Görlitz
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Get in
By plane
The closest airport is in Dresden (DRS) (25 minutes from Dresden main station by S-Bahn); however, the connections are limited. Other international airports are in Leipzig/Halle (LEJ)(situated near the town of Schkeuditz, some 20 minutes by S-Bahn from Leipzig main station), Berlin and Wrocław (Poland). It takes between three and four hours (with at least one change) to get from Berlin to Görlitz and two to three hours (direct trains available) to get from Wrocław to Görlitz.By train
From the west
The city of Dresden is a hub in train transport in eastern Saxony. Regional trains run frequently and take around one hour. The Sachsen Ticket costs around €24 (plus €3 per additional person in your group) and is valid on all regional trains and trams in Görlitz and Leipzig, but not Dresden.From the north
You can get to Görlitz using regional trains from Cottbus, which has a connection to Berlin.From the east
There are several connections daily from Görlitz and more frequent connections from the Polish twin city Zgorzelec to Wrocław. Polish trains also now stop at Görlitz Hauptbahnhof.From the south
There is a regional line connecting Görlitz and Zittau at the Czech/Polish/German border, sometimes this train also connects to Liberec in the Czech Republic.By car
East-west axis
Görlitz is situated on the European Route E40, which in Germany is called motorway A4, coming from Cologne via Chemnitz and Dresden. This motorway connects to Wrocław and Katowice on the Polish side of the border.From the north
Görlitz can be accessed via federal highway (Bundesstraße) B115 from Cottbus, which connects to Berlin. However, passing through many small villages you have to factor in a substantial amount of time.Get around
On foot
You are most likely to stay in the old town and city centre for most of your stay. These areas are sufficiently confined and you should be fine walking.By tram
Two tram lines connect the suburbs with the city centre. The outer regions of the suburbs are from the city centre. A tram ride there takes about 15 min. Single fare for adults is €1.40, a day ticket is €3 (2014). Validate your ticket as soon as you board the tram. The tram does not cross the Neiße.Görlitz is part of ZVON, a regional transport network. All ZVON tickets from other cities and regional trains, which cover the fare zone of Görlitz are valid there too, as is the Sachsen-Ticket.
By bus
Suburbs that are not covered by trams can be reached on local buses.The tickets you buy for trams are also valid on buses. Validate your ticket as soon as you board the bus.
See
After German unification most of the buildings were renovated. This makes Görlitz a unique heritage city with several thousands of listed buildings. Simply stroll around the town and enjoy the atmosphere.
St. Peter and Paul ChurchA spectacular Gothic church from the end of 15th century.
- Schönof - One example of this rich architectural heritage, the Schönof is one the oldest civic renaissance buildings in Germany.
- The marker of the 15th meridian (which defines the Central European time)
Do
- Visit the Silesia Museum - a museum dedicated to the history of Silesia.
- Walk along the Neisse (pol. Nysa) river bank and enjoy the view of the older buildings and the abundant nature.
- Tour the cathedral and the main street in the Old Town.
- Take a stroll across the Neisse River into Poland using the new pedestrian footbridge and get a different perspective of the old town from a distance.
- Walk up the Landeskrone Mountain. Landeskrone is roughly 200 m above city level, and the walk up is about one hour from the tram station in Biesnitz (tram-line #2 from city centre). Nice weather provided it makes for a good afternoon stroll.
- visit the new lake on the southern limits of town. This lake has been made in the recent years to rehabilitate an open-pit coal mine, that has been closed in the early 1990s.
Buy
- Souvenirs from various Silesian themed souvenir shops in the old town. You will frequently find porcelain with a distinctive pattern. This porcelain is known as "Bunzlauer Keramik" (ceramika bolesławiecka), named after the German name of the city Bolesławiec in Poland.
- Antiquarian booksellers in the Old Town always have nice bargains. The number of foreign-language books is limited, though.
- Bring a bottle of the local beer. It is called Landskron, after the mountain close by. It is (by virtue of Görlitz being Germany's easternmost town) Germany's easternmost brewery.
Eat
There are some very nice restaurants in the Old Town. Compared to bigger cities like Dresden or Berlin, eating out in Görlitz is rather cheap. The cuisine served, is mostly the local Saxonian or Silesian cuisine, which traditionally involves meat, gravy and potatoes. Try a Silesian dish called 'Silesian Kingdom of Heaven' ('Schlesisches Himmelreich'), a dish of pork cooked in plum gravy.
Some nice restaurants in the Old Town:
Some nice restaurants in the Old Town:
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phone: +49 3581 406661address: Hotherstraße 20
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Zur Goldenen Sonne
address: Demianiplatz 54 -
phone: +49 3581 411657address: Obermarkt 18
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phone: +49 3581 400697address: Langenstraße 1
Drink
Beer
Germany is known for its long tradition of brewing beer, and Görlitz and eastern Saxony is no exception. There is a brewery in Görlitz, called the Landskron Brauerei (ultimately owned by Carlsberg). Eibau is another local brewery, about 20 km away.The main product of the Landskron Brewery is a pilsner. Pilsner can be compared to what is known as lager outside of Germany, however, this type is stronger and has a more distinctive hop taste.
The brewery also produces seasonal beers, for example "Maibock", a beer that is only sold in spring and is stronger than normal pilsners.
Other pilsners well known in the area are Radeberger or Freiberger, which are from breweries close to Dresden.
The Eibau brewery some 20 km from Görlitz is best known for its dark beer. Dark beers are different from pilsners: they use roasted malt which gives the beer a deep, dark colour and a distinctive taste.
Another dark beer well known in the area is from the Köstritzer brewery, which is located in Thuringia, some 400 km west of Görlitz.
Sleep
Budget
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Backpackers hostel Eol777 Görlitz
phone: +49 15257196915address: Bahnhofstr 1aOnly backpacker hostel in town: cheap, cozy, clean and friendly.
Mid-range
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phone: +49 3581 423980address: Büttnerstr. 13, 02826 Görlitz
Splurge
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phone: +49 3581-6620address: Uferstr. 17f
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phone: +49 3581 47310address: Peterstr. 8, 02826 Görlitz
Go next
- Bolesławiec in Poland
- Bautzen
- Dresden
- Herrnhut
- Jelenia Góra in Poland
- Meißen
- Pirna
- Saxon Switzerland
- Zittau