Lüneburg lies on the Ilmenau River, a tributary of the Elbe, and in an area rich in salt deposts. Henry the Lion granted city status in 1189 and with it the monopoly for the extraction of salt in northern Germany. The salt was in demand for preserving Baltic fish, and Lüneburg prospered, becoming an early member of the Hansa. The Salzstraße was originally an overland route but the Stecknitz Canal was opened in 1398, allowing transport by Kogge.
The Hansestadt Lüneburg was built on the salt trade, as the “white gold” was mined nearby; salt was a fundamental commodity of the Hansa trade as it was needed to preserve the fish traded all over the Baltic. The Old Salt Route led from Lüneburg to Lübeck, crossing the Elbe at Launenburg (top left picture). From 1398 the Stecknitz Canal, between the Elbe and the Trave rivers passing via Mölln (bottom right), facilitated transport by water to Lübeck. The canal was replaced in 1900 by the Elbe-Lübeck Canal, which followed a similar route. (Thanks again to Claus).
