Lübeck wasn't even the "best" for anything

i distinctly remember the "beer from Gdansk -> Textile from Malmo -> sell everything in Lübeck" route

No, it wasn't the best but it's the first city I picked and I ended up liking it the most.

Also I think it was the easiest wealthy city to raid as a pirate, so you could donate a lot of money as a mayor and then steal it as a pirate only to donate it again and earn reputation.