Zittau

Germany

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

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.

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.
  • Weberkirche, Innere Weberstraße 46. Built between 1488 and 1500, with several later alterations.
  • St. Petri-und-Pauli-Kirche. Abbey church of the former Franciscan abbey.
  • Former Franciscan abbey. 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. 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.

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.

Weberkirche, Innere Weberstraße 46. Built between 1488 and 1500, with several later alterations.

St. Petri-und-Pauli-Kirche. Abbey church of the former Franciscan abbey.

Former Franciscan abbey. 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. 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.

  • 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.

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.

  • Alte Böhmische Stube, Innere Weberstraße 11, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 6197737. 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.
  • Wirtshaus zum alten Sack, Neustadt 47, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 540459. Tu–Su 11:00–14:30 and 17:00–22:00. Oberlausitzer cuisine.
  • 1-2-Pizza, Uhlandstraße 3, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 795106. M–F 11:00–14:00 and 17:00–21:00; Sa Su 16:30–21:00.

Alte Böhmische Stube, Innere Weberstraße 11, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 6197737. 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.

Wirtshaus zum alten Sack, Neustadt 47, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 540459. Tu–Su 11:00–14:30 and 17:00–22:00. Oberlausitzer cuisine.

1-2-Pizza, Uhlandstraße 3, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 795106. M–F 11:00–14:00 and 17:00–21:00; Sa Su 16:30–21:00.

  • Dornspachhaus Historisches Wirtshaus + Ritterkeller, Bautzner Straße 2, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 795883. Apr–Oct daily 11:30–22:00; Nov–Mar daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–22:00. Bohemian and Silesian cuisine.
  • Galeriecafé Ambiente, Dr.-Brinitzer-Straße 10, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 514491. W–M 11:00 onwards.
  • Restaurant Cavallino, Innere Weberstraße 6, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 510148. Daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–22:00. Italian cuisine.
  • Marathon Athen, Leipziger Straße 77, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 706360. Daily 12:00–14:30 and 17:00-?. Greek cuisine.
  • La Casa Veccia, Johannisstraße 4, 02763 Zittau, Germany, +49 3583 5172777. 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.

Dornspachhaus Historisches Wirtshaus + Ritterkeller, Bautzner Straße 2, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 795883. Apr–Oct daily 11:30–22:00; Nov–Mar daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–22:00. Bohemian and Silesian cuisine.

Galeriecafé Ambiente, Dr.-Brinitzer-Straße 10, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 514491. W–M 11:00 onwards.

Restaurant Cavallino, Innere Weberstraße 6, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 510148. Daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–22:00. Italian cuisine.

Marathon Athen, Leipziger Straße 77, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 706360. Daily 12:00–14:30 and 17:00-?. Greek cuisine.

La Casa Veccia, Johannisstraße 4, 02763 Zittau, Germany, +49 3583 5172777. 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.

  • Irish Pub "The Real Ones", Neustadt 14, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 793900.
  • Kultuhr, Karl-Liebknecht-Ring 9, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 700479. Daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:00–01:00.

Irish Pub "The Real Ones", Neustadt 14, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 793900.

Kultuhr, Karl-Liebknecht-Ring 9, 02763 Zittau, +49 3583 700479. Daily 11:30–14:00 and 17:00–01:00.

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).