Görlitz: Renaissance, Towers and the Neisse

Discover the Old Town and its architectural history

The city’s historic wealth is linked to its location on the Via Regia. This European trade route once connected the trading regions of Thuringia and Saxony in the west with Silesia, Bohemia and Poland in the east. One of the Old Town’s most distinctive spots is Untermarkt, where Renaissance and Baroque townhouses surround this historic centre. Schönhof, rebuilt in the Renaissance style after a city fire in 1526, is the main building of the Silesian Museum in Görlitz and one of the oldest Renaissance buildings north of the Alps.

Religious buildings offer further ways to explore the city’s history. The Holy Sepulchre was built between 1481 and 1504 and comprises the Chapel of the Sepulchre, the Chapel of the Anointing and the Chapel of Adam. It is considered a unique replica of the holy sites of Jerusalem and the oldest surviving structure of its kind north of the Alps. St Peter’s Church is Saxony’s largest hall church and a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Its Sun Organ was built by Eugenio Casparini towards the end of the 17th century and can imitate birdsong.

The city’s history can also be explored through its towers and places of remembrance: the oldest surviving city tower, Nikolai Tower, houses a small exhibition on Görlitz’s history. Reichenbach Tower contains a museum about the history of the city and its towers, as well as an observation platform. At Nikolai Cemetery, ornate Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical tombs form an open-air art museum. These varied places make Görlitz an appealing destination if you would like to explore several historical periods during your trip.

City walks, the river and nature

The free “Walk of Görliwood®” takes you from one filming location to another throughout the city, at your own pace using the SmartGuide app. It offers a distinctive perspective on Görlitz and can be explored as a city-based theme alongside its architectural history. If you would rather spend time on the water, you can explore the Neisse Valley on boating and paddling trips during the summer months. Visitors can experience Görlitz from a new perspective and admire the natural riverside landscape from the water.

The city park was laid out in the 19th century. Expansive lawns, mature trees and walking paths define this green side of Görlitz in the heart of the city. The Oder-Neisse Cycle Route offers another way to explore the surrounding area on a tour: it runs south from Görlitz to Lake Berzdorf.

Getting around and special experiences

For travel around the region, the RB65 serves a route from Görlitz via Görlitz/Weinhübel and Hagenwerder to Ostritz and Zittau. Line E runs from Görlitz-Weinhübel via Deutsch Ossig, Hagenwerder Bahnhof, Hagenwerder Ort, Sportzentrum and Tauchritz/West to the Blaue Lagune. The Old Town Bridge, meanwhile, is a pedestrian bridge over the Neisse. Since 2004, it has once again connected Görlitz with its Polish sister city of Zgorzelec, allowing pedestrians to cross the border.

A look at what the city has to offer brings culture together with other interests: ViaThea, the street arts festival, is a regular highlight in Görlitz’s cultural calendar. The Landskron Brewery offers tours of its historic brewery followed by a tasting. In the live animal area of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, a public feeding takes place on the first Thursday of every month at 4 p.m.; admission is included in the museum ticket. The museum’s vivarium features around 70 animal species in twelve elaborately designed landscape enclosures covering an area of 100 m².

This gives you several themes to consider when planning your trip, rather than a single sightseeing itinerary: historic architecture and city museums, nature in the city park and along the river, a cycling tour, or insights into brewing and wildlife. A holiday apartment in Görlitz may be a good option if you want to explore the city as a base for your own interests.

Discover more places

For further orientation in the area: Mücka, Rietschen, Rosenbach, Gablenz, Kottmar, Vierkirchen, Bernstadt Auf Dem Eigen, Königshain, Seifhennersdorf, Oderwitz, Trebendorf, Markersdorf, Schleife, Schönau-Berzdorf Auf Dem Eigen, Schöpstal, Waldhufen, Weißkeißel, Dürrhennersdorf, Groß Düben, Großschweidnitz, Hohendubrau, Kodersdorf, Kreba-Neudorf, Lawalde, Ostritz, Schönbach, Weißwasser/Oberlausitz, Oybin, Horka, Quitzdorf am See, Krauschwitz, Neusalza-Spremberg, Oppach, Hähnichen, Boxberg/Oberlausitz, Niesky, Herrnhut, Mittelherwigsdorf, Bertsdorf-Hörnitz, Neißeaue, Hainewalde, Leutersdorf, Rothenburg/Oberlausitz, Beiersdorf, Großhennersdorf, Bad Muskau, Ebersbach-Neugersdorf, Grossschönau, Jonsdorf, Görlitz, Zittau, Reichenbach/Oberlausitz and Olbersdorf.

For the broader travel overview: Saxony.