These are the Salzspeicher, six old salt warehouses beside the Holstentor in Lübeck, next to the River Trave. They are among the city’s most photogenic buildings, which seems slightly unfair given that their original purpose was basically storage. Built between the late sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, they were used to hold salt brought from Lüneburg, much of it arriving via the Stecknitz Canal before being exported onwards through Lübeck’s Baltic trading networks. Before refrigeration, salt was not just something delicious to add to crisps, it was used for preserving food and, in particular, fish.
The buildings look more decadent than perhaps any warehouse has a right to, but that is rather the point. Lübeck was one of the great Hanseatic cities, and its wealth came from the practical business of moving useful things around with ruthless efficiency and the occasional architectural flourish which is evident here. Over time, the warehouses were adapted for other goods as the salt trade declined and they are still used for commercial purposes.