Open Monument Day Lüneburg

Open Monument Day — Nationwide Format

The Open Monument Day has taken place annually on the second Sunday in September since 1993. It was initiated by the German Foundation for Monument Protection and is part of the European Heritage Days, a Europe-wide format for promoting built heritage. With over 6,000 participating monuments annually, Monument Day in Germany is the country's largest cultural event. Each edition is dedicated to a thematic motto that the participating monuments take up.

Lüneburg — Brick Gothic and Salt History

Lüneburg is one of the most important brick Gothic cities in Northern Germany. Over 1,200 listed buildings, three imposing brick churches (St. Johannis, St. Nicolai, St. Michaelis), the town hall dating from the 15th century, the German Salt Museum as a reminder of the city's salt history, and numerous patrician houses form an ensemble that is to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. On Open Monument Day, many of these buildings open their doors to the public — some for the only time of the year.

Special Guided Tours and Lectures

Beyond the normal opening hours, the participating monuments offer a special program: guided tours with restorers and monument conservationists, lectures on the history of individual buildings, hands-on activities for children, special exhibitions, concerts in the churches. Lüneburg Marketing GmbH bundles the program in an overview, which is published a few weeks before Monument Day. Admission is free everywhere, although some special guided tours require advance registration.

Bleckede and the District

Monuments in the Lüneburg district are also participating — for example, the Elbschloss Bleckede with two special guided tours in the morning (11 a.m.) and in the afternoon (2 p.m.), each lasting about 60 minutes. Thus, Monument Day extends beyond the city of Lüneburg to the entire region and enables family outings that combine several stops.