Our first visit to the beautiful Lüneburg was at the end of 2024. We ended the year 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 couldn't wait to come back.
And so, when our Easter roadtrip through Germany rolled around just a few months later, we made sure to add a spring stop to Lüneburg and revisit this delightful city in the new season.
I have a German mother, so I have visited many parts of Germany many, many times as a child. I currently live in Salzburg in Austria and so this Easter was the perfect excuse to re-explore northern Germany and many of the places of my childhood - plus a few other stops along the way.
Our first stop was actually in neighbouring Czechia, where we spent a night exploring the colourful spa town of Karlovy Vary. From there, it was time to kick off the German leg of our trip and we crossed the border again and headed towards Dresden, a delightful university town. Then, it was time to see some bridges; we drove first down to the Basteibrücke where a wooden bridge passes through million-year-old rock formations over the River Elbe before heading east, almost to the border with Poland, to visit the famous Devil's Bridge. Then, it was on to the capital of Berlin, the city of my mum's birth and a chance to retrace the steps of my own visit from so many years ago. We spent a night in beautiful Magdeburg and, on the way to Hamburg, found ourselves in Schwerin.
Here is my complete guide to visiting the beautiful Lüneburg, a city that should absolutely be on everyone's Germany itinerary.
We first visited Lüneburg in winter 2024 and then stopped by again in spring 2025; I have updated the original post to add in all the wonderful new things we did in the new season. This post was first published 27 December 2024 and last updated 24 April 2025.
By flight: The closest airport to Lüneburg is in nearby Hamburg. From Hamburg Airport to Lüneburg, it is about an hour and a half by car or with the train via Hamburg Hauptbahnhof.
By car: Of course the easiest way to travel to Lüneburg is with your own wheels. For our winter visit, we drove up from Munich on our way through to 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.
We visited again by car for our spring visit, this time heading back towards Munich from Hamburg. Lüneburg is less than an hour from downtown Hamburg by car.
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.
In winter
In spring
We stayed in two different wonderful hotels on our two visits to Lüneburg.
Winter: einzigartig
For visit in December 2024, 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!
Spring: Wyndberg Hotel
When we returned in April 2025, we wanted to try something new. We pulled into the city very late after our drive south from Hamburg and were very lucky that the kind receptionist at the Wyndberg Hotel was willing to check us in late.
We loved most of this hotel experience - the building is beautifully restored, the beds so comfy and the location is quiet and in perfect walking distance to the old town. The one thing that was really poor was the breakfast including the food options and the staff service. We will happily stay again but we definitely wouldn't recommend breakfast here. It's extra anyway, so skip paying for it and find something yummy in town, instead.
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.
Here is everywhere we dined during both our visits:
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!
We dined here both in December and April, it was that good!
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!
Gelato at Calluna Eispatisserie
Located at: Schröderstraße 10 in the heart of the old town, and at Salzstraße Am Wasser 2 on the Ilmenau River
Reservations: not needed, it's a grab-and-go sort of place
Coffee and cake at Cafe Zeitgeist
Located at: Heiligengeiststraße 36
Reservations: not needed, but they can get busy because they're one of the best in town
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
During our winter visit, 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. Its 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.
When we returned for our spring visit, we spent just one night in Lüneburg as the final stop of our Easter roadtrip through Germany. For a second visit, it was perfect as we were able to revisit lots of places we had already fallen in love with, plus a few new spots.
Visit the park at Rathausgarten
This little garden belongs to Lüneburg's town hall and is a delightful escape from the city. How fun that government buildings can be so beautiful!
Spot the medieval City Hall
This beautiful baroque-style city hall is one of the most iconic buildings in the city.
See the Lunabrunnen at Marktplatz
This pretty fountain is dedicated to the goddess Diana, sitting in the heart of Lüneburg's main square outside the town hall.
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. All around the harbour are cozy restaurants and boutique hotels. While you're here, spot the famous Old Crane, too, which is centuries old.
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, 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.
