Lüneburg

Early history

Archaeological finds show that the area was known to Neanderthal hunters and, later, Bronze Age settlers. The town may have been that referred to as Leuphana by Ptolemy, but it was officially founded in 956.
Lüneburg was built on a salt dome which made the town important and wealthy in the Middle Ages until 1600 when it started to decline. Tradition has it that salt was first discovered by a hunter who shot and killed a wild boar bathing in a pool of water. When he hung its skin up to dry, he discovered it was full of white crystals – salt.
Lüneburg used to be overshadowed by the village of Bardowick to the north, which was a Slavic trading post. When Bardowick was destroyed by Henry the Lion in 1189, Lüneburg was granted town rights and took over the mantle as a trading centre. Its monopoly on salt production in Northern Europe quickly led to membership of the prestigious Hanseatic League – Lüneburg's salt was in great demand to preserve herring caught in the Baltic and North Seas. Initially salt was carted up the Old Salt Road to Lübeck, but was later transported by cog along river and canal. Lüneburg became very wealthy and, in 1371, threw out its princely ruler, the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and destroyed his castle on the Kalkberg. In 1392 Lüneburg became a free imperial town, a status which lasted until 1637. Much of the wealth stemming from the salt trade can still be seen in the town, which boasts many buildings from Lüneburg's medieval heyday.

Modern period

The demise of the Hanseatic League and the overfishing of herring during the 16th century led to Lüneburg's decline. New building ceased and Lüneburg survived relatively unscathed by war, which is why the town centre has largely managed to preserve its medieval character. However, the very mining that made Lüneburg wealthy and powerful has lead to ground movements that have damaged some of the oled houses or lead to them being a bit crooked.
Lüneburg lost its independence in 1708, becoming part of the Electorate of Hanover, and then passed through a succession of states, before becoming part of the Prussian province of Hanover in 1866. During the 19th century it became a Prussian garrison town, but otherwise faded from the limelight.
In 1945, Lüneburg stamped its mark on history again when Field Marshal Montgomery took the German surrender on the Timeloberg hill, just south of the town. The spot is out-of-bounds in a military training area. Lüneburg also hosted the Belsen trial against perpetrators of the crimes at Belsen and Auschwitz concentration camps. Heinrich Himmler, infamous leader of the SS, committed suicide in Lüneburg and was subsequently buried in an unmarked location in a nearby forest.
Unlike many towns in Germany, Lüneburg was spared during World War II and virtually all of its historical buildings survived. That said, many historic buildings had fallen into dangerous decay. And it has only been since the 1970s that the town has been gradually restored to the tourist attraction it is today.
In 1980 the saltworks finally closed, ending a millennium of salt mining tradition in the town. In 1990, 3 of the 4 barracks were closed and the university moved to the site of one of them.

Lüneburg today

Today, Lüneburg is thriving again as the economic and administrative centre of the region, with a strong tourist industry as the northern gateway to the Lüneburg Heath – a popular holiday and weekend destination, especially for the citizens of Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen. It also has a popular university, its 10,000 students bringing a vibrancy to the town, balancing nicely its historical setting.
Although salt has not been mined industrially since 1980, you can still enjoy its benefits in the two large salt baths in the Salü (see below). Small quantities of salt are still extracted and sold, for example, as souvenirs.

By air

The nearest international airport is Hamburg (HAM) which is about 50 minutes' drive or 45 minutes train ride away. Other international airports include Hanover (HAJ) (1 hour 20 minutes) and Bremen (BRE) (1 hour 25 minutes). Lüneburg Airport is only used by light aircraft, ultralights, gliders and balloons.

