Zittau

Between three countries

Zittau: Discover unexpected cultural treasures

The historic town of Zittau is located in Upper Lusatia at the foot of the Zittau mountains where Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic meet. Its history goes back 750 years and takes visitors to a time when the town became rich and powerful through cloth trade and damask weaving. Even Zittau's greatest sights – two Medieval lenten cloths – are textiles. Culture lovers will also delight in the “Zittau Treasure”, a unique collection of elaborately designed and adorned tombstones and plaques commemorating the deceased from the 16th to 18th century which can be seen in the local monastery church.

Zittau’s fully preserved historic town centre is a treasure in itself. The market square is dominated by a magnificent town hall in the style of an Italian palace featuring a beautiful council hall and the church of St. Johannis with its 60-metre-high tower for excellent views. Further architectural highlights are the mighty Zittau Salt House, an armoury, horse stable and storehouse from the 16th century, Baroque fountains and the Fleischerbastei, one of the town’s old fortifications.

48 hours in Zittau

Take a look at the most beautiful sights, things to do and insider tips for a long weekend in Zittau. We definitely recommend a ride on the local narrow-gauge railway to Oybin!

„The best education is found by a clever person when travelling.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer (1749-1832) -

Our insider tips

  • Fleischerbastei and Zittau Mountains: Be sure to visit the Fleischerbastei fortification with its a clock made of real flowers featuring a Meissen porcelain glockenspiel. For a scenic train ride, hop on the local narrow-gauge railway winding its ways to the Zittau Mountains.

  • Zittau Epitaphs Treasure: This large collection of richly adorned epitaphs and plaques is impressively displayed in the former Monastery Church, now part of the Municipal Museum. It provides an insight into the beliefs of Zittau's Protestant-Lutheran citizens at the time of the Reformation.

  • The  "Small Zittau Lenten Cloth",  on display in the town’s Franciscan monastery, is one of only eight of this type worldwide.

     

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