Holiday in Lueneburg

What makes Lueneburg special as a destination?

Lüneburg is the charming salt city on the Ilmenau and the southern gateway to the Lüneburg Heath — one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in Northern Germany. For over 1,000 years, salt was Lüneburg's most important raw material: The saltworks was one of the largest and oldest in Europe and made the city fabulously wealthy in the Middle Ages. This wealth is still visible today in the magnificent patrician houses, churches, and squares. The landmark of the salt history is the leaning houses: The centuries-long salt extraction beneath the city caused the ground to sink, resulting in entire streets tilting. Particularly impressive is the house at Am Sande 1, which leans dramatically to the side. The Kalkberg, once a whole hill with a castle, has been reduced to a small remnant due to gypsum extraction — a walkable viewpoint. The historic Stintmarkt on the banks of the Ilmenau is Lüneburg's social center: pubs, restaurants, and beer gardens line up under old chestnut trees by the water — named after the stint, a small fish that was traded here in the past. The atmosphere is reminiscent of southern European harbor districts. Leuphana University, with over 9,000 students, shapes the youthful, vibrant flair of the city. The central building of the university, designed by Daniel Libeskind (2017), is an architectural exclamation mark. Lüneburg is a starting point for hikes and bike tours into the Lüneburg Heath, which is bathed in a sea of purple heather blooms in August and September — an unparalleled natural spectacle.