Lüneburg (German: [ˈlyːnəbʊʁk] ; Low German: Lümborg; Latin: Luneburgum or Lunaburgum; Old High German: Luneburc; Old Saxon: Hliuni; Polabian: Glain), officially the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg (German: Hansestadt Lüneburg) and also known in English as Lunenburg ( LEW-nən-burg), is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about 50 km (31 mi) southeast of another Hanseatic city, Hamburg, and belongs to that city's wider metropolitan region.
The capital of the district which bears its name, it is home to roughly 77,000 people.
Lüneburg's urban area, which includes the surrounding communities of Adendorf, Bardowick, Barendorf and Reppenstedt, has a population of around 103,000. Lüneburg has been allowed to use the title "Hansestadt" (Hanseatic Town) in its name since 2007, in recognition of its membership in the former Hanseatic League. Lüneburg is also home to Leuphana University.
Most of the inner Altstadt is a pedestrian area and is home to many of Lüneburg's historic sights. The main attractions here are:
Beer is an often brewed locally in Germany. Most towns and regions have their own distinctive beers often only available in pubs, thus the importance of sampling local products when visiting different German towns and cities.
Although it is now brewed in Hamburg, Lüneburg's official beer, Lüneburger Pilsner, can be enjoyed in the many restaurants, bars and pubs of the town. However its production is relatively low, so it is not possible to buy bottled versions of this beer. Another star of the town is Moravia Pils produced at the Kronen-Brauhaus zu Lueneburg since 1485 . Kronen (see "Eat" section) is a nice traditional pub which also has a brewery museum in the centre of the town. Unlike Lüneburger Pilsner, this beer can be bought in bottles in shops. Some pubs like Mälzer, right next to the Kronen brewery, also brew their own delicious beer served in ceramics mugs.
The Stint (Am Stint) used to be the street where all the nightlife was. This has changed as other pubs in the town established themselves, but is still a good place to go for a drink.
Schroederstraße is packed with terraces and is a central meeting point in the summer. Pubs include: Maxx, News, Toro, Comodo (brand new)
The nearest international airport is Hamburg () which is about 50 minutes' drive or 45 minutes train ride away. Other international airports include Hanover () (1 hour 20 minutes) and Bremen () (1 hour 25 minutes). Lüneburg Airport is only used by light aircraft, ultralights, gliders and balloons.
