Görlitz: Renaissance, Towers and Experiences on the Neisse

Old Town and Trading History

Untermarkt is considered the historic heart of Görlitz. Magnificent burghers’ houses from the Renaissance and Baroque periods surround the square; it is also part of an Old Town with around 4,000 historic monuments, considered one of the best-preserved historic ensembles in Central Europe. For anyone interested in architectural history, it is a good starting point for exploring the city’s different eras.

Görlitz owes its still-visible wealth and exceptional splendour to its location on the Via Regia. This historic trade route once connected the trading regions between Thuringia and Saxony in the west and Silesia, Bohemia and Poland in the east. This history gives the preserved architecture a broader context: the city can be explored not only through individual buildings, but also through its role on a European trade route.

Renaissance, Churches and City History

The Schönhof was rebuilt in the Renaissance style after a city fire in 1526. Today it is the main building of the Silesian Museum in Görlitz and is one of the oldest Renaissance buildings north of the Alps. The building brings together the history of reconstruction, architecture and its role as a museum.

The Holy Sepulchre is a distinctive focus of sacred architectural history. Built between 1481 and 1504, it comprises the Chapel of the Tomb, the Chapel of the Anointing and the Adam Chapel. The complex is considered a unique replica of the holy sites of Jerusalem and the oldest surviving structure of its kind north of the Alps.

Towers and churches also offer different ways to explore the city’s history. 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 Nikolai Tower, Görlitz’s oldest surviving city tower, houses a small exhibition on the city’s history. A museum in the Reichenbach Tower explores the history of the city and its towers; it also has an observation platform. The Nikolai Cemetery, meanwhile, brings art to life outdoors with tombs from the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical periods.

Urban Green Spaces, Wildlife and the Neisse

For a contrast to the stone-built landmarks of the Old Town, visit Görlitz City Park. Laid out in the 19th century, it combines extensive meadows, mature trees and walking paths in the heart of the city. Another way to explore nature is the vivarium at the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz: covering 100 square metres, it displays around 70 animal species in twelve elaborately designed landscape enclosures.

The museum’s live-animal area includes a feeding demonstration, held on the first Thursday of every month at 4 p.m.; admission is included in the museum ticket. As this is a regular monthly event, it is worth checking the current calendar before your visit. In the summer months, you can also explore the Neisse Valley from the water on boat and paddling tours. Enjoy a new perspective on Görlitz and the natural landscape along the river; check whether tours are running for the season before making plans.

Plan Experiences and Routes

The free “Walk of Görliwood®” SmartGuide app takes you from filming location to filming location on an individual tour through the entire city of Görlitz. If you want to use this self-guided city tour, check that the app is available before your trip. ViaThea, the street arts festival, is one of the regular highlights of Görlitz’s cultural calendar. For your specific travel plans, check the dates and programme again.

The Landskron Brewery offers tours of the historic brewery followed by a tasting. As tour availability and booking requirements may change, it is advisable to check in advance. This lets you plan the experience around your stay rather than assume it is always available.

The Old Town Bridge is a pedestrian bridge over the Neisse. Since 2004, it has once again connected Görlitz with its Polish twin town of Zgorzelec, allowing people to cross the border on foot. Other routes head in different directions and to different destinations: the Oder–Neisse Cycle Route runs south from Görlitz to Lake Berzdorf. The RB65 runs 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. Check the timetable before departure and the current route conditions before a cycling trip.

Choose accommodation to suit your own itinerary. This way, you can select your base with the activities you actually want to enjoy in mind.

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

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