Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [166]
egghead ( 303 3386; Peter-Breuer-Strasse 34) One of the best places to party on the Kneipenstrasse, this is a sleek but unpretentious cocktail bar with all kinds of mixed drinks, shakes and tasty crêpes for sustenance.
Wenzel’s Prager Bierstuben ( 273 7542; Domhof 12; mains €5-12) If you’ve a big hole to fill, head for this tavern with faux Gothic interiors, old Prague street signs and, most importantly, monster portions of Slavic stodge. Start with some echt Carlsbad Becherovka (herbal digestif), followed by a Bohemian belly-stretcher such as beef goulash with dumplings. Swab the decks with a Prague-brewed Staropramen.
Zur Grünhainer Kapelle ( 536 1633; Peter-Breuer-Strasse 3; mains €8-14) Feast on Saxon dishes in this former chapel with its cross-vaulted ceilings, fabulous carved furniture and uneven art exhibits. The house speciality is the charmingly named besoffne Wildsau (drunken boar)!
Sky Lounge ( 390 9969; Peter-Breuer-Strasse 19; dinner mains €10-23; from 9am) Take the lift to this top-floor hipster haunt where you’ll find a lounge, a restaurant and two terraces to catch the morning and afternoon sun. Good for your first and last cup of coffee or breakfast any time of the day.
Drei Schwäne ( 204 7650; Tonstrasse 1; mains €18-21) Food fanciers will want to make the trip out to this tip-top place, where the cuisine is inspired by the robust flavours of Provence, Tuscany and the Alsace. Excellent wines and welcoming hosts ensure a memorable evening.
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Getting There & Around
Zwickau has direct train links to Leipzig (€15.20, 1½ hours), Chemnitz (€5.40, 30 minutes), Dresden (€21.50, 1½ hours) and towns across the border in the Czech Republic.
Single tickets on trams and buses are €1.70, day passes are €3.40.
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EASTERN SAXONY
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BAUTZEN
03591 / pop 42,200
Mustard, prisons and Germany’s sole indigenous minority are the unlikely trio that come together in fascinating Bautzen. Rising high above the deep valley of the Spree River, no fewer than 17 towers and much of the town fortification still ring the Altstadt’s labyrinth of cobbled lanes that have hardly changed for centuries.
While the town is undeniably German, its heritage is also influenced by the Slavic-speaking Sorbs, (see boxed text, Click here). Budyšin, as the Sorb language calls it, is home to several Sorb cultural institutions, and public signage is bilingual, though you’d be lucky to hear the language spoken.
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Orientation
The Spree River ribbons along the western side of Bautzen’s Altstadt, which is centred on the Hauptmarkt. The Hauptbahnhof is a 15-minute walk south of the old quarter, and is reached via Bahnhofstrasse, Karl-Marx-Strasse and Lauengraben.
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Information
Internetcafé Bautzen ( 595 179; Steinstrasse 13; per 30min €1.80; 10am-10pm Mon-Sat, 5-10pm Sun)
Post office (Postplatz)
Sparkasse (Kornmarkt) A bank.
Tourist office ( 420 16; www.bautzen.de; Hauptmarkt 1; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat & Sun Mar-Oct, 1hr shorter hours Nov-Feb) Offers free web access.
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Sights
KORNMARKT
The Stadtmuseum (city museum; 498 50; Kornmarkt 1; adult/concession €3.50/2.50; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun, 6-8pm Thu) reopened in 2009 after a five-year hiatus for restoration. The reinvigorated display looks at the history of the town and region as well as local art in shiny new exhibition spaces.
Nearby, the Reichenturm (Reichenstrasse; adult/child €1.40/1; 10am-5pm Apr-Oct) provides aerial views of the Altstadt. The addition of the baroque cupola in 1718 caused the 53m-high structure to start tilting. Today it deviates 1.4m from the centre, making it one of the steepest leaning towers north of the Alps.
HAUPTMARKT
Reichenstrasse leads west from the tower, past fancy baroque houses to the intimate Hauptmarkt, site of the tourist office and thrice-weekly farmers markets. The square is dominated by the impressive