New lanthanide complexes of 3-hydroxypicolinic acid (HpicOH) were prepared: [Ln(H 2 O)-(picOH) 2 (µ-HpicO)]‚3H 2 O (Ln ) Eu, Tb, Er). The complexes were characterized using photoluminescence, infrared, Raman, and 1 H NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The crystal structure of [Eu(H 2 O)(picOH) 2 (µ-HpicO)]‚3H 2 O 1 was determined by X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 crystallizes in a monoclinic system with space group P2 1 /c and cell parameters a ) 9.105(13) Å, b ) 18.796(25) Å, and c ) 13.531(17) Å, and ) 104.86(1) deg. The 3-hydroxypicolinate ligands coordinate through both N,O-or O,O-chelation to the lanthanide ions, as shown by X-ray and spectroscopic results. Photoluminescence measurements were performed for the Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes; the Eu(III) complex was investigated in more detail. The Eu(III) compound is highly luminescent and acts as a photoactive center in nanocomposite materials whose host matrixes are silica nanoparticles.