbor, views of the city from the terrace of the new concert hall of Elbphilharmonie, the HafenCity (harbor city), the famous amusement quarter of St. Pauli, and much more.
Lunch:
At a pleasant spot during our field trip, we’ll stop and have packed lunches.
Afternoon:
We will continue our field trip to the Eduard Duckesz House and the Jewish cemetery Altona. The large cemetery in Altona, just under 1.9 hectares (around 2.5 acres), is the oldest Jewish cemetery in Hamburg and the oldest Portuguese-Sephardic Jewish cemetery in northern Europe. Because of its age and its unique gravestone masonry art, in 1960 it was classified as a protected monument. Between 1611 and the 1870s, there were some 9,000 burials here, 2,000 in the Portuguese-Jewish section and 7,000 in the German-Jewish Ashkenazic part of the grounds. There are more than 6,000 German and 1,600 Portuguese gravestones that are completely or partially preserved.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
After returning to the hotel, the rest of the evening is at leisure.
Day
4
Bremen, Emigration Museum Bremerhaven
Location:
Hamburg
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
The Madison Hotel Hamburg
Activity Note
Getting on/off public transport to Bremen and Bremerhaven; riding approximately 1.5 hours. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 90 miles to Hamburg, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking up to 3 miles, cobblestones, standing in the museum.
Breakfast:
In the hotel dining room.
Morning:
We will board the train for our field trip to the Hanseatic city of Bremen. We will enjoy an expert-led field trip on foot of Bremen including the historic town hall, the narrow lanes and picturesque little houses of the medieval Schnoor quarter, and a monument to the famous Grimm fairy tale of the town musicians. Afterwards, we will transfer by train to Bremerhaven.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Our next field trip will lead us to the famous emigration museum of Bremerhaven where we will be joined by a local expert on emigration. We will hear a lecture about the waves of emigration from Hamburg to the United States, including Jewish emigration, and an introduction to the museum by a local expert. At the museum you will have time on your own for independent research, utilizing the database of the museum in the family research archive. After our visit, we will board the motorcoach and ride back to Hamburg.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like and sample local fare.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
5
Church of St. Nicholas, Free Time
Location:
Hamburg
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
The Madison Hotel Hamburg
Activity Note
Getting on/off public transit. Walking up to 2 miles, cobblestones, climbing flights of stairs. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
In the hotel dining room.
Morning:
Via public transit, we will visit the Memorial of St. Nicholas with an expert and learn about one of Hamburg’s most important World War II memorials. The original church was destroyed in the air raids on Hamburg in 1943. We will visit the viewing platform by a glass elevator, where we enjoy a view of Hamburg's inner city including the Town Hall and the Alster.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
6
Lübeck
Location:
Hamburg
Meals:
B,L
Stay:
The Madison Hotel Hamburg
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 45 miles one way, about 1 hour riding time. Walking up to 2 miles; cobblestones.
Breakfast:
In the hotel dining room.
Morning:
We will board a motorcoach for our next field trip to Lübeck, the Queen of the Hanseatic League! Lübeck’s medieval center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. This was the first time that an entire Old Town in Northern Europe ever received this award. We will start our visit at the Hansemuseum, where we will be joined by a local expert for a lecture about the history of Lübeck and the Hanseatic League. Then we will explore the museum with our expert.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will then set out on an expert-led walk through Lübeck, visiting sites including the historic old town, the Holstentor city gate, and the Lübeck Cathedral. After we have finished our visit, we have some time to explore the city independently on our own before we board the motorcoach again back to Hamburg for dinner.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like and sample local fare.
Evening:
At leisure.
Day
7
Concentration Camp Memorial Hamburg-Neuengamme, Free Time
Location:
Hamburg
Meals:
B,D
Stay:
The Madison Hotel Hamburg
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 30 miles, approximately 1/2 hour riding time. Walking up to 2 miles, standing at the memorial, climbing stairs. Walking and other free time activities according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
In the hotel dining room.
Morning:
We’ll board our motorcoach for an expert-led walk through the memorial of the concentration camp Hamburg-Neuengamme. The camp’s website tells us: “Located in southeast Hamburg, Neuengamme was the largest concentration camp in north-west Germany from 1938 to 1945. More than 100,000 people from all over Europe were imprisoned in the main camp and over 85 satellite camps. At least 42,900 prisoners died in the Neuengamme main camp, its satellite camps, and during the camp evacuations at the end of the war.” The British military government then used the grounds as an internment camp directly after the war. In 1948, the city of Hamburg established two prisons on the site—they were not closed until 2003 and 2006 after much debate. The monument and exhibition buildings nearby, dating back to the 1960s, were then expanded as centers of research onto the grounds of the former barracks.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like and sample local fare in Hamburg.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Day
8
Program Concludes
Location:
In Flight
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
13 Meals
6 Breakfasts
4 Lunches
3 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Oct 11, 2025 - Oct 18, 2025
- May 10, 2025 - May 17, 2025
- Jun 14, 2025 - Jun 21, 2025
- Sep 13, 2025 - Sep 20, 2025
- Oct 11, 2025 - Oct 18, 2025
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