The new town hall

Uelzen is a town or about 34,000 (2022) in northeast Lower Saxony and also the county town of Uelzen county. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region and also a Hanseatic town in its own right.

Uelzen is a picturesque place with pretty, timber-framed buildings as well as some impressive examples of North German brick Gothic architecture. The town's fame grew considerably in 2000, when Viennese artist and architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, was commissioned to redesign its station. The result was the striking "Hundertwasser Station" which has since become a tourist magnet.

Understand

Until 17 April 1945 a Nazi concentration camp was established in Uelzen. The camp was a subcamp of the Neuengamme concentration camp.

Get in

By road

Uelzen lies on the intersection of the B 71, B 191 and B 4 federal roads. The nearest motorway is the A7. Take the Soltau-Ost exit and follow the B 71 east for about 52 km to Uelzen.

By rail

Uelzen is on the main Hanover to Hamburg railway. There are also regional services to Soltau, Brunswick and Magdeburg.

See

Hundertwasserbahnhof

• Hundertwasser station (Hundertwasserbahnhof). The Hundertwasserbahnhof is a railway station in Uelzen that was renovated for Expo 2000 to an unusual and strikingly coloured design by Austrian artist and architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, having been heavily damaged in the Second World War. An "environmentally, culturally oriented" station, Uelzen railway station was renamed "Hundertwasser Station, Uelzen" (Hundertwasser-Bahnhof Uelzen). Today it is one of the town's popular tourist attractions. If you arrive by train it will also naturally be one of the first things you see of Uelzen 
• Holdenstedt Castle, Museum and Water Mill (Museum Schloss Holdenstedt), Schlossstraße 4, ☏ +49 581-6037. Located in the quarter of Holdenstedt, the Castle Museum houses the town's local history museum. Permanent exhibitions include furniture from the Middle Ages to art nouveau, a glass collection, works by the animal painter, Georg Wolf, and archaeological finds from the local area. Holdenstedt Castle was the seat of a noble family and was built at the beginning of the 18th century on the site of an earlier castle, but has been modified several times. In the water mill, not far from the Holdenstedt Castle Museum, are the exhibition rooms for the Uelzen Local History Museum's archaeological division. 
• Oldenstadt Abbey Church (Klosterkirche Oldenstadt). Oldenstadt Abbey Church is the surviving portion of a Benedictine Abbey that was built in the 12th century. It was made from boulders in a Romanesque style and was the abbey church for Benedictine monks. 
• Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus), Veerßer Str. 2. The old town hall was built in 1347 but completely modified in 1789/90. It houses the oldest existing wine cellar in central Europe. 

Do

• 1 Hösseringen Museum Village (Museumsdorf Hösseringen), Landtagsplatz 2 - 29556 Suderburg (Drive to Suderburg, SW of Uelzen, then follow signs to Hösseringen and pick up the Museumsdorf signs. If using satnav, ensure it follows this route or you may find yourself driving along cycle tracks!), ☏ +49 5826 1774. 13 Mar-31 Oct: Tu-Su and M (public holiday) 10:30-17:30. A museum village in the midst of the Lüneburg Heath on the site of medieval provincial parliaments for the old Principality of Lüneburg. The open-air museum has 27 historic buildings from the Heath that have been carefully transported and restored to recreate the atmosphere of an old heath village. The museum has a selection of farmhouses, workshops, stables, agricultural implements and rural exhibitions. You can get a feel for farming life in the area in former times. There are herb and vegetable gardens as well as a village pond, complete with farmyard animals and moorland sheep (Heidschnucken). In addition there are farmer's fields, a village smithy, beehives and a wheelwright's. An interesting and educational day out. Hösseringer Hof country pub by the entrance. Adults: €4.50, children €1. 

Eat

• Asado Steakhouse, Bahnhofstraße 1 (downtown), ☏ +49 581-745 00. Many happy customers have visited this restaurant and it is very highly rated for the food and service. 
• Holdenstedter Hof, Holdenstedter Str. 64, ☏ +49 581 97637-0. A low priced restaurant ideal for the visitor. 
• Hösseringer Hof, Heerstraße 14, 29556 Hösseringen, Suderburg, ☏ +49 5826 7504. The Hösseringer Hof is a family-run country pub and the oldest in the village (estb 1802) of Hösseringen. Caters for weddings and other events. 
• Das Haus am Landtagsplatz, Am Landtagsplatz 1, 29556 Suderburg/Hösseringen (By the Hösseringen Museum Village. approach from Suderburg and Hösseringen only.), ☏ +49 58 26 - 75 93. Jan-Feb: W-Su 12:00-21:00, Mar: Tu-Su 10:300-21:00. Closed 1-6 Nov. Pleasant country inn serving regional and traditional dishes, just by the entrance to the Hösseringen Museum Village south of Hösseringen. Enjoy coffee and cakes in the outside cafe or meals in the restaurant inside. Caters for weddings and other functions. Mid-price. 

Drink

• Alcatraz Restaurant Cafe/Bar, Mühlenstr. 9, ☏ +49 581 973 55700. 

Sleep

• Meyers-Gasthaus, Hanstedter Str. 4, ☏ +49 5804-975-0. Traditional family-run guest house that specialises in regional and seasonal cuisine and in fresh produce from the Heath and surrounding area.House beers are Wittinger Premium and Stackmann's Dunkel, two beers from the Wittingen private brewery. Hotel has 40 beds; half and full board available. 70 seat restaurant. mid-price. 
• Akzent Hotel Deutsche Eiche, Soltauer Straße 14 (in the suburb of Veerßen), ☏ +49 581 90 55-0. Check-in: 1500-0000, check-out: 1200. A medium-sized, 36 room, 3 star hotel in the Uelzen suburb of Veerßen. Restaurant menu looks interesting but expect to pay up to around €50 including wine. Relatively cheap rooms ranging from €69 for a single to €88 for a Double/Twin. 

Go next

• Bad Bevensen
• Munster (Lower Saxony)
• Celle