Görlitz/Zgorzelec

The final destination of our trip during the long Pentecost weekend in 2025 was Görlitz, the since 1945 divided city on the border between Germany and Poland. In its western part the city is named named Görlitz and at the other side of the Neiße river Zgorzelec. In 1991, the two cities joined forces under the name "European City of Görlitz-Zgorzelec". Together, they form a cross-border community with a combined population of around 92,000 residents, of which 56,000 in the German part.

Görlitz turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip for us, even though the entire trip was full of highlights. But being so far away and even crossing into Poland really sparks the imagination. Still, the center of Görlitz is picture-perfect, and it's no coincidence that Kurt Hielscher published three photos from here.

The Untermarkt with the Fountain of Neptune. I made the photo just in front of the Rathaustreppen, the Stairs to the City Town Hall of which Kurt Hielscher also made a photo about which later more. Another one he made under the arches of the building, the Brauner Hirsch, on the right side of this photo. If you look well, you can see the characteristic deer figure on the corner on the right, hence the name Brauner Hirsch.

This is not only a place to see but also to hear. You can see the organ grinder under the last arch. The Brauner Hirsch is a historical and culturally rich building with a fascinating history that goes back to the Middle Ages. Initially in 1403 it was known as Roter Hirsch, but after the city fire of 1717, it was rebuild in baroque style by Johann Christoph Pößner, whose name and coat of arms are still visible on the façade. The Brauner Hirsch is situated at the edge of the Untermarkt near the Neißstraße in the old city center of the German part of the city. For a long time it was a Gasthof and a Brauhaus, a hostel and a brewery. In the 18th century, the Oberlausitzische Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften held their gatherings here and during the communist era, it was the boarding school for the Arbeiter-und-Bauern-Fakultät van de Technische Hochschule Dresden. In more recent years, the building has been used as a filmlocation for films like "The Grand Budapest Hotel", "Goethe!" and "Die Vermessung der Welt", hence the nickname of Görlitz: "Görliwood".

The making of....  After my visit I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel and loved it. It is a bit absurd, but made me also think of the famous films of Emir Kusturica I fell in love with years ago. Next to that, it was really nice to recognize some of the places from the film in Görlitz (for all places check this informative website. It would have been great to have seen the film before my visit and have a guided tour), amongst them a few shots, here under the arches of the Brauner Hirsch.

Also at the Untermarkt, we find The Old Council's Pharmacy, the Alte Ratsapotheke, that dates back to 1453 and renovated in Renaissance style between 1550 and 1553. The exterior walls of the building are painted with astronomical drawings and a sundial, and the uniquely shaped windows on the roof, stare at you with lazy friendly eyes. Today it is a café with a terrace.

Another photo from the Untermarkt that is divide by a a block of buildings with café on one side and Hotel Börse on the other, here right hand side. In the middle, sligtly to the left, we recognize the Ratsapotheke.

Hotel Börse at the Untermarkt.

View on Zgorzelec at the other side of the Neiße river and border with Poland. Kurt Hielscher made his photo from the Old Town Bridge, the Most staromiejski Zgorzelec-Görlitz.

Even before World War II, the old houses were demolished and the riverbanks redeveloped. 

On the Most staromiejski Zgorzelec-Görlitz with a view towards the Polish side and the German side on the second photo with the 15th century built Evangelical Pfarrkirche St. Peter und Paul (Peterskirche).

View on Görlitz from Zgorzelec.

The cobblestones and steep hills made Görlitz not very friendly for cyclists but since we parked the van outside the city center it was still the best solution for checking out the city.

The Obermarkt.

Below: View on the Polish side of the city.