Discover Lauchhammer

Lauchhammer combines a distinctive industrial history with architectural heritage, a Baroque-style palace park and a bathing lake set in woodland. The town’s history is reflected in very different themes: a church built around 1200, an exceptional foundry achievement in the 18th century, and the bio towers, remnants of what was once a vast coking plant. There is also the “Grünewalder Lauch,” a natural recreational area.

Church, Foundry and Town History

The Nikolaikirche in Lauchhammer-Mitte was built around 1200. Another landmark year is 1784: that was when life-size hollow iron figures were successfully cast in Lauchhammer. No other foundry anywhere in the world had achieved this before. The scale and material make this casting a notable chapter in the town’s industrial history. The church and the foundry achievement represent different subjects and eras: sacred architectural history on the one hand, and craft and industrial innovation on the other.

Palace Park with Historic Buildings

Lauchhammer-West Palace Park is laid out in the Baroque style and planted with exotic trees arranged individually and in groups. Its oldest features also tell the story of the estate: these include the palace church, the Cavalier House and the orangery in the palace courtyard, as well as the forester’s lodge in the northern part of the park. The park’s design and an ensemble of historic buildings can thus be appreciated together.

Tour and Industrial Heritage

The Freifrau-von-Löwendal Tour follows a historic trail through Lauchhammer. It shares information about the Freifrau’s life and work, as well as the town’s history, connecting an individual biography with the town’s broader historical context. The protected collection at the Lauchhammer Art Foundry Museum is housed in a former school building right next to a foundry that is still in operation. The building’s former use as a school and today’s foundry operations are distinct aspects of the site alongside the collection.

The Lauchhammer bio towers are remnants of what was once a vast coking plant, described as the first of its kind in the world. An audio guide about the bio towers can be listened to on site or at home using the free “Hearonymus” smartphone app. Check the app’s availability in advance if you plan to rely on it.

Bathing Lake and Woodland

The “Grünewalder Lauch” recreational area has a bathing lake surrounded by pine and mixed forests. It invites visitors to relax and unwind in a natural setting. Alongside the area’s historical and architectural attractions, the landscape offers another focus: a visit can be centered as much on relaxing by the lake as on discovering the town’s history and industrial heritage.

Oberspreewald-Lausitz as a Regional Setting

The wider destination of Oberspreewald-Lausitz offers further opportunities to enjoy the landscape and be active. The district has hiking routes ranging from 4 to 32 km. Cycling routes from 40 km long include self-guided or guided multi-day tours, with good places to rest and eat. More than 580 km of signposted cycling routes connect the regions between the Spreewald and the Kmehlener Berge, and link southern Brandenburg with Saxony and northern Brandenburg. In the south of the district, former open-cast mines are being flooded to create a waterscape with more than 20 artificial lakes: the Lusatian Lake District. Culture is also part of this regional setting: the historic old town of Lübbenau/Spreewald includes a Neoclassical palace ensemble.

These highlights can help guide your onward travel planning without combining the different places and activities into a fixed route.

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