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The Senkungsgebiet is the area of Lüneburg that has suffered from subsidence as a result of mining. The salt was found below this part of the town. As it was fetched by floating the salt gallery (that was not supported sufficiently afterwards) the town sank over the years. Now it is about 5 m lower than it was in the beginning of the salt mining. If you stand on the Marienplatz and look into the direction of the Michaelis Church, you get a good impression of this. Being the oldest part of the medieval town, there are a lot of small, beautiful houses, many of them having been carefully restored.
Am Sande is Lüneburg's most beautiful square and where merchants used to lay out their wares in medieval times. It is framed by a host of high ornate brick houses, a testimony to Lüneburg's wealth and status in centuries gone by and almost perfectly preserved. The oldest stepped gable on House 53 dates to around 1400. The voluted gables were generally erected in the late 16th to 17th centuries. One particular jewel is the Schütting or the "Black House" on the western side of the square with its glazed black bricks. Originally a brewery, it is now the Chamber of Industry and Commerce
Ostpreußisches Landesmuseum
The construction of the Rathaus, or town hall, began in 1230 and grew until 1720 when its baroque façade was constructed. The hall's Clarion contains 41 bells made of Meissner porcelain and rings several times daily. The Lüneburg Rathaus is said to be one of the most beautiful in Germany, only rivaled by Lübeck's city hall. Daily tours.
Sankt Johanniskirche
The construction of St. John's Church started in 1289. Now a Lutheran church, it used to be Roman Catholic until the Reformation in the 16th century. While its spectacular interior justifies the visit, the church also possesses many treasures and works of art from the past, for instance a gold tabernacle from the 14th century and many precious paintings. Many concerts are offered year-wide including several short organ concerts 2 evenings a week. If you look at the tower, you will notice that it is not straight. Over time the tower has shifted 200 cm to the west!
Alter Kran
The Old Crane is on Am Stintmarkt by the quayside in Lüneburg's old river port. The original crane was erected in the Middle Ages, although the current design dates to the 18th century. Its last duty was purportedly offloading the first steam engine for the Hanover and Brunswick railway.
Deutsches Salzmuseum
The German Salt Museum is a journey through the history of salt mining and trading within the walls of the former saltworks that only closed in 1980, bringing to an end the town's centuries-old association with the industry that made its name. As well as displays and artefacts there is the opportunity for visitors to make their own salt in small pans, reminiscent of the way it was once done.