Zittau City Festival — Zittau in Motion

The Grand City Festival in the Three-Country Corner

Zittau, Saxony's easternmost city and home to the famous Zittau Lenten Cloths, is in a unique geographical location: directly on the border with Poland and the Czech Republic, in the southern district of Görlitz, in a region with dense medieval architecture. The Zittau City Festival leverages this location to draw guests from all three countries into the city center. For three days, the historic city center transforms into a festival mile where citizens, local clubs, music groups, sports clubs, and artists present a program that offers something for every generation.

'Zittau in Motion' — Motto 2026

The motto 'Zittau in Motion' in 2026 focuses on the city's sporty and dynamic side. At several points in the city center — Mittlere Neustadt and Klosterplatz in the center — sports activities for watching and participating will be set up: table tennis tables, a football arena, a beach volleyball court, dance and aerobics demonstrations, plus small competitions for young and old. The motto thus reflects Zittau's increasing focus on sports and outdoor tourism in recent times — with the Zittau Mountains to its back and the Neisse river in the valley, the city has much to offer active vacationers.

Stage Program and Culinary Diversity

Several stages are spread throughout the city center: the main stage on the Market Square in front of the Town Hall, a second stage on Johannisplatz, and smaller activity areas in the alleys. The program includes live bands, the 'enchanted piano spectacle' by the duo Be-Flügelt, giant soap bubble artists, stilt walkers, children's programs, dance groups, and the traditional civic brass band. The Schwarzbiergarten (dark beer garden) — Zittau is home to a well-known dark beer — represents the region's culinary identity: dark beer, Bohemian dumplings, Silesian specialties, and Saxon classics like Quarkkeulchen (quark fritters) and Knieperbrot (a type of hard tack).

World Heritage and City History

During the City Festival, many of the city center's attractions open their doors: The Cultural History Museum Franziskanerkloster with the Great Zittau Lenten Cloth (1472) and the Small Zittau Lenten Cloth (1573, unique in Europe), the Klosterkirche (Monastery Church), the Salzhausgalerie (Salt House Gallery), the Heffterbau, and the Mausoleum in the Klosterhof. Those arriving for the festival have a packed sightseeing program right at their doorstep during breaks between the stage program and the sports arena.

State of Saxony, Three-Country Corner

Zittau is located in the state of Saxony, in the southern district of Görlitz, on the Neisse river opposite the Polish Bogatynia and about 10 km from the Czech Hrádek nad Nisou. The City Festival regularly attracts visitors from both neighboring countries — the Polish and Czech stands, the bilingual stage announcements, and the international stage acts underscore the festival's European character.