By train

• Lüneburg stationLüneburg is on the main Hamburg-Hanover railway served by Deutsche Bahn and Metronom. The journey to Hamburg Central only takes 35 minutes. Intercities and the occasional ICE stop here. There is also a line to Lübeck on the Baltic Coast via Lauenburg by the river Elbe. Another line – the Wendland Railway (German: Wendlandbahn) – runs to Wittenberge. The cities of Lübeck and Hanover are about one hour away by rail. Please notice, that Lüneburg train-station is split in two parts. Lüneburg-West with the local connections and arrival of the slow MEr is just across the place in front of the main entrance.

By road

Since the building of the A 250 motorway in 1996, the town is only 40 minutes drive from Hamburg. To approach from the south and west, head for Hanover and take the A7 motorway to Hamburg. Come off at the Garlstorf exit and pick up the L 216 which reaches Lüneburg after 26 km.
Lüneburg is also on the B 4 federal road, 36 km north of Uelzen.

By foot

The Old Town (Altstadt) is quite compact and can easily be explored on foot.

By bus

There is a town bus network with 13 routes that all pass through the railway and central bus stations and all bar two pass through the central town square of Am Sande. Most routes run buses every 20 or 30 minutes between 05:00 and 19:00 on weekdays and then half-hourly to 21:00. Buses operate from 06:00 to 20:00 on Saturdays and from 13:00 to 20:00 on Sundays and public holidays every hour or half-hour. Otherwise there is a so-called ASM, i.e. mobile phone service. Some buses run out to the surrounding villages of Adendorf, Bardowick, Mechtersen/Vögelsen and Reppenstedt.
Lüneburg is also the departure point for many regional bus routes to, for example, the outlying villages of Deutsch Evern, Wendisch Evern, Embsen, Melbeck, Scharnebeck and destinations in the districts of Amelinghausen, Bleckede, Dahlenburg and Neetze. Other connexions run to the neighbouring districts of Winsen, Lüchow, Hitzacker, Lower Marschacht and Salzhausen. The regional bus service is part of the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV) and is operated in the northern and western sectors by the CCG and in the southern and northeastern sectors mainly by the Osthannover transport company (VOG).

By car

Car access to the town centre is very limited, but there are numerous, well-signed, car parks just outside it. In particular, the Sülzwiese car park just north of the centre is free and from there it is an easy walk into the town centre.

Inner Altstadt

Most of the inner Altstadt is a pedestrian area and is home to many of Lüneburg's historic sights. The main attractions here are:

• Am Sande

  address: Am Sande
  Am Sande is Lüneburg's most beautiful square and where merchants used to lay out their wares in medieval times. It is framed by a host of high ornate brick houses, a testimony to Lüneburg's wealth and status in centuries gone by and almost perfectly preserved. The oldest stepped gable on House 53 dates to around 1400. The voluted gables were generally erected in the late 16th to 17th centuries. One particular jewel is the Schütting or the "Black House" on the western side of the square with its glazed black bricks. Originally a brewery, it is now the Chamber of Industry and Commerce

• Brewery Museum

  address: Heiligengeiststraße 39
  The Brewery Museum is housed in the old mashhouse (Sudhaus) of Lüneburg's Kronen Brewery. The museum describes the history of brewing and has a wonderful collection of beer mugs.

• East Prussian State Museum

• Town Hall

  phone: +49 4131-309 203
  address: Am Markt 1
  The construction of the Rathaus, or town hall, began in 1230 and grew until 1720 when its baroque façade was constructed. The hall's Clarion contains 41 bells made of Meissner porcelain and rings several times daily. The Lüneburg Rathaus is said to be one of the most beautiful in Germany, only rivaled by Lübeck's city hall. Daily tours.

• St. John's Church

  address: Bei der Johanniskirche
  The construction of St. John's Church started in 1289. Now a Lutheran church, it used to be Roman Catholic until the Reformation in the 16th century. While its spectacular interior justifies the visit, the church also possesses many treasures and works of art from the past, for instance a gold tabernacle from the 14th century and many precious paintings. Many concerts are offered year-wide including several short organ concerts 2 evenings a week. If you look at the tower, you will notice that it is not straight. Over time the tower has shifted 200 cm to the west!

