Zittau

Zittau is in Upper Lusatia, close to the Czech and Polish borders.

Understand

In the Middle Ages Zittau was a flourishing trading town thanks to its location on the crossroads of several long-distance trading routes.

A new chapter in its history opened on May 1, 2004, when the accession of Poland and the Czech Republic into the EU meant that Zittau went from being a remote backwater in Germany to a strategically located crossroads at the heart of Europe.

Get in

By plane

The nearest airport is in Dresden (DRS ^IATA). Take S-Bahn line 2 to Dresden-Klotzsche and continue by train.

By train

Deutsche Bahn RegionalExpress 2 from Dresden to Zittau via Bischofswerda takes approximately 1½ hours. The RegionalBahn 61 takes about 2. The Ostdeutsche Eisenbahn from Cottbus and Görlitz takes 2 hours to Zittau. The Vogtlandbahn from Liberec gets to Zittau station in half an hour. Zittau's station is a 10-minute walk from the centre of town.

The Verkehrsverbund covering the area is ZVON.

By bus

There are connections from Ebersbach (Regionalbus line 51), Löbau (line 27) and Görlitz (line 21), all operated by the Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft Dreiländereck (KVG). These buses stop at the train station and at Martin-Wehnert-Platz, just South of the Green Ring.

By car

To get to Zittau from elsewherein Germany, take Bundesautobahn A4 to Bautzen-Ost and follow signs to Zittau along the 96 from there. From Poland, take the E40/A4 to Görlitz and then the 99 towards Zittau. From the Czech Republic, take the I/35 north from Liberec.

Get around

By bus

Zittau has three local bus routes, all operated by the KVG and calling at stops around the centre of town.

On foot

The centre of Zittau is compact enough to be able to reach most destinations on foot.

See

In the old town centre the Marktplatz (market square) with its Rathaus (city hall) while in the Neustadt (new town) with Marstall (royal stables) there are three fountains on the square. The Marstall was built in 1511 as a salt-house.

• 🌍 Johanniskirche, Johannispl. 1. Apr-Oct: M-Sa 10:00-18:00, Su 12:00-18:00; Nov-Mar closes at 16:00. Church in the town centre designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel in 1837, with 60-m tower. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Weberkirche (Weaver's Church), Innere Weberstraße 46. Built between 1488 and 1500, with several later alterations. (updated Jul 2017)
• St. Petri-und-Pauli-Kirche. Abbey church of the former Franciscan abbey. (updated Jul 2017)
• Former Franciscan abbey (at the Klosterplatz). The abbey church "St. Petri und Pauli" is part of the site. The buildings house the Stadt- und Kreismuseum a municipal museum, with exhibitions on local history and Dr. Curt-Heinke-Museum a mineral and geological collections. 
• Holy Cross Church Museum (Museum Kirche zum Heiligen Kreuz). This church is famous for its interesting interior decoration: pulpit, wall paintings and ledger stones. It houses the Präsentation des Zittauer Fastentuchs - The velum quadragesimale was made on 1472, is 8 m tall by 7 m wide, is decorated with 90 biblical scenes (representing the Biblical tale of creation) and used to hang in front of the altar during Lent. There's also a supposedly haunted graveyard next to the church. (updated Jul 2017)

Do

• 🌍 Tierpark Zittau. The zoo covers 7 hectares and houses 400 animals from 70 species.  
• 🌍 Weinaupark. A landscape park in English style; Tierpark Zittau is in the park.  

Buy

Eat

Budget

• 🌍 Alte Böhmische Stube, Innere Weberstraße 11, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M–Th 11:30–14:30 and 17:00–22:00; F Sa 11:30–14:30 and 17:00–23:00; Su 11:00–22:00. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Wirtshaus zum alten Sack, Neustadt 47, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Tu–Su 11:00–14:30 and 17:00–22:00. Oberlausitzer cuisine. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 1-2-Pizza, Uhlandstraße 3, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. M–F 11:00–14:00 and 17:00–21:00; Sa Su 16:30–21:00. (updated Jul 2017)

Mid-range

• 🌍 Dornspachhaus Historisches Wirtshaus + Ritterkeller, Bautzner Straße 2, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Apr–Oct daily 11:30–22:00; Nov–Mar daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–22:00. Bohemian and Silesian cuisine. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Galeriecafé Ambiente, Dr.-Brinitzer-Straße 10, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. W–M 11:00 onwards. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Restaurant Cavallino, Innere Weberstraße 6, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–22:00. Italian cuisine. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Marathon Athen, Leipziger Straße 77, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Daily 12:00–14:30 and 17:00-?. Greek cuisine. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 La Casa Veccia, Johannisstraße 4, 02763 Zittau, Germany, ☎ [phone]. Daily 11:30-22:30. Opened in May 2017 in the building that used to house the Klosterstuberl. Run by an ethnic Albanian Macedonian family. Excellent Italian food, with medieval vaults indoors and a covered garden square out the back. Child friendly, with huge pizza bambini. (updated Jul 2017)

Splurge

Drink

• 🌍 Irish Pub "The Real Ones", Neustadt 14, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Kultuhr, Karl-Liebknecht-Ring 9, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone]. Daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:00–01:00. (updated Jul 2017)

Sleep

Budget

• 🌍 Bloo Tomato, Äußere Weberstraße 71, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Near the centre of Zittau. Single from €28, double from €44. (updated Jul 2017)

Mid-range

• 🌍 Hotel Riedel, Friedensstraße 23, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Single from €53, double from €68. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Hotel und Restaurant "Schwarzer Bär", Ottokarplatz 12, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Restaurant with international menu. Single from €48, double from €61. (updated Jul 2017)

Splurge

• 🌍 Zittauer Hof, Neustadt 28, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. The hotel contains the restaurant "Essbar", haute cuisine. Single from €55, double from €75. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Dresdner Hof, Äußere Oybiner Straße 9, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. The hotel restaurant Scholek offers a fresh, modern menu with low-calorie options. Single from €53, double from €79. (updated Jul 2017)
• 🌍 Hotel und Parkhaus Dreiländereck, Bautzner Straße 9, 02763 Zittau, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. In the heart of the historical centre. Restaurant available. Single from €73, double from €95. (updated Jul 2017)

Connect

Go next

• Take a trip on the narrow-gauge railway in the Zittauer Gebirge - The narrow-gauge steam train connects Zittau to Jonsdorf and Oybin in the Zittauer Gebirge
• Löbau (25 km to the north-west) – König-Friedrich-August-Turm (tower).
• Herrnhut
• Görlitz
• Liberec