Naturpark Zittauer Gebirge - Schöne Aussichten

425 km of signposted hiking routes meander through dense forests past volcanic peaks, wild sandstone cliffs and over steep mountain ridges. Leisurely and challenging cycle paths lead past lush green meadows along the rivers. Small, clear lakes invite you to bathe and swim.

The Upper Lusatian Mountain Trail leads to the highest and most famous mountain peaks in Upper Lusatia with unique views. Picturesque valleys, idyllic villages and bizarre sandstone cliffs alternate along the more than 100 km route. The climbing rocks in the Zittau Mountains are legendary. Historic mountain huts invite you to take a break. Skiing and tobogganing make a winter vacation a pleasure. Cycling tours through the mountains of the border region are also challenging . The Mandau and Neisse rivers are more leisurely. Ten kilometers of the 456 km long Oder-Neisse cycle path  lead through the romantic Neisse valley.  The O-See-Challenge is a sporting challenge every August - a top-class sporting event with athletes from all over the world.

Zittau was once reverently called "the rich" by the neighboring towns in the area and a stroll through the historic old town shows that this name was certainly justified.

Baroque town palaces surround the market square and are now home to many cafés and stores. In the middle of the square stands the town hall, which was rebuilt in the style of an Italian palace after the great town fire and, together with the unmistakable towers of Zittau's main church, St. Johannis, dominates the townscape. The route leads through the new town, dominated by the historic salt house, along the Green Ring to the Church of the Holy Cross. Here you can marvel at the Great Zittau Lenten Veil from 1472, which is unique in Europe. The word large is to be taken quite literally, as it depicts the biblical story in 90 panels over an area of 6.80 x 8.20 meters.

Anyone who visits the easternmost low mountain range in the border triangle of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic will be surprised and enchanted. The landscape is diverse and charming, the folk architecture and history are unique, and craftsmanship is respected and cultivated.

Zittau, founded in 1255 by Bohemian King Ottokar II, was nicknamed "The Rich" in the League of Six Cities. If you stroll through the old town, you will discover magnificent Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist buildings. The Zittau Lenten cloths, the rich collection of epithaphs, the castle and monastery on Mount Oybin in the Zittau Mountains, the music and theater tradition make you curious about the city and the region in the middle of Europe. Nowhere else have half-timbered houses with their original charm been preserved in such unity. The combination of Slavic log construction and German half-timbered construction has been around since the 15th century. The linen trade once made Upper Lusatia rich. In the German Damask and Terry Museum in Großschönau, the development of the textile industry in Upper Lusatia, which is still alive today, can be impressively relived.

Family vacations for young and old -  offers plenty of opportunities for hiking, romping, playing and learning. Themes such as  robbers, knights and treasures draw attention to the exciting history of the border region.

A visit to the nature park house in Waltersdorf is an entertaining way to learn all about the landscape, fauna and flora, legends and, of course, the people with their special  dialect. Next to the TRIXI vacation park in Großschönau with the largest forest lido in Saxony is the adventure climbing forest and just a few kilometers away is the butterfly house in Jonsdorf.  In the mountain village, theater makers  bring action-packed history to the forest stage in summer. For a more tranquil experience, take the steam-powered, historic narrow-gauge railroad to the mountain villages. The world-famous Herrnhuter Sterne Manufaktur has created a world of discovery for young guests.  The weather cabinet and year-round toboggan run in Oderwitz add plenty of variety to the choice of excursion destinations.

The Zittau Mountains are full of culture and activity. Throughout the year, theaters, museums, churches and clubs offer performances and concerts, exhibitions and events.

Sometimes colorful and spectacular, sometimes contemplative. Classical dramas, modern dance theater or historical choral performances have just as much a place in the cultural offering as alternative pop or hip scene events.

As the annual venue for a tri-national film festival, Zittau also opens the door to new perspectives and artistic approaches. Numerous sporting competitions and tournaments, some with starters from all over the world, and spectacular motor races also take place in the Zittau Mountains throughout the year. Events ranging from athletics meetings to traditional fistball and modern cross-triathlons ensure that thousands of athletes of all ages can compete here - including world and European championships. They choose their best and put the region in the limelight from a sporting point of view.