• Fish MarketThe fish market or Am Stint is known as the longest pub mile in Lüneburg. In the summer, the many pubs and restaurants of this area transform into large terraces and beer gardens. The fish market is also where visitors can board boats to ride on the Ilmenau river.

• Market SquareMarkets are held here every week of the year, including the christmas markets during Advent. In the middle of the marketplace you can see the Luna Fountain (Lunasaeule) with its figure of Diana (the goddess of hunting), a work by the sculptor, E. Bruggemann. Its name comes from the its moon ornament.

• Old Crane

  phone: +49 4131 2076620
  address: Am Stintmarkt
  The Old Crane is on Am Stintmarkt by the quayside in Lüneburg's old river port. The original crane was erected in the Middle Ages, although the current design dates to the 18th century. Its last duty was purportedly offloading the first steam engine for the Hanover and Brunswick railway.

• Lüne Mill

  address: Bei der Lüner Mühle
  The Lüne Mill is an impressive, half-timbered, richly decorated old mill that dates to the late 16th century, but has been extensively restored.

• Bell House

  address: Glockenhof
  The Bell House and its courtyard, Bell Court (Glockenhof) make for an attractive little sideshow off Lüneburg's main square. The building was a bell foundry dating to 1482, but was also used in emergencies to cast cannon for the defence of the town.

• Hospital Zum Roten Hahn

  address: Roterhahnstraße
  The Hospital Zum Roten Hahn is a picturesque building just north of the main pedestrian area that has three attractive, half-timbered gables and a charming inner courtyard surrounding by the poorhouses from the 16th and 17th centuries. The view of St. Nicholas Church from the courtyard is a classic photo shot.

Outer Altstadt

The outer Altstadt, outside the main pedestrian precinct, also has many treasures. Chief among these are:

• German Salt Museum

  address: Sülfmeisterstraße 1
  The German Salt Museum is a journey through the history of salt mining and trading within the walls of the former saltworks that only closed in 1980, bringing to an end the town's centuries-old association with the industry that made its name. As well as displays and artefacts there is the opportunity for visitors to make their own salt in small pans, reminiscent of the way it was once done.

• St. Michael's Church

  address: Auf dem Michaeliskloster 2b
  St. Michael's Church in the Altstadt once hosted a choir for boys with outstanding treble voices who came from poor families. Its most famous student was Johann Sebastian Bach who attended St. Michael's School from 1700 to 1703 and sang soprano in the church's choir. When his voice broke around 1703, he switched to playing the harpsichord to accompany the choir. The church is worth visiting for its interesting architecture. Although some of the foundations came from an earlier abbey and date to 956, work on the rest of the foundations for the current church began in 1376 and was finished in 1379. The building itself was completed in 1412, while the tower followed in 1434 and has one of the oldest bells in Europe. Since the church was built on salt mines, over time, and due to over mining, the ground under the church dropped by 70 cm, which also tilted the structure of the church in a very interesting and strange way. Although strong steel braces now support the building, one cannot help but notice that most of its main supports and Gothic columns are very crooked. Even the orchestra section is crooked.

• SenkungsgebietThe Senkungsgebiet is the area of Lüneburg that has suffered from subsidence as a result of mining. The salt was found below this part of the town. As it was fetched by floating the salt gallery (that was not supported sufficiently afterwards) the town sank over the years. Now it is about 5 m lower than it was in the beginning of the salt mining. If you stand on the Marienplatz and look into the direction of the Michaelis Church, you get a good impression of this. Being the oldest part of the medieval town, there are a lot of small, beautiful houses, many of them having been carefully restored.

• KalkbergThe Kalkberg is a limestone hill and one of the town's landmark. The limestone won from this hill was used for building houses. In Katzenstraße, there is a house with a huge buckle in the wall. This was caused by the limestone in the mortar that absorbed water from the air and hence lost its stability. Other houses collapsed due to this loss of stability, but this one remained. The hill itself is an easy climb and offers good views over the town.

