Places with character
a 475-metre stone arch bridge from 1847, one of the longest of its kind in Poland
Places with character
a steel bridge opened in 2004, linking the Polish and German parts of a formerly shared town
Museums
a tenement house in Zgorzelec with a reconstruction of the mystic Jacob Böhme's workshop and study
Churches and monasteries
a wooden, temporary Orthodox church with an onion dome, built with the support of the Greek community
Cemeteries and monuments
a war cemetery for Polish soldiers who fell in the spring of 1945 during fighting on the Lusatian Neisse
a play centre for children's birthday parties in the centre of Zgorzelec
Museums
a permanent exhibition with the interior of an 18th-19th-century Lusatian cottage in a historic town house on Daszyńskiego street
Churches and monasteries
a neo-Romanesque church from 1907, originally Evangelical, an independent Roman Catholic parish since 1972
Churches and monasteries
a Roman Catholic parish church of the Zgorzelec deanery on Emilii Plater street
For children
a play room with over a dozen zones for children from infants to twelve-year-olds, with a café for parents
a seasonal water playground with pools and slides in Łagów near Zgorzelec
an air rifle range in a red-brick building next to the police headquarters in Zgorzelec
Culture
a network of four branches, e-reader and board game loans, and access to nearly eight thousand e-books
For children
a neighbourhood playground in Zgorzelec with no confirmed name or equipment
a rest spot in Zgorzelec with no confirmed notable features or attractions
Things to do in Zgorzelec start with the bridges over the Lusatian Neisse, a few historic churches and a museum, with German Görlitz just across the river.
Start at the river. Since the end of World War II the Lusatian Neisse has marked the Polish-German border, and before that Zgorzelec and Görlitz were one town. You see it best from the Old Town Bridge between Zgorzelec and Görlitz, a steel beam bridge opened on 20 October 2004. It restored a pedestrian link between the two old towns.
The second bridge comes from a different era. The Zgorzelec railway bridge was built from local granite in 1844-1847, to a design by Gustav Kießler. The stone arch is 475 metres long with 35 spans and carries two tracks. It counts among the four longest stone bridges in Poland. For fans of industrial heritage, this is the strongest sight in town.
Two places on Daszyńskiego Street fit into a single morning. Jacob Böhme House is the tenement where the German mystic and philosopher lived and wrote. Inside you see a reconstructed shoemaker's workshop, where he worked before turning to writing, and an upstairs room with copies of his manuscripts and first editions.
The Lusatian Museum sits in a brick townhouse from the turn of the 18th century, listed as a historic monument. The institution was founded in 2007 and the permanent exhibition opened on 19 March 2010. It presents a Lusatian cottage from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Three buildings stand for three traditions. The Church of St John the Baptist in the Ujazd district was built in 1905-1907 as a Protestant church: a single-nave, brick, Neo-Romanesque building with one tower. Architect Fritsche of Elberfeld designed it, and the Sauer company of Frankfurt (Oder) made the organ. Since 1972 it has been an independent Roman Catholic parish.
St Boniface's Church at Emilii Plater 9 is a parish church in the Legnica diocese, roughly a kilometre from the Old Town Bridge. The third is the Orthodox Church of Saints Constantine and Helena: a small wooden building of 46 square metres, built in 2001-2002 in the Slavic style, with a single onion dome and shingle roofs. It was raised with support from the local Greek community and moved in 2013. All three are listed on the page about churches and monasteries in Zgorzelec.
Indoor play centres give the widest choice. Xtreme KiDS takes children aged 0 to 12 and is split into zones. X-Baby suits toddlers up to 6 years old (ball pit, slides, ride-on toys), while X-Ninja is for ages 4 to 12 (climbing, obstacles, trampolines, tunnels). There is also an X-Jump jumping area, an X-Play competition zone and X-Gym, a gym with machines adapted for children. Inna Bajka on Daszyńskiego 59 focuses on birthdays and parties, so confirm opening hours and booking rules before you go.
In summer there is Qrka Wodna, an open-access water playground running from June to the end of September. It lies in Łagów next to Zgorzelec, not in the town itself. The database also lists a playground and a Rest and Recreation Point, but the data does not say which playground it is or what is there, so do not build a day around them. For a full overview see Zgorzelec for children.
On a grey day you have the museum, Böhme House and a play centre under a roof, plus the Municipal Public Library at Bohaterów Getta 1. It has four branches and a separate children's and youth department, lends e-readers and board games, and keeps materials in Ukrainian. Another option is the BABYLON air rifle range in a red-brick building by the car park in front of the District Police Headquarters, though its offer should be confirmed on site. More ideas for a downpour are on Zgorzelec in the rain.
When you travel alone, churches, Böhme House, the museum and the library work well, since nobody expects company there. They are collected in Zgorzelec solo. One place is about remembrance: the Cemetery of Soldiers of the 2nd Polish Army on Bohaterów II Armii Wojska Polskiego Street, next to the municipal cemetery. Soldiers who fell in spring 1945 while crossing the Lusatian Neisse are buried here.
Yes. The Old Town Bridge is a pedestrian link from the centre of Zgorzelec straight into the centre of Görlitz, because the two towns used to be one.
The railway bridge. It opened on 1 September 1847, while the Old Town Bridge opened on 20 October 2004.
Yes, the X-Baby zone at Xtreme KiDS is meant for children up to 6. You will find more ideas under Zgorzelec for families.
