Lüneburg’s Old Town: A Walking Tour through the Salt Empire’s Medieval Streets

(7 reviews)

Lüneburg audio tour: Lüneburg’s Old Town: A Walking Tour through the Salt Empire’s Medieval Streets

This is a 1.5mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Lüneburg

Germany

$9.99

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About the Tour

Lüneburg made its fortune as the “White Gold” hub of northern Germany’s prosperous salt trade. This walking tour offers a glimpse into its fascinating past, taking you to see well-preserved architecture in the heart of the medieval town, where the salt trade shaped its streets, buildings, and culture.

The tour begins near Brausebrücke Bridge, where you’ll get your first taste of Lüneburg’s scenic beauty. You’ll head toward the Marina Café to enjoy views of the Ilmenau, and hear stories about the importance of this river in the salt trade. As you walk into Lüneburg’s Old Town (Altstadt), you’ll be surrounded by cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses and medieval charm, setting the tone for what’s to come.

You’ll pass by Lüneburg Town Hall, one of the most iconic landmarks in the city center with its Luna Fountain, topped by the Goddess Artemis. In the bustling Am Sande square, you’ll come across Bakery Hesse, where bread has been baked since 1493. The tour ends at St. John’s Church, where you’ll have the option to climb the Lüneburg water tower observation deck for a panoramic view of the city.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

Admire the Old Crane in the Lüneburg harbor, a marvel of medieval engineering, which dates back to 1346 and required eight men to operate
Visit Krone Brewery, where you’ll hear about Lüneburg’s brewing history
Step into the hallowed halls of St. Nikolai Church, originally constructed for the barrel makers and ship carpenters in the city
Explore the unique Sinking District, the curious slanted neighborhood that’s gradually disappearing due to the salt mining that used to take place here
Discover the intriguing Pregnant Haus, a house famous for its bulging façade
Stop at the Tourist Information Lüneburg to get insights into the city’s historic treasures
Visit St. Michaelis Church, where Johann Sebastian Bach completed some of his early schooling, while you hear about the composer’s ties to the city

This fascinating 60-minute journey through the streets of Lüneburg will give you an insider’s perspective on its medieval history and architectural highlights.

Whether you’re a history buff or simply love exploring beautiful cities, Lüneburg’s rich past and stunning landmarks will leave a lasting impression.

Tour Producer

Robin and the Tourguides Foster, Kusnir GbR

6 tours

Robin and the Tourguides is dedicated to creating exceptional, authentic experiences across northern Germany. Rated as the top tour company in Hamburg, we offer a variety of engaging and informative tours, blending fun with a deep respect for local history, culture, and community. Our guides have the freedom to shape their tours in ways that showcase their passion, knowledge, and creativity, ensuring every tour is unique, memorable, and led with genuine enthusiasm.

As a local company, we prioritize fair partnerships with local businesses and provide our employees and guides with supportive, fair working conditions. We work closely with small cafés, restaurants, breweries, and other community businesses, giving back to our local partners and fostering connections that enrich our guests’ experiences. Financially, we’re committed to sustainable practices, managing all transactions through GLS Bank, Germany's pioneer in social, environmental, and ecological banking.

Our commitment to the community extends to charitable work. We offer affordable guided tours for refugees in Hamburg and donate annually to impactful charities. Since 2015, our donations have supported causes such as Wikipedia, local cultural initiatives, Sprachbrücke-Hamburg, Westwind-Hamburg, and NABU Germany. More recently, we’ve focused on supporting Ukrainian refugees and have contributed to UNICEF and humanitarian aid.

Robin and the Tourguides offers more than just tours; we provide a heartfelt connection to Hamburg and northern Germany, one that values people, places, and the stories that bring them to life.

Preview Location

Location 20

Johann Sebastian Bach's time in Lunenburg

Take a left on the street up ahead, right here, called "Johann-Sebastian-Bach Platz," a square named after the famous Baroque musician, organist, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

Once on the street, keep going straight while I tell you more about his brief time here.
... Take a left on the street up ahead, right here, called "Johann-Sebastian-Bach Platz," a square named after the famous Baroque musician, organist, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

Once on the street, keep going straight while I tell you more about his brief time here.

Bach wasn't born in Lüneburg but rather in Eisenach, about 350 kilometers south of here in Thuringia, in 1685. However, most people associate him with the Thomas Church in Leipzig, where he spent most of his professional adult life composing and performing. Young Bach started his musical studies, some would say, before birth, being born into a highly gifted musical family. In fact, his mother was a cellist, and his father was the Royal Court Trumpeter, among other things. Bach moved around a lot in his lifetime before settling down in Leipzig. In 1700, at the age of 14, Bach moved to Lüneburg to finish his schooling at the St. Michaelis Church, which we were just at. Coming from a poor family with seven siblings didn’t make it easy to pay for schooling, but Bach was offered free tuition in exchange for singing in the choir at St. Michaelis.

It was here that Bach was influenced by many great organists like Georg Böhm and had access to a large library with works from Dieterich Buxtehude and Johann Adam Reincken. He was also assigned as a publicist worker, writing down musical pieces from Böhm. Bach also took excursions to Hamburg's St. Katharinen Church to listen to the organ, which was by far the most beautiful organ in all of northern Germany. This wasn't Bach's only encounter with this organ. Twenty years later, he would return to St. Katharinen Church to give a concert of over two hours of improvising on some of his most famous works. Bach was also known to comment that "this organ would have been the only one of this good quality that he had heard!" It's to be assumed that Bach's early times in Lüneburg also led to his fascination with applying for a job in Hamburg as the organist of the nearby St. James Church with their famous Arp-Schnitger Organ, the largest Baroque organ in northern Europe! He was offered the job as the church's organist; however, he refused the offer when it became apparent that he would have to pay the parish for the honor of being able to play their organ.

Bach graduated from school here in Lüneburg in 1702 and probably moved to Erfurt one year later in 1703.

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Major Landmarks

Partners of tomorrow fountain
Marina Café
Brausebrücke
Old Hanseatic wooden boats
Old crane in the Lüneburg harbor
Lüner Straße Bridge
St. Nicolai Church
Lüneburg Altstadt
Lunabrunnen
Lüneburg Town Hall
Tourist-Information Lüneburg
Das Schwangere Haus
Town Hall Garden
St. Michaelis Church
Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Platz
East Prussian Regional Museum
KRONE Brauhaus
Am Sande fountain
Am Sande
St. John's Church
Lüneburg water tower observation deck

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Am Werder, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
Total distance

2km
Final location
Auf d. Altstadt, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany
Distance back to start location

736.99m

Directions to Starting Point

The Tour begins on the square surrounded by the street "Am Werder" opposite the side of the public toilettes at the fountain of the three children standing in a circle or in front of the address: Am Werder 11. Also, the "Marina Café" should be just off to the right hand side.

Google coordinates are: 53.25067351048855, 10.414419181116683 or search for directions of "Am Werder 11, Lunenburg" on GoogleMaps.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

St.Nikolai church, Town Hall Market if taking place, St.Michaelis Church, Shops along the way in the sinking district, East-Prussian Museum, Krone or Mälzer Brewery, Hesse Bakery, St.Johns Church, Water Observation Tower.

Best time of day

The best time is anytime during the day time as some buildings may not be lit well and there are a lot of cobblestone streets that are uneven.

Precautions

If you are scared of heights it is not recommended to go up the Water Observation Tower at the end of the tour! Also be mindful of many uneven and cobblestone streets throughout the tour.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”