The coordination polymers [Ln(β-dik)3bpy]∞1·C7H8 (Ln=Eu, β-dik=dbm, tta, hfac; Ln=Tb; β-dik=dbm; Hdbm=dibenzoylmethane, Htta=thenoyltrifluoroacetone, Hhfac: hexafluoroacetylacetone) were easily assembled in mild conditions and high yields starting from the anhydrous lanthanide β-diketonates as nodes and 4,4′-bipyridine (bpy) as connector. X-ray single crystal studies have shown zigzag extended chains where lanthanide centres are 8-coordinated in a distorted square-antiprismatic geometry. Photoluminescence studies show bright red europium emission and spectral features dependent on the topology of the polymeric chains.