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Germany: Discover the City Museums in Zittau

Unique Lenten canvases and the history of collecting—now at a discount

Immerse yourself in the history, art, and culture of this fascinating tri-border region. The municipal museums in Zittau house one of the oldest public collections in Central Europe. Its history began on June 13, 1564, with a rare gift from Vienna—a cylindrical pillar sundial.

What will you see in the museums?

The collections have been continuously expanded over the centuries and today include more than 40,000 objects. Here you’ll find scientific instruments, works of art, natural history artifacts, curiosities, manuscripts, and books.

The Greatest Treasure: The Zittau Lenten Tapestries A local treasure renowned throughout Europe are two Lenten tapestries:

  • The Great Zittau Lenten Tapestry (1472): Across the surface of the fabric, it tells the biblical story of God and humankind in 90 scenes.
  • The Small Zittau Lenten Tapestry (1573): It depicts the crucifixion of Christ and is framed by 30 Passion symbols.

Benefit for ENT+ holders

Visitors to this oldest municipal museum in the Nisa Euroregion will receive a 20% discount on admissionupon presentation of a valid Euro-Nisa-Ticket+ (one-day or three-day) .

Transportation and Practical Information

How to get there: Take the train to Zittau station . The nearest public transit stops are Zittau Bahnhof or Zittau Bahnhofstraße.

  • Timetables: You can find connections in the Timetables section or directly here (enter route number 089 Liberec – Zittau – Varnsdorf).
  • German timetables: Information on connections within the ZVON network can be found here.

Contact: Städtische Museen Zittau, Klosterstraße 3, 02763 Zittau