Travellers following the European Route of Brick Gothic will be able to experience the ubiquitous influence of the once powerful Hanseatic League. Visiting medieval city centres or villages along the way, they'll admire the impressive historical monuments of past ages: traces of Viking culture, of Christian societies of knights as well as of the later Reformation have left their mark on the region. The route distinguishes itself by the richness of its churches, their peaks rising up to the sky; by its impressive town halls, decorated town gates and city walls once marking metropolitan boundaries. Simultaneously, the visitor will be struck by the uniqueness of the region's glacially formed countryside, and by the Baltic Sea, with its steep coasts, crooked pine trees and endless beaches. The Route links up diverse cultures from three countries, which despite their differences are united by a history rich in tradition.