We ended 2024 in the most incredible way possible: my partner planned an entire mystery roadtrip for me, with my only clues being that I needed a suitcase full of winter clothes for ten days.
→ I documented the entire mystery roadtrip on reels; check it out on Instagram!
Heading north out of Munich, where my partner lives, the first stop of our mystery roadtrip was in Lüneburg, a hidden gem of a city just an hour south of Hamburg. I had never heard of Lüneburg before but it is safe to say that it now sits firmly on my list of favourite European cities! We loved the vibes, the food, the people and the architecture and can't wait to come back during other seasons.
Here is my complete guide to visiting the beautiful Lüneburg, a city that should absolutely be on everyone's Germany itinerary:
By flight: The closest airport to Lüneburg is in nearby Hamburg.
By car: Of course the easiest way to travel to Lüneburg is with your own wheels. Lüneburg is less than an hour from downtown Hamburg by car. We drove up from Munich and stopped here on our winter roadtrip (final destination: Stockholm) which was quite a long stretch! We spent two nights here and left our car in a nearby parking garage which was recommended to us by our hotel and coming in super cheap at just €9 per day, at the time of writing.
→ On our way from Munich to Lüneburg, we stopped in at the Eremitage Schlosspark in Bayreuth and at the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar.
By train: It is actually faster to get to Lüneburg by train from Hamburg, with trains running freqently and taking just over half an hour direct. Tickets can be bought with for the local HVV trains or with Deutsche Bahn.
Eremitage Schlosspark in Bayreuth
Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar
Lüneburg is a relatively small city and perfect for walking around. Buses do service the city as well if you'd like to use public transport, but I can highly recommend going on foot and discovering all the gorgeous gingerbread house-lined streets of Lüneburg.
You might also want to join a walking tour of Lüneburg to get a good insight from a local of the history and learn a bit more about the city.
We had two nights in Lüneburg, arriving late on our first evening and giving us a full day to explore the city. We stayed at the lovely einzigartig, a small boutique hotel within steps of the famous Old Crane in the Lüneburg Harbour.
The service was so good, with all the members of staff going above and beyond to make us feel welcomed. We didn't love the two single beds pushed together to create one double, but otherwise found it comfortable and clean and truly with an unbeatable location.
We didn't end up dining here, but the reviews on Google Maps are really great!
We were so pleasantly surprised to find that Lüneburg has some really delicious food and with amazing vegetarian options for me. We thoroughly enjoyed every meal we had in this little city.
Brunch at Anna's Cafe
Located at: Salzstraße Am Wasser 6, looking over the Ilmenau River, steps from the Old Crane
Reservations: definitely recommended, but we were lucky to grab a seat with just a walk-in
Coffee at Auszeit
Located at: An d. Münze 14, in the heart of the old town
Reservations: required for brunch, but we just picked up delicious chai lattes to go
Lunch at Holy Coffee
Located at: Heiligengeiststraße 33, in a quiet part of the old town
Reservations: not required, but she only has a few tables and she has a 5-star rating on Google Maps because she serves the greatest avocado sourdough ever combined with the brightest personality so if you want to eat here you should probably reserve!
Dinner at Lucky Cat
Located at: Schröderstraße 11, which makes me thing of Schrödinger's Cat
Reservations: recommended, because this 100% vegan restaurant serving up the most mouthwatering Asian Fusion dishes is usually always packed!
Dinner at La Taverna
Located at: Am Stintmarkt 12, right on the Lüneburg Harbour across from the Old Crane
Reservations: we were able to just walk in, but you could definitely reserve just to be sure you'll get a table at this cozy Italian place which even offers an entire page of fully vegan options, including a mouthwatering lasagne and Tiramisu!
Brunch at TASTE
Located at: okay, so this brunch spot is in Lübeck which is about an hour north on the coast, but I have nowhere else on my blog to write about it and it was SO good it deserves to be included
Reservations: not required, but possible, and recommended during peak weekend hours for their delicious brunch; combine it with a little day exploring the city of Lübeck!
Lübeck
We spent two nights in Lüneburg, giving us a full day to explore this little city. We were visiting Lüneburg as one of the first stops on our big winter roadtrip (final destination: Stockholm, for New Year's) after Christmas. I can say, hand on heart, that we absolutely loved Lüneburg; something about its charming small city vibe is just delightful and we can't wait to come back and visit during other seasons of the year. It's close location to Hamburg makes this a perfect day trip destination, too.
Take in the views of Lüneburg Harbour and Stintmarkt
Perhaps the most photographed spot in all of Lüneburg is the beautiful harbour, lined with what I truly felt were gingerbread house-like buildings at Stintmarkt. At Christmastime, the harbour is full of twinkling lights and Christmas markets. All around the harbour are cozy restaurants and boutique hotels. While you're here, spot the famous Old Crane, too, which is centuries old.
Spot the medieval City Hall
This beautiful baroque-style city hall is one of the most iconic buildings in the city. During Christmastime, the square in front has a delightful Christmas market going on with yummy local goodies.
Wander the gingerbread house-style streets
Seriously our favourite thing to do in Lüneburg was just to get lost wandering the streets of the old town. Every street was lined with cobblestones, with houses that looked like gingerbread houses all along, each with beautiful twinkling lights home to boutiques, cafes and restaurants enticing you in.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
