Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [172]
Smaller in size, but no less precious or rare, is the 1573 Kleines Zittauer Fastentuch, which is the star exhibit at the Kulturhistorisches Museum Franziskanerkloster ( 554 790; Klosterstrasse 3; adult/concession €2/1.50; 10am-5pm Apr-Oct, closed Mon Nov-Mar), a short walk west of here. This depicts the crucifixion scene framed by 40 symbols of the Passion of Christ and is one of only six such veils that have survived. Combination tickets for both veils are €5 per adult (€3 concession), which includes an English-language audioguide. The rest of the museum has exhibits chronicling regional history.
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Sleeping & Eating
Pension am Markt ( 7911 790; www.pension-zittau.de; Markt 11; s/d €33/55; ) Post-Wende flat-pack furniture may lower the tone here, but you won’t find cheaper or more central digs. The vast rooms have preposterously high ceilings, and there’s free tea and coffee. Breakfast is down in the 700-year-old cellar.
Hotel Dreiländereck ( 5550; www.hotel-dle.de; Bautzener Strasse 9; s €63-68, d €80-90; ) This one-time brewery right in the Altstadt is a top choice, with warmly furnished rooms dressed in green-and-gold hues, and a contemporary brasserie with vaulted ceilings. The only downside is the proximity of the Johanniskirche bells!
Savi ( 708 297; Bautzener Strasse 10; meals €2.20-6.50; ) With cheap internet (€2.40 per hour), great coffee, snacks and light meals, an English menu and weekend DJs, you’ll wanna go where Zittau’s in-crowd go.
Klosterstübl ( 517 486; Johannisstrasse 4; mains €5-13) This updated inn has an uncluttered look – all the better to show off the rich oak wainscoting, huge tile oven and hilarious murals featuring frolicking monks. The menu features several regional dishes, including Wickelklösse (vegetable-stuffed dumplings).
Dornspachhaus ( 795 883; Bautzener Strasse 2; mains €6-17) Situated next to the Johanniskirche, Zittau’s oldest eatery oozes history, serves delicious regional cuisine and has a lovely courtyard. The Saxon-dialect menu is hard to decode.
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Getting There & Away
A swarm of private train companies operate services out of Zittau, but the entire region is covered by a single tariff system. Direct trains run to Dresden (€18.10, 1½ hours) and Görlitz (€5.60, 40 minutes). Going to Bautzen usually requires a change in Görlitz or Löbau (€7.10, 1½ hours). For Berlin, change in Cottbus (€42.50, four hours).
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AROUND ZITTAU
Zittauer Gebirge
South of Zittau, hugging the Czech and Polish borders, the Zittauer Gebirge is the smallest low-mountain range in Europe. With its idyllic gorges, thick forests and whimsical rock formations, it’s great for hiking and relaxing.
You can drive or take the bus, but getting there is much more fun aboard the 110-year-old narrow-gauge Zittauer Schmalspurbahn. From a diddy timber station in front of Zittau’s main terminus, steam locos puff year-round up to the sleepy resort villages of Oybin and Jonsdorf, splitting at Bertsdorf. The service to Oybin (€5.90, 40 minutes) stops at the Teufelsmühle (Devil’s Mill), built for silver miners in the 17th century; here you can glimpse the Töpfer peak (582m) to the east.
Alternatively, you can hike to Oybin on a clearly marked trail, taking you south along the Neisse River before veering off into the hills (11km).
Burg und Kloster Oybin ( 7340; www.burgundkloster-oybin.de; adult/concession/family €4/3/10; 9am-6pm Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Mar), a romantically ruined castle and monastery on a beehive-shaped hill north of the town, was commissioned by Holy Roman Emperor and Czech King Charles IV in the 14th century. The dramatic ensemble is an ideal setting