Görlitz on the Lausitzer Neiße River

Görlitz, the easternmost town in Germany, connected by a bridge to the Polish town of Zgorzelec. Görlitz, the city with over 3000 listed buildings from the late Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Gründerzeit periods. A city that was worth millions of euros to an anonymous donor for the splendor of its architectural treasures. Certainly also Görlitz as a film city called "Görliwood", whose epochal diversity served as a film set for nationally and internationally award-winning productions.

Görlitz is definitely worth a visit. In my hometown in East Westphalia, I take the IC train, which initially takes me to Berlin Ostbahnhof. From here, the East German Railway takes over the journey to Cottbus. With a final change in Cottbus, I will reach Görlitz. Delicate birch and pine trees line the route, alternating with meadows and farmland. Sometimes the train stops. But not at every station, there are only request stops on this route. Passengers are allowed to get off only by pressing a button. After a comfortable ride of about an hour, the train arrives at Görlitz Station. The beautiful ceilings of the entrance hall transport me back in time to its construction. Görlitz Station opened in 1847.

As an experienced train traveler, I am enthusiastic about cities whose train stations are located in the city center. You get off the train, catch sight of the nearby old town, take a seat in one of the numerous cafes - preferably outdoors - and immerse yourself in the character of the city and its people.
Görlitz also invites you to immerse yourself. In a different way. Berliner Straße connects the train station with the old town. Magnificent Gründerzeit houses line up like pearls. The generous width of the street invites you to stop and let your gaze wander. The eye should linger on the facades and gables, as well-known chains offer their goods on the ground floor. A serene tram completes the picture.

After a kilometer's walk along Berliner Straße and Demianplatz, the historic old town announces itself with the Kaisertrutz, a bastion built in 1490 to protect the city. The name Kaisertrutz was given to the "Reichenbacher Rondell" in 1641. At that time, Swedish troops occupied the small Görlitz and "defied" the advancing imperial and Saxon troops. Today, the "Galerie der Moderne" presents art from the 19th and 20th centuries here.

On the cobblestones, my steps slow down. Now I must immerse myself more closely in the stylistic epochs of the historical buildings: Gothic? Renaissance? Baroque? Art Nouveau? When was that again?

From Obermarkt, Brüderstraße leads to Untermarkt and Neißstraße, which, as the name suggests, leads directly to the Neiße River. In these streets and their branching side streets, my eyes perceive the beauty and diversity of the historic buildings.

Back to the beginning. In close proximity to Kaisertrutz stands the Reichenbacher Tower. It combines two stylistic epochs. Its cuboid base from 1376 and the cylindrical tower from 1485 can be attributed to the Gothic, while a Baroque dome sits on top.
The Renaissance period adds color to the picture.
Today, one of the most beautiful and oldest Renaissance town houses in Germany, the Schlesisches Museum, is housed in the impressive Schönhof (1526) on Brüderstraße 9. Like a little beacon of light, its red window frames, archways, and cornices shine against the gray, no matter where I am approaching it from. Its builder, Wendel Roßkopf, also placed his monogram and his stonemason's sign on the portal of the house at Brüderstraße 11.
Another colorful eye-catcher, but with milder tones, is the Ratsapotheke (1550-1552) at the corner of Untermarkt/Peterstraße. Noteworthy are the impressive gateway and the facade paintings. On the ground floor - and in warmer weather in front of the portal - the Ratscafé offers its guests history and culinary delights.
With its white cuboid joints on the gray plaster and the stepped gables kept in a lighter gray, I have chosen the house on Peterstraße 7 (1544) as my personal favorite. Its floors vary slightly from each other and seem to flow towards me in wave-like patterns.
In Neißstraße 29, the biblical house from 1570-1572 shows scenes from the Old and New Testaments on its facade. And even more messages: In the neighboring house Neißstraße 30 (1727-1729), two angel-like figures embody the virtues of "Justice" and "Wisdom". It is the most important Baroque house in the city of Görlitz, as you can read in the travel books.
With a short detour to "An der Frauenkirche", I would like to mention a building that gained worldwide fame. The former Görlitz department store, an Art Nouveau building from 1912/13, played the hotel in the film "Grand Budapest Hotel", which won four Oscars.

From the biblical house in Neißstraße, it is only a few steps to the Neiße River. The old town bridge takes me to the twin town of Zgorzelec in Poland. The river is narrow here, it is only a short distance. Without border controls and inconspicuously: proximity, unity, friendship. On both sides of the Neiße River, cafes and restaurants invite you to linger in front of and behind their centuries-old walls.
I experience history here. And the future.

Görlitz is definitely worth a visit.

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