Lubeck has long been a significant port city when it was first founded in the 12th century A.D., during the beginning years of the Hanseatic League. Having been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its stunning brick Gothic architecture, narrow cobblestone streets and historic medieval city center, Lubeck is host to a dreamlike atmosphere which very few other German towns rival. Several antique churches with amazing steeples overlook the town, hence the sobriquet 'The City of Seven Spires'. The most famous ones being St. Mary's Church (Marienkirche) and the Lubecker Dom, the city's cathedral and one of Lubeck's most beautiful possessions.