Top 10 Interesting Facts about Görlitz

Panoramio view of Gorlitz. Image by melechovsky – Wikimedia

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Görlitz

Görlitz is a town in eastern Germany, on the Polish border. It’s known for its well-preserved old town, where buildings of different eras show off a wealth of architectural styles.

Gorlitz reached an economic peak in the Middle Ages when it was known for its textile craftsmanship. The introduction of linen to the local textile industry gave a great boost to the economy, resulting in the construction of some fine Baroque buildings.

Gorlitz is a town of around 56,000 people. It has a unique relationship with its Polish neighbors.  Before the redrawing of borders after World War II, the town of Gorlitz was on both sides of the river.

1. Gorlitz is among the favorite locations for filmmakers

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

Gorlitz is such a grand movie location it was even awarded the European Film Location of the decade in 2017. Numerous well-known American and German productions have been filmed here.

“Around the world in 80 days” (2004), “The Reader” (2009), “Inglorious Bastards” (2009), “Grand Budapest Hotel” (2014), and “The Book Thief” (2014) – were all shot in Gorlitz and if you watch carefully you can recognize the city in some of the scenes.

One of the most popular places known from the movies is the former department store (Kaufhaus), dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Its beautiful interior was a set for the Grand Budapest Hotel and you can see it in numerous scenes.

The Lower Market (Untermarkt) in Gorlitz, once home to prosperous cloth merchants, is lined with beautiful Renaissance and Gothic buildings. These beautifully preserved sights have inspired many directors, like Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino to make films here, leading to the town’s nickname “Görliwood”.

The Lower Market boasts beautiful arcades as well as hall houses such as the Baroque House on Neissstrase, also home to the gorgeous Upper Lusatian Library of Sciences and one of the several great museums in town.

2. It’s rich in monuments and buildings in various architectural styles

Photo by Max Nüstedt on Unsplash

Görlitz is one of the very few cities in that part of Europe that weren’t damaged during World War II.  Hence it’s rich in monuments and buildings in various architectural styles.

There’re 13th-century churches, 16th-century town halls, and 19th-century department stores. It is considered to be one of the best-preserved cities in Central Europe!

It is full of beautiful buildings, charming corners, winding lanes, and towers you can climb to get a new perspective of Gorlitz.

3. Perfect base to explore three countries

Photo by Tim Altmann on Unsplash

Gorlitz has a perfect location and can be your base to explore the nearby areas in Germany, Poland, and even the Czech Republic.

You get a thrill out of walking from Germany to Poland, simply by crossing the Old Town Bridge. Crossing the border between Germany and Poland is simple and picturesque.

Indeed, Görlitz and its twin Polish city, Zgorzelec, used to be a single unit, split after World War II. Still today, locals go about their business hopping from the German to the Polish shore and vice versa daily.

Prague, Czech Republic is located also 170kms away and Berlin, Germany is 210 away.

4. It’s photogenic

Photo by Max Nüstedt on Unsplash

Many people travel for perfect pictures and Gorlitz is a perfect Instagrammable location. Besides the charming lanes and corners you will stumble across all over the city there are a few interiors you might want to check out:

Kaufhaus Gorlitz, the former department store known for the “Grand Budapest Hotel” movie, with beautiful art nouveau interior.

Upper Lusatian Library of Sciences – a beautiful place with an impressive collection of over 140.000 volumes. Founded in the 18th century, it is often referred to as one of the most beautiful libraries in the world

Gorlitz Hauptbahnhof – the main train station in the city, built at the beginning of the 20th century with a beautiful interior (especially the ceiling is stunning)

Ratscafe – probably the most charming cafe in Gorlitz, located at Untermarkt, in the very heart of the Old Town. This is one of the most beautiful renaissance buildings in Gorlitz. Inside you will find arches, plants, an old-style interior, and of course delicious food, desserts, and drinks

5. Gorlitz has over 4.000 historical buildings

Görlitz, Hotherstrasse. Image by Tilman2007 – Wikimedia

Looking at the city today, the wealth of the past still surrounds you everywhere representing nearly every period of architecture and the city’s development. Görlitz was not destroyed during World War II; however, until the political changes in Germany in 1989, the existing historical buildings were left to decay.

German reunification was a blessing, especially for the Old Town. Presenting 4,000 monuments from the periods of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and the Wilhelminian era, the city today is more splendid than ever.

It is the place, where the citizens of Görlitz find the basis to lead their lives, and at the same time, it is an attractive stage for numerous events. Every year on the third Sunday in September, visitors are invited to enter historical buildings, which usually remain concealed.

6. It is the first one to welcome the sunrise in the country

Landskrone, Görlitz, Germany. Photo by Max Nüstedt on Unsplash

Gorlitz, Germany’s easternmost city is a well-preserved gem. This means that it is the first to see sunlight in the morning.

Gorlitz is on the 15th meridian east, which defines Central European standard time runs through town, so large parts of Europe could be described as being on “Gorlitz time”.

7. Görlitz is also home to many beautiful pre-reformation churches

Dreifaltigkeitskirche, München, Germany. Photo by Stefan Pflaum on Unsplash

Along with its historic towers and stunning merchant houses, Görlitz is also home to many beautiful pre-reformation churches open to visitors. The most visible and stunning is of course the Peterskirche which dominates the town’s skyline, but the other churches are worth a visit as well.

The Dreifaltigkeitskirche is a favorite to many. It has a beautiful interior and spooky legend. The Nikolaikirche is a monument to WWI soldiers and is surrounded by an amazing, atmospheric graveyard, and the Frauenkirche – although dwarfed by the surrounding buildings, and traffic, is worthy sight.

In Gorlitz, you can find the replica of the Holy Sepulchre from Jerusalem. It was built in 1504 and it hasn’t been damaged ever since. The place is known as the most accurate replica of the Holy Sepulchre from the Old City in Jerusalem.

8. The city also had a secret admirer!

Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash

There has been an anonymous donor making a great contribution to the new upswing of the city. From 1995 to 2016, he or she has been donating the so-called Old-Town-million (today around 511.000 Euros) to the city every year to support restoration and make the city become one big gem.

In 2017 the town was notified that the donations would be ending – but the evidence of this amazing gift can be seen all around the city today and the identity of the benefactor remains a mystery.

A lot of money has been invested to restore the city’s old town making it one of the best-preserved towns in Central Europe.

9. It is in touch with nature

Görlitz, Germany. Photo by Max Nüstedt on Unsplash

Gorlitz is surrounded by greenery. From scenic river paths to lush parks and old neighborhoods with tall trees, you’ll never be far from nature. Gorlitz also has a lot to offer in terms of nature.

The Landeskrone is the city’s mountain. At 420 meters high (1378 ft.), a mountain is a popular place for locals to hike, and once on top, affords a beautiful view of the area.

A recent addition to the area is Berzdorf Lake. Once a lignite mine, it was filled in with water in 2013 and is now a popular place for people from Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic to swim, bike, cycle, and play.

10. It is home to Baroque Mansion

Baroque Mansion in Gorlitz Germany. Photo by Andreas Weilguny on Unsplash

Gorlitz is one big architectural work of art with a European format. The large heritage area offers both a rich history and a splendid presence. One such building that is a sight for sore eyes is the Baroque Mansion.

This beautiful one-of-a-kind mansion is at the heart of the Old Town and belonged to one of Gorlitz’s most successful merchants.

The elaborate home testifies to Gorlitz’s wealthy past, as a town at the crossroads of several important Eastern European trading routes.

The lavishly decorated rooms make it easy to imagine what daily life was like for members of the Ameiss family.