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.

By plane
The nearest airport is in Dresden. 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-West 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.

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.



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