Lüchow-Dannenberg

Lüchow-Dannenberg is a Kreis (district) in the northeastern part of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western banks of the Elbe river. Area 1220 km², population 52,100 (2001). The district's capital is Lüchow.

The district is named for the two main towns. It is better known as the Wendland, a designation referring to the slavic people of the Wends, who lived there till XVIII century - the last known user of the local dialect of Polabian language died in 1752. The landscape is characterised by riverside woodlands along the Elbe river and a hilly countryside.

In addition the Wendland is known for the tiny village of Gorleben, where a disposal place for radioactive waste was established. Gorleben is a site of clashes between the police and protesters since the 1980s.

Towns in Lüchow-Dannenberg: Lüchow, Dannenberg, Hitzacker, Gartow, Clenze.