Hitzacker

Hitzacker is a charming riverside town of 5,000 peoole (2020) in Lüchow-Dannenberg district in the Lüneburg Heath region of North Germany. It lies on the River Elbe, about 45 km east of Lüneburg on the a tourist route, the German Timber-Frame Road.

Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, founded a famous library here, which was moved to Wolfenbüttel in 1643.

Geography
Hitzacker lies at the confluence of the River Jeetzel with the mighty Elbe. Immediately northwest are the Elbe Heights (Elbhöhen, also Klötzie), a range of low hills along the Elbe river and a favourite walking area. The lowland areas of the old town are par of the Elbe valley water meadows (Elbtalaue).

Whilst the riverbanks lie just 11 metres above sea level, Hitzacker's local hill, the Weinberg reaches a modest 83 metres. A little way down the Elbe, the Kniepenberg hill (86 m) has great views over the Elbe basin.

History
The earliest known settlements date to around 3000 BC at the lake of Hitzackersee and the region has been continuously settled since. On the Weinberg next to the old town (Altstadt) there are traces of an eighth-century Slavic castle that turned Hitzacker into an important trading post. It was granted town rights in 1258, whereupon the castle lost its significance and fell into ruins.

In 1548, a fire reduced the village of Hitzacker to ashes apart from the church and one house and there was another serious fire in 1668. In the Polabian or Wendish language of the region, that died out in the 18th century, Hitzacker was known as Ljauci (Lgautztgi).

The borough of Hitzacker was formed in 1972 from ten independent parishes.

Get in
From Lüneburg, take the B 216 east towards Dannenberg and turn left at Metzingen toward Hitzacker. From Dannenberg, take the B 216 west towards Lüneburg and, just outside the town, turn right at Streetz towards Hitzacker.

Get around
Hitzacker is small enough to walk around the old town, riverside and Weinberg.

See

 * Weinberg - Hitzacker's local hill from which there are great views over the town and the River Elbe.
 * Old Town - with its quaint timber-framed houses and histories of individual houses and families on each one.
 * Deer Park - fallow deer enclosure.

Connect
There is an Internet café in the Löwen-Play Casino, Lüneburger Str. 27, open M–Sa 07:00-00:00, Su 10:00-00:00

Go next

 * Take the Hitzacker (Elbe) - Bitter Ferry across the Elbe and explore the former East German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Open daily from 09:00 - 18:00. Duration: ca. 4 minutes. Cost: adult €1.50, child (4-12) €0.80. Bikes extra.
 * Explore the Elbhöhen-Wendland Nature Park, on the many footpaths and cycleways through its forests and low morainic hills on the southwestern side of the Elbe.
 * Lüneburg with its striking medieval, brick architecture on the old Salt Road is about 50 minutes drive away.
 * Uelzen to the southwest is 40 minutes drive away.