What might have attracted the duke to come here?
Over 40 lakes, the Elbe River, the Saxony Forest, romantic villages, country life, culture, cordiality….
We` ll never know. But we know why we want to stay.
We`d love to show you!
Water all around
Navigation has always characterized the lives of the people in the Duchy of Lauenburg. “White gold” salt was transported from the salines in Lüneburg via the Elbe-Lübeck Canal to Lübeck. The towns of Lauenburg and Geesthacht an der Elbe were major hubs for a multitude of goods. Today, you can trace this past on numerous excursions, historic boats or in one of our museums.
The history of the Duchy of Lauenburg is as unique as is its lakelands. Over 40 lakes dominate the landscape and offer you a variety of possibilities for your holiday. Come and dive into the refreshing lakes surrounded by forest at one of our swimming areas, put your back into canoeing or enjoy cruising along the banks on a boat trip.
The abundance of water in the Duchy of Lauenburg
Navigation in the Duchy of Lauenburg
You will never quite lose sight of the water in the Duchy of Lauenburg. The river Elbe and the old salt route “Alte Salzstraße” run along and through the Duchy like lifelines, and more than 40 lakes appear like a necklace of glistening gems.
Come aboard one of our day trip boats and enjoy a totally different view of the beautiful landscape. Let your eye wander over the hillside forests at the Hohes Elbufer or across the beautiful landscape of the Elbe valley. A cruise on the Elbe aboard the paddle steamer “Kaiser Wilhelm” promises to be a particularly nostalgic experience. Our wide range of tours on the lakes around Ratzeburg and Mölln or on the river Wakenitz, also called the “Amazon of the North”, all the way to the hanseatic city of Lübeck are not to be missed.
Maritime Highlights in the Duchy of Lauenburg
Elbe navigation museum „Elbschifffahrtsmuseum“
Why is it that nudists used to swim in the Elbe? Can you drink “butt cheek broth”? And what is a “Treckbüdel” doing on an Elbe ship? Find the answers in the exhibition of the Museum Elbschifffahrtsmuseum Lauenburg/Elbe.
“Man-model-machine” – this is the slogan of the interactive exhibition at the museum of Elbe navigation, the “Elbschifffahrtsmuseum”. In the exhibition, the people who invented, built and operated the engines and different ships are the focal point. Learn about how the hard working and living conditions in shipbuilding and navigation have evolved over the past 1,000 years.
Listen to people on life-size 3D screens telling us about their history. Meet important personalities such as Kaiser Wilhelm II. and the shipowner Basedow as well as former inhabitants of Lauenburg, such as raftsmen, deck hands and so-called Smutjes, the ship’s cooks. Furthermore, you can try out things for yourself at different models and experimental stations.
Enjoy the walk-in worlds of experiments designated to important topics. Thus, in the exhibition, you can walk on the Elbe riverbed at low tide or slide across the ice floats that form on the Elbe in winter. To go with each topic, there are short films providing you with a “golden thread” through the exhibition. However, don’t forget to use our interactive archive stations to find some interesting facts yourself. The museum has a unique collection of information about ship types, engines, crew and models. Thanks to intensive research that has been carried out, you will find an amazing depth of information. You have access to a large part of this material in the museum.