Lauenburg (Lębork)

Landscape and town history

Partly wooded slopes of moraine hills rise to the north and south of Lębork. Their terrain is strongly undulating and contrasts with the urstrom valley, which the river crosses through the town. Those who want to explore the surrounding area as well as the town will find a variety of landscapes here, which are easy to distinguish when looking at a map.

At Muzeum w Lęborku, the history of the town and region is presented alongside ancient art, archaeology and ethnography. The collections give the visit a cultural-historical focus, while a 3D film shown there explores Lębork’s medieval defensive system. The town’s history can thus be viewed both through the museum’s collections and through the fortifications in the townscape.

Medieval fortifications and historic buildings

Well-preserved medieval town walls can be seen in Lębork. They were built from 1341 to around 1363 and were originally 1,220 metres long. This figure refers to their original length; for visitors today, the surviving structure itself is a visible point of reference for the history of the town’s fortifications. Baszta Bluszczowa is a surviving corner tower and part of these walls. It was built around 1363 during the construction of the town’s fortifications.

Reconstructed medieval towers are also part of the town’s historic character: Tower No. 24 on ul. Derdowskiego and Tower No. 27 on ul. Basztowa display, among other things, copies of medieval clothing and weapons, everyday objects, products from disappearing crafts, and works of art by local artists from earlier centuries. Part of Lębork Castle, built by the Teutonic Order, already existed in 1363. The former outer bailey grounds also contain a mill dating from the 14th or 15th century, the so-called Miller’s House from the 19th century, and a salt storehouse from the 16th century.

The town hall offers another perspective on the town’s history: it was built in 1900 in the Neo-Gothic style. Stained-glass windows in its grand council chamber display the coats of arms of the local nobility. The church of NMP Królowej Polski dates from 1870, is Neo-Gothic, and was formerly Protestant. Townhouses on ul. Staromiejska and ul. M. Reja date from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries; their design is eclectic or influenced by Art Nouveau.

Walking routes, views and pilgrimage tradition

The Trasa średniowiecznego Lęborka is a walking route that starts at the intersection of ul. Staromiejska and ul. Skłodowskiej and continues along the medieval town walls. Alongside visiting individual buildings, this route offers a way to follow the course of the fortifications. The Trasa Paula Nipkowa is marked by television-shaped plaques on buildings and at locations associated with Paul Nipkow. Small signs on posts and trees point the way between these plaques.

Wieża Ciśnień has an observation platform with views of Lębork and the surrounding landscape. Those who would rather take in the town from above can include this viewpoint in their exploration. The pilgrimage tradition also helps orient visitors: the Lębork–Łeba stage of the Pomorska Droga św. Jakuba begins at Sanktuarium św. Jakuba Apostoła in Lębork and connects the shrines of the Apostle in Lębork and Łeba. The sanctuary is a Gothic fortified church. It is thought to have been built at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries; the year 1345 is also cited, though this is uncertain.

The location on the E28 also provides a practical reference point for arriving by car. This makes it possible to choose how to explore the town according to your interests, without having to separate its cultural history from its landscape.

Other places in the subregion

For further orientation in the subregion: Lebork, Wicko, Dymnica, Roszczyce, Łeba, Poraj, Żarnowska, Sarbsk, Lędziechowo, Łebień, Bukowina.

For the broader travel overview: Pomerania.