Twenty-five kilometres north-west of Liberec, the borders of the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland meet at a single point on the river Neisse. The town that guards it, Zittau, is in Saxony: a former member of the medieval Lusatian League of six towns, rich enough from cloth and beer to rebuild itself handsomely more than once.
A day here feels like a different trip altogether — German bakeries, euro prices, an Italian-looking town hall, a steam train to a ruined monastery on a rock — and you can be back in Liberec for dinner.
What to see and do: Zittau & the Tri-Border
The Zittau Lenten Veils
Zittau’s treasure is the Great Lenten Veil of 1472: a linen cloth about 8.2 m high and 6.8 m wide painted with 90 scenes from the Bible, once hung to hide the altar during Lent. It is displayed in the Church of the Holy Cross. A second, smaller veil of 1573 is shown in the town museum in the former Franciscan monastery.
Market square and town hall
The town hall, built in the 1840s to a design by the Prussian architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, looks like a palazzo from northern Italy. Around it are fountains, Baroque merchants’ houses, the huge 16th-century Salzhaus and the tower of St John’s Church, which you can climb.
Steam train to Oybin
A narrow-gauge railway has linked Zittau with the mountain resorts of Oybin and Jonsdorf since 1890, and it still runs daily with steam locomotives. The ride to Oybin takes about three-quarters of an hour.
Oybin castle and monastery
Above the village rises a beehive-shaped sandstone hill crowned with the ruins of a castle and of a monastery founded by Emperor Charles IV. The roofless Gothic church was a favourite subject of the Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich.
Stand in three countries
The tripoint lies on the Neisse just outside Hrádek nad Nisou, on the Czech side, marked by flags and stones on each bank. Nearby are the Kristýna bathing lake and, a few kilometres on, the Renaissance castle of Grabštejn.
How to get to Zittau & the Tri-Border
- Regional trains run from Liberec to Zittau in about 35–40 minutes, via Hrádek nad Nisou. The narrow-gauge station is beside Zittau’s main station.
- By car it is about half an hour; the main road crosses a short stretch of Poland on the way.
- For the tripoint, get off at Hrádek nad Nisou and walk or cycle about 3 km — see getting around.
Insider tips
- Carry a passport or ID card: you are crossing a border, and spot checks happen.
- Germany uses the euro; small cafés may not take cards.
- Ask about cross-border day tickets that cover trains on both sides.
- Museums in Zittau are generally closed on Mondays. Steam trains run all year, with fewer departures in winter.
Tours that fit: Zittau & the Tri-Border
These GetYourGuide experiences pair well with Zittau & the Tri-Border:
Evening walking tour from €16 Ghost Tour of Zittau
A costumed night-time walk through Zittau, the Saxon town at the tri-border, about 40 minutes by train from Liberec. It is a brand-new listing with no reviews yet; check the tour language and the time of the last train back before you book.
- Costumed guides
- Legends and true dark stories of Zittau
- A night-time walk through the old town
Guided walking tour from €8 Görlitz: Old Town Guided Walking Tour
Görlitz, on the Neisse about an hour north of Liberec, has one of the best-preserved old towns in Germany, and this inexpensive walk is the classic introduction to it. Nearly a thousand reviews average 4.8. Check the language of the departure when you book.
- Holy Trinity Church and the Whispering Arch
- The town hall and its squares
- The architectural variety of the old town
Evening walking tour from €16 Görlitz: Ghosts and Spooky Historical Night Walking Tour
An evening walk through the lanes of Görlitz with stories from the town’s dark past, rated 4.8 by several hundred guests. It makes an overnight stop in Görlitz worthwhile; check the tour language before booking.
- The darker chapters of the town’s past
- St Peter’s Church and the Waidhaus by night
- Old city maps and local legends
Small-group day trip from €119 Dresden: Bohemian & Saxon Switzerland – All-Inclusive Tour
The same landscape approached from the German side, with a local guide who grew up in it. The day takes in the Bastei Bridge, the hike to the Pravčická Gate and the Tisá Rocks, with pickup and a meal included. Useful if your trip to Liberec starts or ends in Dresden.
- Walk across the Bastei Bridge
- Hike to the Pravčická Gate
- The Tisá Rocks, a Narnia filming location
