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 The city of Lüneburg is located in the state of Lower Saxony, about one hour south of Hamburg in the flatlands of northern Germany. It is not an area known for its winter sports, and the warming Gulf Stream off the coast of this part of Germany keeps the temperatures above freezing. So, who would think of going to this part of Germany in the middle of the winter? |
| But having grown up there in the sixties, it was the year's end holidays that I remembered with special fondness. I had visions of an old-fashioned Christmas with real candles, Christmas carols, hot spiced wine and the baked goodies that are only available at this time of the year. After many years of living outside Germany, I returned to Lüneburg recently during the Christmas season and found that the city had decked itself out. Restaurants and businesses had put real Christmas trees with lights and red bows in front of their establishments.Lüneburg typically gets more rain than snow in the winter, but that didn't discourage the many family-owned shops and pubs in the pedestrian mall. When I went for a walk downtown on the morning on December 6, I saw huge piles of snow in front of every establishment, and in no time children were throwing snowballs, sliding down, or just rolling in the white stuff. |
| It was St. Nikolaus Day, a forerunner of Christmas in the German Christmas tradition, when children put one shoe in front of the door on the evening of December 5 and find it filled with chocolates and candy the following morning--but only if they have been good children. Should St. Nikolaus find that their behavior has not been up to snuff he'll leave a switch, which rarely happens. The businesses downtown had worked some real magic with their imported snow, and the children enjoyed this rare treat of winter. |
| But there were more attractions for children and adults alike. Throughout the center of town twelve booths had been set up with displays of Grimm's Fairytales. Press a button and a voice would tell you the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Little Red Ridinghood and some lesser known ones, while the figures inside the booth would move head, hands or even the round belly of one of Snow White's dwarfs who was sleeping on a bench by the stove.
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| Strolling over a market on a cold winter night does not take the chill out of your bones but Glühwein (hot spiced wine) does and there were plenty of booths that offered it. It comes in two varieties, just plain Glühwein or mit Schuss (with a shot of Rum). I was always content just with the plain Glühwein but some in the happy crowd clearly enjoyed the more potent drink. Even though alcohol flowed freely on those cold nights when we huddled over our steamy drink savoring its full flavor, nobody overindulged. It seems that the Germans handle their drinks well and respect the festive atmosphere of the setting. This was a time for joy, a place to meet place friends, an outing for the whole family.
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| More About Lüneburg: |
| When I was growing up here in the sixties I didn't think there was anything special about this town. The buildings were old, a bit neglected, the economic life was slow, city life was dominated by civil servants who administered the courts, schools and local government. How things can change! Now Lüneburg has a university with ten thousand students and, as I was told, it has the most bars and pubs per square mile of any town in Germany. It has become a young, vibrant city, and it shows. Its many cafés are full day and night, so are the many excellent and unique shops. On a weekend you have to elbow your way through throngs of people who are out shopping, dining and meeting friends.What struck me first on my return to my hometown was the beautiful Gothic brick architecture that has been preserved over more than a thousand years and has been carefully restored. Lüneburg was a wealthy town from about 900 until 1400 when brine was discovered underneath its ground, pumped up and boiled in large pans until valuable salt crystals formed. Salt was the only preservative in the Middle Ages and a precious commodity. Salt merchants from Lüneburg exported it to the port cities of the North Sea and Baltic Sea where it was used to pickle herring, a staple for the majority of the population. |
| Salt production only came to an end in the late 1970s, but the brine is still used in a wonderful spa that features inside/outside swimming pools, slides, saunas, whirlpools, massage/facial treatments, mud wraps, salt rubs, complete with resting rooms and restaurant. A hotel is attached to the spa and you can sign up for many different treatments. The all day-sauna with a 45-minute facial includes the use of a bathrobe, juice and salad in the restaurant. The swimming pool is a great favorite with children. Every half hour the bell rings and waves start at one end lifting the swimmers up and gently letting them down. The outdoor swimming pool is warm even when the temperature is hovering around freezing. It has its own current upon which you can lazily drift through the steaming water. |
| While the salt trade flourished, the citizens of Lüneburg used their wealth to build a beautiful city. Three churches, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, dominate the skyline. On a dark winter night their towers, illuminated by lamps, glow in the soft, warm hue of red bricks and even the gargoyles of St. Nikolai Church lose their eeriness. The imposing town hall was started in 1230 and finally finished with a beautiful Renaissance façade in 1720. Every Wednesday and Friday is market day and booths are put up on the large square in front of the town hall where shoppers can choose among dozens of different kinds of potatoes, apples and eggs, organic or not, but always fresh. Flowers are for sale at a ridiculously low price, and as Christmas nears, trees and wreaths with ornaments are offered. There are plenty of stands with meat, fresh fish, cheese, Greek and Turkish delicacies, and the ever popular German bratwurst stands invite you for a quick snack. |
| The central place Am Sande (At the Sand), one of the most impressive city squares in northern Germany, is surrounded by stately houses from the 15th and 16th centuries whose Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque gables are decorated with flowers in the summer are now ablaze with shining rows of Christmas lights.Lüneburg remained intact during the wars of the 20th century, and the tourist can easily step back into the past, strolling through the many quaint streets that carry names like Bäckerstraße (Bakers' Street), An den Brodbänken (At the Bread Banks), Reitende Diener Straße (Riding Servants' Street, with its row of quaint houses where, during the 15th century, servants to the city councilmen lived, ready to deliver important messages across town). |
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| The amazing thing is that the historic houses, which line these streets, are still fully functioning with shops and restaurants on the ground floor and renovated modern apartments on the upper floors. Stepped brick gables with rows of windows partitioned off by ornamental brick columns, elaborate decorations carved into oak beams, bay windows that let in as much light as possible, they all are as beautiful today as they were then. Lüneburg offers such a unique and attractive backdrop that a soap opera Rote Rosen (Red Roses) is being filmed here. It's not unusual to find a section of an old street cordoned off and a small group of bystanders is watching the filming in progress. |
| As the visitor leaves the Christmas market and walks back to his hotel on a dark winter night the town has not quite gone to sleep yet. Brightly lit windows of restaurants and bars invite him to join the lively crowds within; shoppers idle in front of the many small shops looking for that special Christmas present; the hourly bells signal that it is getting late. Lüneburg is a wonderful town to visit, not only in the summer, but also in the depth of winter, when Christmas lights and songs, candles and spiced wine warm us from within. |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
PHOTO CREDITS: Christel Detsch HAND-MADE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS: Inge-Glas® of Germany |
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| © 2009 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES |
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