Lauenburg: Town Walls, River and Culture

Medieval Traces in the Town

Lębork’s well-preserved medieval town walls are among its notable historic structures. They were built from 1341 to around 1363 and originally measured 1,220 metres in length. One surviving corner tower is the Baszta Bluszczowa, built around 1363 during construction of the town’s fortifications. Reconstructions of medieval clothing and weapons, everyday objects, products from disappearing crafts, and artworks by local artists from earlier centuries are displayed in reconstructed medieval towers No. 24 on ul. Derdowskiego and No. 27 on ul. Basztowa.

The former outer bailey site also brings together buildings from different centuries: it contains a mill from the 14th or 15th century, the so-called Miller’s House from the 19th century, and a salt storehouse from the 16th century. Their different construction periods give this part of town its own historical focus. Those interested in architectural history can consider these buildings alongside the medieval fortifications, while keeping their different periods distinct.

Museum, Town Hall and Churches

The Muzeum w Lęborku presents collections on the history of the town and region, old art, archaeology and ethnography. A 3D film focuses on Lębork’s medieval defensive system. The museum thus offers another way to explore the town walls and towers: alongside the surviving structures, it also covers the history and objects of the town and region.

Another period of the town’s history is reflected in the architecture around the turn of the 20th century. The townhouses on ul. Staromiejska and ul. M. Reja are designed in eclectic and Art Nouveau styles. The town hall was built in 1900 in the Neo-Gothic style. Its stately council chamber contains stained-glass windows depicting the coats of arms of the local nobility. The NMP Królowej Polski church dates from 1870, is Neo-Gothic and was formerly Protestant. The Sanktuarium św. Jakuba Apostoła is a Gothic fortified church. It is believed to date from the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries; the year 1345 is also cited, but is not certain.

River Landscape and Walking Routes

Lębork lies in the Łeba–Reda proglacial valley. To the south it borders the Kashubian Lake District and to the north the Żarnowiec Plateau. Partly wooded moraine slopes with strongly undulating terrain surround the town to the north and south. The Łeba flows through Lębork. Those who want to take the landscape into account when planning their trip, as well as the town’s historic sights, will find a clear contrast between the buildings in town and the surrounding landforms.

The Trasa średniowiecznego Lęborka is a walking route that begins at the intersection of ul. Staromiejska and ul. Skłodowskiej and continues along the medieval town walls. This makes the fortifications a defining feature of the route. The Trasa Paula Nipkowa offers another way to find your bearings: television-shaped signs on buildings and at locations point to their connection with Paul Nipkow; small signs on posts and trees show the way between them.

Views and a longer religious route offer other ways to experience Lębork. The viewing platform of the Wieża Ciśnień offers views of the town and surrounding landscape. The Lębork–Łeba section of the Pomorskiej Droga św. Jakuba begins at the Sanktuarium św. Jakuba Apostoła in Lębork and connects the apostolic sanctuaries in Lębork and Łeba. Those interested in this route can choose between a stay focused on the town’s history and exploring a section of the Way of St. James.

More Places to Explore

More places to discover: Lebork, Wicko, Dymnica, Roszczyce, Łeba, Poraj, Żarnowska, Sarbsk, Lędziechowo, Łebień and Bukowina.

For the broader travel overview: Pomerania.