castle
Czocha Castle
A turreted medieval castle above a reservoir near the German border, full of secret passages and legends.
26 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeGermany
Görlitz
Germany · Europe
About Görlitz
Görlitz is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Łagów, 55km from Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
Görlitz is in Germany. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Łagów, about 4 km away.
Görlitz ([ˈɡœʁlɪts] ; East Lusatian: Gerlz, Gerltz, Gerltsch; Upper Sorbian: Zhorjelc [ˈzhɔʁʲɛlts] ) is a town in Saxony, Germany. It is on the river Lusatian Neisse and is the largest town in Upper Lusatia, the second-largest town in the region of Lusatia after Cottbus, and the largest town in the German part of theRead more
region of Silesia. Görlitz is the easternmost town in Germany and lies opposite the Polish town of Zgorzelec, which was the eastern part of Görlitz until 1945. The town has approximately 56,000 inhabitants, which make Görlitz the sixth-largest town in Saxony. It is the seat of the district of Görlitz. Together with Zgorzelec it forms the Euro City of Görlitz/Zgorzelec, which has a combined population of around 86,000.
Görlitz, first mentioned in 1071, developed as a key trading town on the Via Regia route linking Western and Eastern Europe. In the Late Middle Ages, it prospered through the cloth trade and became a member of the Lusatian League, enjoying considerable autonomy. The town came under Bohemian, Austrian and Saxon rule before becoming part of Prussia in 1815 after the Congress of Vienna. During World War II, Görlitz was spared major destruction, but the new Oder–Neisse line in 1945 divided it from its eastern districts, which became Zgorzelec in Poland. In the GDR era, Görlitz was a border town with limited cross-border contact, but after German reunification and Poland’s EU accession, cooperation with Zgorzelec increased. Today, Görlitz is renowned for its well-preserved historic architecture and frequent use as a film location.
Görlitz is culturally diverse. Immediately to the west of Görlitz lie Sorbian-speaking parts of Lusatia, and Görlitz was founded and first settled by the Sorbs, a Slavic people. This is evidenced by the name of the town and the etymology of some of its surrounding villages and geographical features being of Slavic origin. Görlitz itself speaks the East Lusatian dialect of German (Ostlausitzer Mundart), which is related to Silesian German dialects and differs from the Upper Saxon dialects spoken in most parts of Saxony. It is home to the Schlesisches Himmelreich and Liegnitzer Bombe, a Silesian Museum (Schlesisches Museum zu Görlitz), and the Silesian Christmas Market (Schlesischer Christkindelmarkt).
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Görlitz?
Within an hour or so of Görlitz: Czocha Castle (26 km), Jested Tower (47 km), Rakotzbrücke (49 km), Bohemian Switzerland National Park (55 km).
Are there any good drives near Görlitz?
The nearest famous roads are Road of a Hundred Bends.
Where is Görlitz?
Görlitz is in Germany, about 4 km from Łagów.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 0
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Timezone
- Coordinates
- 51.1552, 14.9885
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for GermanyTags
Worth the detour from Görlitz
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
scenic viewpoint
Jested Tower
A rocket-shaped 1970s hotel and TV tower crowning the 1,012 m summit above Liberec, reached by a twisting mountain road with sweeping views over Bohemia: an icon of Czech modernist architecture.
47 km · about 55 min drive
bridge
Rakotzbrücke
A fairy-tale 'Devil's Bridge' whose arch forms a perfect circle with its reflection in Kromlau's rhododendron park.
49 km · about 55 min drive
national park
Bohemian Switzerland National Park
A mesmerizing landscape of deep gorges, towering sandstone pillars, and dense forests in the Czech-German borderlands along the Elbe River.
55 km · about 65 min drive
photogenic
Panská skála
Bohemia's oldest protected geological site (1933): a hillside of hexagonal basalt columns up to 12 m tall arranged like organ pipes, right beside the road at Kamenický Šenov. Famous from the Czech fairy-tale film Three Wishes for Cinderella.
56 km · about 65 min drive
natural wonder
Pravčická Gate
The largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, standing majestically in the heart of Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
58 km · about 65 min drive
natural wonder
Bohemian Switzerland (Pravčická Brána)
Sandstone wonderland in the Czech Republic with Europe's largest natural stone arch and dramatic rock formations.
58 km · about 65 min drive
natural wonder
Pravcicka brana
Largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, the centrepiece of Bohemian Switzerland National Park, walked from car parks at Hrensko or Mezni Louka.
58 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Görlitz
- 47 kmJested TowerA rocket-shaped 1970s hotel and TV tower crowning the 1,012 m summit above Liberec, reached by a twisting mountain road with sweeping views over Bohemia: an icon of Czech modernist architecture.
- 49 kmRakotzbrückeA fairy-tale 'Devil's Bridge' whose arch forms a perfect circle with its reflection in Kromlau's rhododendron park.
- 70 kmSnezkaCzechia's highest peak in the Krkonose, reached by chairlift and ridge trails with views into Poland.
- 70 kmSniezkaHighest peak of the Karkonosze range at 1603 metres on the Polish-Czech border, topped by a distinctive disc-shaped meteorological observatory.
Driving in Germany
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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