Lauchhammer: Iron Art Casting, Biotowers and Palace Park

Lauchhammer combines cultural and industrial history with parkland and waterside recreation. St Nicholas’ Church in Lauchhammer-Mitte, the palace park and the biotowers represent different sides of the town; the “Grünewalder Lauch” recreation area adds a swimming lake surrounded by woodland. If you’re looking for a hotel, this range of themes can help you decide whether to focus your stay on history, iron art casting or nature.

Foundry history and iron art casting

St Nicholas’ Church in Lauchhammer-Mitte was built around 1200. Another historical highlight is cast iron art: in 1784, Lauchhammer succeeded in producing life-size hollow figures from iron; no other foundry anywhere in the world had achieved this before. The church and industrial production thus represent periods of local history separated by a considerable span of time.

The collection at the Lauchhammer Iron Art Casting Museum is a listed heritage site and is housed in a former school building directly next to a still-operating foundry. The building’s former use and the foundry’s immediate proximity give this museum a special connection to local iron art casting.

Palace park and historic buildings

Lauchhammer-West Palace Park is laid out in the Baroque style and planted with exotic trees arranged individually and in groups. Among the park’s oldest features are 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 thus brings together Baroque design, exotic planting and historic buildings in one place.

Biotowers and audio guide

The Lauchhammer biotowers are remnants of a once-vast coking plant, described as the first of its kind in the world. An audio guide about the biotowers can be heard on site or at home using the free “Hearonymus” smartphone app. Check that the app is available in advance if you’re planning to use the audio guide.

Swimming lake and nature

The “Grünewalder Lauch” recreation area includes a swimming lake nestled among pine and mixed forests, inviting visitors to relax and unwind in natural surroundings. For travelers who want to make nature and water the focus of their trip, it offers a different theme from the historic buildings and industrial heritage.

In the wider travel destination of Oberspreewald-Lausitz

Oberspreewald-Lausitz district has hiking routes ranging from 4 to 32 km in length. Cycle routes start at 40 km; individual or guided multi-day tours with good places to rest and eat are also available. More than 580 km of signposted cycle routes connect the regions between the Spreewald and the Kmehlener Berge, as well as linking southern Brandenburg with Saxony and northern Brandenburg. In the south of the district, the flooding of former open-pit mines is creating a waterscape with more than 20 artificial lakes: the Lusatian Lake District.

The historic old town of Lübbenau/Spreewald also features a Neoclassical palace ensemble. Together with the Baroque-style Lauchhammer-West Palace Park, it offers architecture enthusiasts two different design styles within the wider travel destination of Oberspreewald-Lausitz.

Discover more destinations: Lübbenau/Spreewald, Luckaitztal, Kroppen, Senftenberg, Calau, Hohenbocka, Schwarzbach, Hermsdorf

View the wider travel overview: Oberspreewald-Lausitz.