• St. NicolaiA church built in the 15th century

• Water TowerA beautiful brick gothic water tower serving as a lookout point these days. There's an elevator, but it makes sense to go down by stairs and see the internals of the water tower accompanied by different facts about water consumption.

• Museum Lüneburg

In the suburbs

• Lüne Abbey

  phone: +49 4131 52318
  address: Am Domänenhof
  Lüne Abbey is about 2 km from the town centre. There has been an abbey on the site since the 1100s, but the present day Lüne Abbey – now a convent – was founded in 1372.

• Salü Spa

  phone: +49 4131 7230
  address: Uelzener Straße 1-5
  The Salü Spa is a thermal bath complex comprising indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, massage and gym facilities, a bar and restaurant. It's a nice place to relax after a long day especially in winter. The complex features a large wave pool, several whirlpools, a children's pool with huge slide, a heated indoor/outdoor pool open all-year round and a salt floating pool. All the pools are saline. The sauna complex features a steam bath, an outdoor sauna with fireplace, a Finnish sauna, a eucalyptus sauna, a light sauna, in addition to a rose aromatherapy room. But remember, it's Northern Europe so everyone is naked (don't worry, not in the pool area...) and the facilities are mixed. Upon reservation, the place offers massages of all types, private floating baths, a relaxarium, and other cosmetic services.

• Spa ParkEvery town has its green area where people flock on sunny days for sports and barbecues. The Kurpark is Lüneburg's central park, with large green areas for sunbathing, a large fountain, ponds, and walking trails.

Events

• Lüneburg In Bloom (Lüneburg blüht auf) and the spring market take place in April on the Sülzwiesen.
• Town Festival (Stadtfest) – the town festival is in June.
• Lunatic Festival – a charitable music festival on the university campus also in June.
• Frommestraßenfest – festival in July.
• Oktoberfest – on the Sülzwiesen in September.
• Master Salter Days (Sülfmeistertage) at the beginning of October.
• Historic Christmas Market around St. Michael's Church and Christmas Market with fairytale mile and gable lights on the market place in front of the town hall, in Grapengießerstraße and Am Sande square.

• MarketThe market is held in front of the town hall every Wednesday and Saturday from 07:00 to 13:00, all year round. Each year the Christmas Market also sets up on this location, beginning in the first week of Advent.

• Salt BagsThese small bags are filled with Lüneburg salt. Some have printed on them the verse "Brot und Salz, Gott erhalt's" ("Bread and salt, may God preserve it"). In Germany, it is a tradition to present bread and salt to people when they move into a new home. As bread and salt were considered to be the most precious things for a family's living, the wish is that they should never be without it.

• Feinzeug

  address: Waagestr. 1 a
  An unusual shop, Feinzeug is next to the town hall. Here, Margarete von Alemann makes original ceramic artefacts and everday items. Angela Kotzurek designs and sells "his and her" fashion items made of fine fabrics.

• Ratzsch Coffee Roastery

  address: Am Berge 19
  Ratzsch sells coffee beans from all over the world including such exotic places as "down under", Hawaii and the Galapagos Islands. If you're not sure, you can even taste them first... for a fee of course!

• Lüneburg Chocolate Factory

  address: Am Sande 44
  A relatively recently-established business in the main square, the Lüneburg Chocolate Factory makes fine chocolates and delicious pralines in its own glass sweet shop. A must for chocoholics or those stuck for present ideas!

Budget

• Malzer Brau-& Tafelhaus

  address: Heiligengeiststr 43, Luneburg
  This restaurant is very reasonably priced and has an excellent menu. Breakfast and lunch buffet are specialities.

