Hanseatic City Lüneburg Medieval small town in the metropolitan region hambrug

Old town dream and historical highlight: The picturesque town on the Ilmenau River enchants visitors with its romantic gabled houses and small alleys.

On the edge of the Lüneburger Heide, Lüneburg is only 60km from Hamburg. The Hanseatic city is a wonderful place to discover, shop or relax and is definitely worth a day trip. The untouched old town offers picturesque alleys and individual shops, beautiful photo motifs and all kinds of things to marvel at.

History of the city - Lüneburg as a Hanseatic city and the white gold

Lüneburg was first mentioned in documents in 956, when the Lüne monastery and the saltworks were already built. Due to its special location, exactly above a salt dome, Lüneburg quickly developed into one of the richest cities of the Hanseatic League. The salt was the most important commodity of the city and was needed by many regions. The big trade route "old salt road" led up to Lübeck.
The historical Lüneburg - Here there is a lot to discover

If you stroll through Lüneburg, you will find a piece of history at every corner. Since the city was spared destruction during the Second World War, the historic city centre was largely preserved. The street at the Sande, which looks more like a big market place, is still surrounded by charming old gabled houses. From there you can get to all the important sights. Those who want to get an overview in advance should visit the water tower. From here, one has a wonderful view over the whole city. Beside the three gothic churches St. Johannis, St. Michaelis and St. Nikolai you can also see the monastery Lüne. Who would like to learn more about the history of the city should pay a visit to the salt museum. Also guided tours through the historical town hall offer all kinds of interesting things.
A special feature of the city is also the area of subsidence. Due to the strong salt mining in the past decades, a part of the old town sinks every year, which results in sloping houses and buildings.

The city with the second highest pub density

Directly at the Stintmarkt you will find numerous small bars and restaurants. With a view to the Ilmenau and the old crane, which loaded the merchant ships with salt at that time, you can end the day wonderfully. In the evenings, there is a lively hustle and bustle here, as in contrast to the buildings, Lüneburg has an extremely young city climate. The Leuphana University, which attracts students from all over Germany, has a big influence on this.

Beside the restaurants at the Stint, there are restaurants and cafés all over the city centre. Especially popular are also the brewery pubs, where you can get your own beer.

If you prefer something before you eat than souvenirs, you will surely find something in the numerous individual shops of the city. Whether clothes, jewellery, tea or books. In Lüneburg you will find the right shop for almost every topic. Here it is worthwhile to browse!