A red-green coalition of sandstone and forest reigns in the Zittau Mountains. A labyrinth of rocks, criss-crossed by the historic trade routes between Zittau and Prague. Bikers will find their kingdom on the small paths across Hochwald and Lausche, on both sides of the border.
Even on the short journey along the Neisse, the natural border between Germany and Poland, I had a queasy feeling. Bridges without a border crossing are barricaded. This is where the east begins. But we wanted to make a detour to Poland at least once. And because I only had my identity card with me instead of my passport, we sneaked across the green border to the Czech Republic first. If you're travelling from here, the border guards don't look so meticulously at your papers. At least that's what Markus, my bike guide from Zittau, said.
Zittau Mountains - the smallest low mountain range in Germany
At last the muster is over. We are allowed to pass. The border triangle of Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland has always been a smuggling area. "Paschers" was the name given to the illegal hauliers who roamed the trails in the Zittau Mountains at night. We want to track down their legacy on our bike tours: the paths between the Czech Republic and the Federal Republic, some of which are only as wide as a towel. Almost everything in Germany's smallest low mountain range is divided into two parts: The chain of peaks, their names, even houses sawed up the border. Even the summit hut on the Lausche. The dividing line between the two countries ran right through the centre of the restaurant before the building burnt down after the war. Crossing the border to the Czech side of the mountains is no longer as dramatic as it used to be. On the contrary. Numerous "green" crossings for hikers and cyclists have been opened by agreement.
These 3 best MTB tours in the Zittau Mountains
Tour 1: Green borders
35 km, 720 m elevation gain, 2 h 30 min
Tour 2: Around the Lausche
43.90 km, 1011 m elevation gain, 3 h 15 min
Tour 3: To the high forest
34.75 km, 662 m elevation gain, 2 h 30 min
The tour descriptions of the three MTB tours in the Zittau Mountains can be downloaded below.
Downloads:
You can download the complete area guide "Mountainbiking in the Zittau Mountains" with all tour descriptions, altitude profiles and the classic roadbooks from 2003 as a PDF here.
