Activities

Softly rolling hills, forests, fields and romantic villages with half-timbered houses in the “Umgebinde” construction typical of the region – guests at Gaussig House have all the delights of the beautiful Upper Lusatian countryside at their doorstep. So though it may be tempting to spend the day relaxing at the house and its gardens, there are also plenty of options for activities and excursions in the surrounding area.

Culture

Upper Lusatia is one of central Europe’s great cultural landscapes, and Gaussig House offers an ideal base for day trips to the region’s cultural landmarks. In fact, most are so close by that you will still have plenty of time to enjoy the hotel’s surrounding parkland, lake, spa facilities and lounges.

Here are a few suggestions for excursions to the surrounding area and regions…

 

• A popular destination in Upper Lusatia is a trip to the thousand-year-old city of Bautzen, which is only a stone’s throw from the house. And have you ever visited Görlitz, Zittau or the regions of Bohemia or Silesia? All of them can be reached in just 40 to 60 minutes.
• Why not take a guided tour of neighbouring Rammenau House, which is located just few villages away?
• Pillnitz House and park (partly designed by the same architect as Gaussig House) is located on the banks of the picturesque River Elbe and has the oldest Camellia japonica in Germany.
• The stunning landscape of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains is just under an hour away by car.
• A visit to Stolpen Castle will give you an insight into the place where Countess Cosel spent her last days. (www.schloesserland-sachsen.de)
• The spa town of Bad Muskau with its park, palace and reminders of Prince Pückler is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• The “Via Sacra” cultural route runs through Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, connecting 15 of the most important shrines and holy sights in the region. The route also passes by Gaussig. (www.via-sacra.info)
• Follow Upper Lusatia’s “Road of Traditional Crafts” and experience the time-honoured crafts from blueprinting to weaving and “Pfefferküchler“ (a type of gingerbread) to pottery that form an important part of the region’s culture.
• The famous city of Dresden with its collections of priceless art, the Zwinger Palace, the green-roofed Semperoper opera house and Brühl’s terrace is only 45 minutes west of Gaussig.

Gaussig is also only 50 minutes from paradise – that is, the region called “Bohemian paradise”. There we recommend a visit to Sychrow Palace, where the notable French family Rohan went into exile after the French revolution. Friedland Castle, Frýdlant in Czech, is famous for its association with Wallenstein, the Duke of Friedland, and if you take a trip to Münchengrätz Palace, now known as Mnichovo Hradište, you can see his grave. Also worthy of a visit is Reichstadt castle, the seat of the son of Napoleon I when he was Duke of Reichstadt, now known as Zákupy.

Our staff will be happy to answer any questions you might have and can also arrange for tickets to the Semperoper opera house and concerts and theatre performances in the surrounding area.

And of course, as a guest at the hotel you are also welcome to attend the exquisite chamber music concerts held at Gaussig House with top musicians, including members of the Saxon State Orchestra and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.