On the Via Nisa historical pilgrimage route | #06 stage

Předpokládaná doba čtení: 10 minut

The sixth stage of our shared journey awaits, and this time most of it will take place beyond the German border. As opposed to the previous trail, this one is a rather pleasant walk without any major climbs. We can once again look forward to the splendours of nature and more stamps for our collection. Are you ready to head out? Here we go!

Refreshments along the way

Since the majority of today’s route falls beyond the German border, we recommend that you bring your own refreshments for the road. Hunger is a perilous pitfall that must be accounted for. 27.3 kilometres lie ahead of us, thus a snack will most certainly come in handy. In addition, meal vouchers and eStravenka cards can be used for shopping in many shops on the Czech side.

Congratulations! Your legs have braved countless kilometres and your metabolism is burning through calories like on a treadmill. It is therefore worth noting that although stage #06 may commence with breakfast, the next closest meal will be dinner at the Marienthal Monastery. And that is only if you arrive in time for it, as the local pub closes at 8:00 p.m. Surely you have an ample supply of cereal bars, Tatranky wafers, dried meat, and dried fruit in your backpack (do you?). We have prepared a little tour inspiration for you…

THE ”TOULAVÁ BOTA“ (WANDERING SHOE) SANDWICH

• Pastries (cut baguette, toasted bread)
• Lučina dip
• Ham
• Tomatoes
• Sliced cheese (the harder, the better; Gouda, Emmental and Ermine are also suitable)
• Fresh fruit: apples, bananas, pears… those don’t get squashed in your backpack
• Nuts
• Water

What about stamps?

• Pilgrimage stamp 10 – Brána Trojzemí
• Pilgrimage stamp 11 – Tourismus Information Zittau
• Pilgrimage stamp 12 – Kloster St. Marienthal

Photo: Ruben Vančo

Route of the sixth stage

From our previous destination of Hrádek nad Nisou, today we will march on along the yellow tourist route to the TIM Hrádek nad Nisou border. There we will cross to the German side. Beyond the border, our route follows the marked road called Oberlasitzer Ringweg, along which we will make our way to the centre of Zittau, where several places are well deserving of your attention. Do not miss out on the Church of St. John (Johanniskirche) which was nearly destroyed during the bombing of Zittau in 1757 and rebuilt in the following years. The church is open to the public during the day, and it is also possible to access the viewing platform. Another place of significance is the Church of the Holy Cross (Kirche zum Heiligen Kreuz), which stands in evidence of Zittau’s close ties to the Czech environment. Its architecture is clearly based on the works of the Parler smelter. It sustained heavy damage during the Thirty Years’ War and was left to dilapidate further for a long time after 1945. At the end of the last century, it was finally restored as an exhibition hall. The final place is the Monastery Church (Klosterkirche), specific in its architecture and one of the main landmarks of Zittau and the entire region. Its late Gothic interiors are often described as being absolutely breathtaking and, as its name suggests, the church is part of the no longer existing Franciscan monastery. The church is accessible as part of the tour of the local museum and is certainly worth a visit. Our new destination will be the information centre in the historic core of the city, where the eleventh pilgrimage stamp can be obtained. Next, we will continue along the red tourist route past Oberlausitzer Ringweg all the way to Hirschfelde. Our last destination today will be the Monastery of St. Marienthall. It is the oldest continuously functioning Cistercian convent in Germany, founded by the Czech Queen Kunhuta Štaufská. The monastery is the destination of today’s stage, and it is here that you may acquire the twelfth pilgrimage stamp for your collection.

Accommodation

This stage will bring us to the German side of the border, so it is strongly recommended to secure accommodation close to the destination ahead of time. In that regard, we bring you several suggestions for places to rest before continuing your journey.

We wish you a pleasant journey!