Nicknamed the “Pearl of Lower Lusatia”, Luckau is a picturesque town south of Berlin. It was first mentioned in 1276 and was fortified by the Swedish during the Thirty Years’ War before being ceded to Prussia in 1815. Today, Luckau lies on the edge of the Niederlausitzer Landrücken Nature Park, a former coal mining area that provides habitat for local wildlife.
Things to do in Luckau
Stroll through Luckau to admire the twin-towered Church of St. Nicholas, which was built according to a Gothic design in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. Its interior is richly decorated in a Baroque style and features a 17th-century organ from Leipzig. Coincide your visit with a musical performance to see the organ’s angels come to life.
Nearby is the Kulturkirche Luckau, a former Catholic monastery that has been transformed into a cultural centre. It houses the Lower Lusatia Museum where you can learn about the region’s agricultural and industrial past, with a highlight of the collection being a copper warming pan used by Napoleon. The Kulturkirche is also home to a tourist information centre and regularly hosts cultural events.
Luckau’s main marketplace is framed by beautiful Baroque dwellings, some of which feature decorative stucco work by Italian masters. Wander along the remains of the town’s 13th-century walls and stop to take in the Neoclassical-style town hall. Not to miss is the beautiful Chapel of St. George with its soaring Hausmann Tower.
Getting around Luckau
Luckau is around an hour’s drive from Berlin and 45 minutes from Berlin Brandenburg Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Regular buses connect to Luckau while the closest railway station is around 10 minutes away at Luckau-Uckro. The centre of Luckau is small enough to explore on foot.