Even 800 years ago, the Neisse town of Görlitz attracted many travellers to Upper Lusatia. Traders, rulers and sometimes even bad boys were among those who travelled along the "Via Regia". From the far east of Europe, the trade route led more than 4,500 kilometres to the coasts of the Atlantic in the west of the continent. Often arduous in the past, such distances can now be travelled more comfortably than on foot or horseback. The best way to get to know the region is on two wheels and explore the stages of the Oder-Neisse Cycle Route, which starts at the source of the Neisse in the Czech Republic and stretches all the way to the Baltic Sea. An insider tip is to cycle the Oder-Neisse cycle path against the current. The perfect starting point for a short trip is Görlitz, well over 900 years old and one of the most beautiful towns in Saxony. It's not without reason that even Hollywood makes a regular appearance in "Görliwood" to stage magical cinema journeys through time against an authentic backdrop. You often feel like you're in the film yourself as you stroll through the bustling alleyways and market squares of the city.
The tour takes you past magnificent buildings from almost every period of history. Culinary explorers can also expect variety - from traditional Upper Lusatian cuisine to Silesian, Bohemian and Sorbian dishes to international cuisine, gourmets can savour just about everything in Görlitz.
On sacred paths
But then the hustle and bustle of the city slowly comes to an end. It only takes a few minutes of cycling along the Neisse before the city fades on the horizon. The bicycle tyres whirr over the narrow strip of asphalt surrounded by green nature. Otherwise there is silence, accompanied only by the twittering of birds - what a balance to the urban joie de vivre! Soon, wide floodplains dominate the picture and the river gently glistens as it pushes ahead. Here the Oder-Neisse Cycle Route has left the Via Regia and now follows a route no less steeped in history - the Via Sacra. This charming route connects sacred places of outstanding importance in Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany. The monastery of St. Marienthal in Ostritz can confidently be counted among them, as it is the oldest German convent of the Cistercian order and has existed without interruption since 1234. Located roughly halfway between Görlitz and Zittau, it is the perfect place for a contemplative break. Barely an hour south of Görlitz, the cycle path runs through the centre of the monastery grounds. A break here is obligatory, as the Bohemian Baroque monastery complex definitely deserves a short or longer rest. And even those who want to stay overnight can rely on hospitality in the spirit of St Benedict: Even last-minute cyclists usually have a good chance of finding accommodation in one of the 200 beds in the monastery meeting centre. Whether after a short break or a night in the monastery accommodation, you can continue your journey well rested. This makes the next section of the route particularly enjoyable, as the extensive deciduous forests around the course of the Neisse offer relaxation for body and soul. The Oder-Neisse cycle route now continues in a completely rural and tranquil manner to Zittau at the foot of the Zittau Mountains Nature Park, where a real showpiece of the Via Sacra awaits: the Great Lenten Shroud. But that's another story in itself...
Information on
Upper Lusatia Oder-Neisse Cycle Route
- Start: Zittau
- Destination: Bad Muskau
- Route length: approx. 628 km, 154.9 km in Saxony
Route character
Flat route profile, flat river route - river landscape along the Neisse, wide floodplains, nature reserves,
mainly car-free and mostly tarmac, detours to Poland possible.
MYBIKE tour suggestion
You can find a 270-kilometre cycle tour through Upper Lusatia including a map and GPX track to download here
Overnight accommodation
Bicycle-friendly hotels with "Bed & Bike" certification at www.bettundbike.de.
Worth seeing
- Zittau - town of fasting cloths, Dreiländerpunkt, Zittau narrow-gauge railway
- Half-timbered houses
- St Marienthal Monastery Ostritz
- Görlitz with St Peter's Church - Germany's most easterly town
- Kromlau rhododendron park
- Muskau forest railway
- UNESCO World Heritage Site Prince Pückler Park in Bad Muskau
Active & Vital
- Lusatian Lakeland - the flooding of former open-cast mines has created a spectacular water world (sailing,
surfing, diving, canoeing, wakeboarding)
- Einsiedel cultural island
- Krauschwitz Adventure World
- Lusatian boulder park Nochten
- Zittauer Gebirge adventure climbing forest
- Lake Olbersdorf and Halbendorf
Further route suggestions
- Cycling: Spree cycle path, Frog cycle pathLake District Route, Krabat Cycle Route, Umgebindehaus Cycle Route in the Zittau
mountains, Wolfsradweg
Literature/Maps
- Cycling in Upper Lusatia, brochure and map can be ordered online at www.radwandern-oberlausitz.de
- Tip: Upper Lusatia at outdooractive on the web and as an app: www.oberlausitz.com/aktiv
Organiser for cycling and hiking tours
- Tourismus GmbH Land und Leute, www.lausitz-tourismus.de
- Augustus Tours, www.augustustours.de
General information
Marketing-Gesellschaft Oberlausitz-Niederschlesien mbH
Tzschirnerstraße 14a
02625 Bautzen
+49 (0)3591 4877-0
www.radwandern-oberlausitz.de
