Natural and cultural landmarks.
Zittau Mountains
Rock and mountain peaks, rock cities with outlooks and unforgettable sights will guide you through the Zittau Mountains. This colorful and very picturesque area is situated on the northern, German side of the Lusatian Mountains and is connected to our territory by a dense network of marked hiking trails and local roads. You can find out more about the Zittau Mountains here… ►

Zittau narrow-gauge
It was put into regular operation on December 15, 1890. And like this year, it looks on the track today. There is a romantic steam operation and there is even a platform dining car on the track. The track runs from a separate platform at the Zittau railway station to Oybina and Jonsdorf. Steam locomotives with wagons complete the characteristic atmosphere of the whole region.

Monastery of st. Marienthal.
Since 1237, the monastery of st. Marienthal founded by Czech Queen Kunhuta. It is possible to reach the monastery either by road or choose a path in the narrow and rocky valley of the Lusatian Neisse from Zittau or Hirschfelde. The trail is quite comfortable and can be reached on foot or by bike. The monastery can also be reached by boat. But not by some steamboat, but only by a small canoe or on a rubber boat from several rentals. The romantic valley with a rocky but not very sparse riverbed makes it impossible to sail.

The monastery is preserved in its Baroque form. The older look was taken up by numerous fires and floods that significantly changed the appearance of buildings. After the fire in 1683 the monastery was restored in the style of Czech Baroque and until today it has remained an impressive closed complex. The magnificent red-and-white monastery building is best seen from the Cross Mountain (Calvary Mountain), on which stands the crucifixion sculpture and along which the Stations of the Cross.

Sightseeing of historical monastery buildings.
The monastery building with the tower's central part, the monastery church, the Chapel of the Cross and the Chapel of Sts. Michael, column of st. Trinity and statue of st. Nepomuka will amaze with its architecture and art from several eras. A particularly memorable place is the tomb of the once world-famous opera singer Henriette Sontag / Countess Rossi. The exhibition “ora et labora”, the “Garden of Biblical Plants” and the Museum Sawmill are also noteworthy. Another interesting feature is the permanent exhibition “Energie-Werk-Stad (t) t” on energy, since the city of Ostritz and the monastery have been supplied with renewable energy since 1999.

Hospitality.
The place of faith in the Nisa Valley is also a traditional place of hospitality. Visitors and pilgrims are welcome to discover the diverse aspects of monastic life. During the year, the Cistercian sisters invite visitors and pilgrims to stop and contemplate in the monastery church, for guided tours, concerts, the "fasting week for the healthy" and the four monastic markets, including the "herb festival". In addition, the distinctive atmosphere of Marienthal can also be seen in the monastery inn and the International Meeting Center established by the sisters, located in the former monastery buildings.

Loft House
Although the loft houses throughout the Euroregion Neisse are sometimes seen as an integral whole, experts and laymen will not miss that on the northern side of the Lusatian and Zittau Mountains, the houses are still different from the southern hillsides. Houses are characterized by picturesque painting, patterned rain is frequent, or wooden wall cladding and the use of slate on the walls of houses, often folded into interesting patterns. Houses in the Zittau region are well maintained and often form whole villages with dozens of half-timbered houses. In contrast to the south-facing buildings, they are also most often made using the half-timbering technique; on the other hand, the timbered structures are relatively rare and only in mountain villages at the Czech border.