Torun still shows an interesting mixture of old and not so new, as seen in its clothes shops and railway station

Szczecin

Rivalling Gdansk as a major Baltic seaport, and like Gdansk, formerly a German city known as Stettin, it was returned to Polish control in 1945 and sits on the Oder River on the border with Germany. Churchill referenced it in his famous ‘Iron Curtain’ speech of 1946, which is often seen as marking the beginning of the Cold War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QuSXZTo3Uo

Szczecin’s Hanseatic history can be seen in this striking mural which adorns the side of a restored late 19th century block of buildings. Dating from the same period is another typical feature of the city – its water pumps, known locally as Berliners (as they resemble those from which originated in Berlin at the same time)

Adjacent to the city’s docks, Lasztownia, an abandoned river island between the West and East Oder, has been redeveloped into a lively centre of cultural activity and entertainment. Its most striking feature are three huge port cranes sited next to a big wheel

Probably Szezcin’s most notable modern building is the Philharmonic Hall which opened in 2014. It takes on an eerie glow at night.

Rostock

Another important member of the Hanseatic League, Rostock is still Germany’s biggest Baltic seaport. Its 13th century rathaus (town hall) is a good example of the Brick Gothic style from that Hanseatic period.

Like many German cities, Rostock has a superb tram network making it easy to navigate the city

Just along the coast at Bad Doberan is the start of the Molli, a narrow guage steam hauled railway which runs ten miles along the coast. When built in 1886, it transported passengers to the seaside resort of Heiligendamm, whose spa is the oldest in Europe and whose guests included German emperors. Whilst the resort deteriorated under post-war Communist rule, it has undergone a 21st century renaissance and now boasts a 5 star luxury hotel. In 2007, it was the venue for the 33rd G8 Summit (which then included Russia). The summit provoked large scale violent demonstrations in Rostock.

Lubeck

In the late 13th Century, Lubeck became the main trading city of the Hanseatic League. Unsurprisingly, the city hosts the European Hansemuseum which provides a superb insight to the history of the League. Next to the museum is Burgkloster or castle monastery, which also contains a museum of Lubeck. Under the Third Reich, it served as a Nazi prison, but now includes a history of Lubeck’s Jewish community.

Dating from 1308, Lubeck Town Hall comprising three contrasting architectural styles, occupies the city’s main square.

The Hanseatic architecture is well preserved (or restored) throughout the old town, which is situated on an island surrounded by the Trave River.

Within the compact old town are six churches which exceed 100 metres, not least the Cathedral which was reconstructed after being badly damaged in World War Two

Two of Lubeck’s more famous citizens include Willy Brandt, a staunch anti-Nazi and later German chancellor between 1969-74, and who now has a dedicated museum in the old town, as well as Thomas Mann, the renowned writer, as celebrated in this shop window.

Dusseldorf

Dusseldorf, whilst now a major German city was never a member of the Hanseatic League. Its location on the Rhine led to industrial grwoth from the 1800s. Like many European cities whose docks which have declined or been abandoned in recent decades, the city’s docks (known as the Hafen or harbour district) are now undergoing redevelopment with an influx of new businesses, apartments and services.

Probably the city’s most famous product is the detergent Persil. First launched in 1907, the company’s HQ is still based in Dusseldorf and its logo can be seen on top of Wilhelm Marx house, one of Europe’s earliest high rise blocks.

On a more contemporary note, getting around the city has been been made much more enjoyable with the opening in 2016 of the Wehrhahn Metro line, comprising six futuristic ad free subway stations

Wuppertal

A short train ride from Dusseldorf in the valley of the Wupper River lies the industrial city of Wuppertal. It started as a textile centre but soon developed other industries, most notably Bayer, the global pharmaceutical company, whose HQ is still in the city. Despite all of the industry, Wuppertal ranks as Germany’s greenest city. As a visitor, the undoubted main attraction is the Scebebahn (or ‘floating tram’) – a suspended monorail dating from 1901 which runs for over 8 miles above the Wupper river and sections of the valley main road. It provides spectacular views of the city and surrounding valley.

Along the ride we stopped off to visit the childhood home of Fredrich Engels, who famously collaborated with Karl Marx in diagnosing the ills of capitalism. The museum collection includes a first edition of the Communist Manifesto. The traffic lights at a nearby pedestrian crossing show an image of a young Engels

Cologne

Cologne was the leading Member of the Hanseatic League in the Rhineland region of Germany and helped to found the Steelyard (or Stalhof) in the port of London which mostlty traded in wollen products between the 13th and 16th centuries

Because of the large scale destruction of the city during the Second World War, very little remains to illustrate Cologne’s Hanseatic past. However, the magnificent railway station, which sits alongside the Cathedral, makes for a grand exit on the train back to London