• Das Restaurant in Luneburg - Elrado-House

  address: Am Markt 4, Luneburg
  This is a very reasonably priced traditional steak house with meals for under €10

• Lanzelot Restaurant-Cappuccino-bar

  address: Wandfarberstraße 7, 21335 Luneburg
  Restaurant and coffee bar with an excellent atmosphere. The menu is low to medium prices to be enjoyed by all.

• Cafe Krone

  address: Heiligengeiststraße 39–41
  Atmospheric cafe reminiscent of an English pub, in an old brewery not far from the main town square with its own beer garden. Don't miss the medieval hallway with its painted, wooden, Renaissance ceiling. Try their Lüpas – tasty North German titbits for just a few euros. Great place to have breakfast at a reasonable price before heading off to the shops or sights.

• Sandkrug

  address: Am Sande 27
  Romantic, leafy setting next to St. John's Church. Breakfasts from €2.80 and set meals for about €5-7.

• Lüneburger Nudelkontor

  address: Auf dem Kauf 1
  Italian breakfasts and home-made noodle dishes throughout the day.

Mid-range

• BaJuCa

  address: Schwarzer Weg 2, Bardowick
  Eat lunch for €3-4 at this low-priced restaurant outside the town in the village of Bardowick.

• Alte Gaststube Bremer Hof

  address: Lüner Str. 12-13
  This small hotel-restaurant offers North German cuisine and good service with many seasonal specialities and daily-changing menu. It also has its own guests' car park.

• Shanghai Chinese Restaurant

  address: Schießgrabenstr. 1
  Chinese restaurant on the riverside.

• India House

  address: Heiligengeiststr. 9
  The Indian restaurant in Lüneburg's historic Altstadt. Small restaurant with friendly atmosphere. Excellent food and quick service.

Splurge

• Lüner Mühle im Hotel Bergström

  address: Bei der Lüner Mühle
  Pricey but very good restaurant in the old mill by the river. Good wine selection and smart terrace by the river where you can relax with a coffee or glass of rose on those balmy summer days.

Beer is an often brewed locally in Germany. Most towns and regions have their own distinctive beers often only available in pubs, thus the importance of sampling local products when visiting different German towns and cities.
Although it is now brewed in Hamburg, Lüneburg's official beer, Lüneburger Pilsner, can be enjoyed in the many restaurants, bars and pubs of the town. However its production is relatively low, so it is not possible to buy bottled versions of this beer. Another star of the town is Moravia Pils produced at the Kronen-Brauhaus zu Lueneburg since 1485 . Kronen (see "Eat" section) is a nice traditional pub which also has a brewery museum in the centre of the town. Unlike Lüneburger Pilsner, this beer can be bought in bottles in shops. Some pubs like Mälzer, right next to the Kronen brewery, also brew their own delicious beer served in ceramics mugs.
The Stint (Am Stint) used to be the street where all the nightlife was. This has changed as other pubs in the town established themselves, but is still a good place to go for a drink.
Schroederstraße is packed with terraces and is a central meeting point in the summer. Pubs include: Maxx, News, Toro, Comodo (brand new)

• Kronen

  address: Heiligengeiststr. 39-41
  Nice pub with historic atmosphere west of the main square. See "Eat" section above.

• The Old Dubliner

  address: Am Stintmarkt 2
  An Irish pub in the Water Quarter near the Ilmenau.

• PonsThe oldest pub in town is the Pons, which sells delicious bio beer!

• VamosVamos, the university bar, is a bit outside the town but sometimes hosts interesting concerts as well as its fair share of student parties.

Budget

• Comfort Hotel

  phone: +49 4134 907797
  address: Am Alten Werk

• Hotel Heidpark

  address: Vor dem Neuen Tore 12
  500 m from the Altstadt the hotel has traditional style with modern facilities including a free WAN and parking. Its restaurant, the Bierstein, serves catfish and Argentinian steaks.

• Salzquartier

  address: Bahnhofstraße 7
  Hostel next to the train station. Prices for dormitory beds from €20/person/night (+ €4 for bedding/sheets).

