Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [170]
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Tours
Trabant Tour ( 642 995; www.trabbitouren.de; Demiani-platz 25) Follow recommended tour routes behind the wheel of your very own Trabi.
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Sleeping
Picobello Pension ( 420 010; www.picobello-pension.de; Uferstrasse 32; s/d €25/44, breakfast €5; ) Duvets are thin and water runs lukewarm at this no-frills place down by the river. Some rooms have baths and Poland views. Bike rental and half-board are also available.
Herberge Zum Sechsten Gebot ( 764 20; www.boerse-goerlitz.de; s/d €50/65; ) The name here pays homage to the sixth commandment (‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’), but hilariously the spacious, modern rooms are named for famous sinners, such as Henry VIII and the Marquis de Sade.
Gästehaus im Flüsterbogen ( 764 20; www.boerse-goerlitz.de; s €60-75, d €85-95; ) Check in here if you need plenty of elbow room. Antique furnishings combine with modern touches to create character by the armload.
Romantik Hotel Tuchmacher ( 473 10; www.tuchmacher.de; Petersstrasse 8; s €88-100, d €118-133; ) The most unusual rooms at this posh oasis of charm in a quiet street near the Peterskirche (bell alert!) sport richly painted baroque ceilings, but others are just as nice with warm hues and classical furnishings. There’s a lovely wellness area for relaxing, and a popular restaurant for refuelling.
Hotel Börse ( 764 20; www.boerse-goerlitz.de; Untermarkt 16; s €70-85, d €109-129; ) Four-poster beds, huge glass chandeliers, patterned parquet floors and elegant antiques are the hallmarks of this stylish yet spirited hotel. Rooms are named after the cities of Europe.
Also recommended:
Europa ( 423 50; www.hotel-europa-goerlitz.de; Berliner Strasse 2; s/d €59/85; ) This sound, if uninspiring, option with modernised rooms is convenient for both the town centre and railway station.
Sorat Hotel Görlitz ( 406 577; www.sorat-hotels.com; Struvestrasse 1; s €83-113, d €103-133; ) Days kick off with a champagne breakfast at this central hotel with tasteful, modern rooms (some with wheelchair access).
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Eating
Zur Schwarzen Kunst ( 418 125; Neissstrasse 22; mains €5-13) Among the many eating options on Neissstrasse is this atmospheric tavern, with rough-hewn stone walls, tiny cellar spaces, candle-in-bottle illumination and an English menu of simple Silesian dishes.
St Jonathan ( 421 082; Peterstrasse 16; mains €6-16) Despite its sleek furniture and stunning historic setting, this place only looks expensive. Enjoy delicious German food below the painted vaulted ceiling or, for a romantic tête-à-tête, book the single table inside (!) the fireplace. Also explore the back of the building with its atrium staircase, where textile merchants used to display their wares.
Vierradenmühle ( 406 661; Hotherstrasse 20; mains €9-14) Service is slow but the Saxon and Silesian food is excellent at this place. Sticking out into the Neisse next to the new Altstadtbrücke, it is Germany’s easternmost restaurant.
Restaurant Lucie Schulte ( 410 260; Untermarkt 22; mains €12-26; 6pm Mon-Sat) Your tastebuds are likely to do cartwheels when you try the creative flavour pairings at this refreshingly progressive venue. It’s set in historic barrel-vaulted rooms off the romantic courtyard of the Flüsterbogen building, and has great wines, too.
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Getting There & Away
Trains run regularly between Görlitz and Dresden (€18.30, 1½ hours) via Bautzen (€7.10, 30 minutes). For Berlin (€37.50, three hours), change in Cottbus. Buses and trains also serve Zittau (€5.60, 40 minutes), and there are three cross-border services daily to Wroclaw (Breslau; €18.40, three hours).
Görlitz is just off the A4 autobahn from Dresden; turn off after the Königshainer Berge tunnel, which at 3.3km is currently Germany’s second-longest – the longest