Mid-range

• Kutscherstube

  phone: +49 4131-44113
  address: Heiligengeiststr. 44-45
  Small hotel near the town square in Lüneburg with 9 rooms on 3 floors, some with air conditioning.

• Bremer Hof

  phone: +49 4131 2240
  address: Lüner Str. 12-13
  Traditional hotel in a restored merchant's house near St. Nicholas' Church and a modern building.

• Das Stadthaus

  phone: +49 4131 44438
  address: Am Sande 25
  Small hotel opposite St. John's Church. Central situation, but quiet.

• Kunsthotel Residenz

  phone: +49 4131 759910
  address: Munstermannskamp 10
  Three-star hotel in the historic town centre. Own ClamArt restaurant specialising in Alsace cuisine.

• Park-Hotel Lüneburg, garni

  phone: +49 4131 41125
  address: Uelzener Str. 27
  Small hotel by the Kurpark with cafe and terrace.

• Hotel Bargenturm

  address: Vor der Sülze 2
  A small, modern, 4-star hotel near the pedestrian precinct. Friendly restaurant.

Splurge

• Hotel Bergström

  phone: +49 4131 3080
  address: Bei der Lüner Mühle
  Four-star hotel in the historic port district in the heart of the town. Swimming pool, sauna, solarium and fitness centre in the 800-year-old abbey mill. Three suites in the 500-year-old water tower on an island in the Ilmenau.

• Castanea Resort

  phone: +44 4131 2233 0
  address: Scharnebecker Weg 25, Adendorf
  Modern 5-star hotel about 5 km N of the town at Adendorf with a 27 hole golf course.

• Seminaris Hotel Lüneburg

  phone: +49 4131 713 0
  address: Soltauer Str. 3

Dial code

The national dial code for Lüneburg is 04131.

Internet cafes

• Anno 1900 Restaurant

  address: Auf der Altstadt 8

• Tel-Internetcafés

  address: Lünertorstraße 5

• Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Health

• Lüneburg Hospital

  address: Bögelstraße 1
  Lüneburg's main hospital offers a modern and comprehensive range of health care services and information available around the clock. It also has intensive care and special treatment facilities. It is a teaching hospital that is part of the Georg August University at Göttingen. Do ensure you have your health insurance and, if an EU citizen, your EHIC health card or equivalent. The accident emergency number is 112.

Media

• Lüneburger RundschauThe Lüneburger Rundschau is the local news section of the regional paper, the Hamburger Abendblatt ("Hamburg Evening News")

• Landeszeitung für die Lüneburger HeideThe Landeszeitung für die Lüneburger Heide is the local paper for the Lüneburg Heath and has its head office in Lüneburg.

• Police. The central contact number for the police is 04131 290 and they are located at Auf der Hude 1 near the River Ilmenau, north of the Altstadt in Lüneburg. The emergency number is 112.

• Amelinghausen, 25 km southwest, is a great base for exploring the Lüneburg Heath on foot or by bicycle. There is a leisure park around the lake of Lopausee for campers, caravanners or day trippers who want to chill out on the beach or hire boats on the lake.
• Bardowick is a heath village just north of the town and home to the only cathedral on the Heath.
• Bispingen is also a hub for Heath explorers and has the added attraction of the nearby Ralf Schumacher Go Kart track.
• Celle, just over 1 hour south, is a charming timber-framed town with an impressive castle and British royal connexions.
• Lübeck, around an hour to the north on the Baltic Coast has a medieval Altstadt and boat rides to Travemünde and elsewhere.
• Hamburg, 30–40 minutes away is Germany's second city and biggest port. Apart from the River Elbe, it has an extensive network of waterways and more bridges than Venice!
• Walsrode, some 50 minutes away, is famed for its amazing Bird Park (Vogelpark). Don't miss the incredible and amusing flight displays