As far as cities go in Germany, Bautzen has done a remarkable job of transforming itself back into a picturesque and welcoming city. Located in far East Germany, with a population of approximately 38,000, it’s the 8th largest city in the German state of Saxony. Right on the River Spree, within the hilly Upper Lusatian Gefilde, Bautzen was the hometown of my grandfather and his family. They were all – quite literally – run out by the Nazis during WWII. He, along with numerous members of my immediate and extended family, returned to visit Bautzen over the years after WWII, like a pilgrimage of sorts.

My brother and I made the honored trip together in October 2022. We then returned in May 2025 with our immediate and extended family for a massive family reunion. The pictures in this blog are from both trips.

Unfortunately, Bautzen found itself on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain after WWII, so you won’t find as many English speakers here as other parts of Europe, but with the help of a translator app anything is possible 😄. Due to its location, it’s far closer to the border of Czech Republic (12.5 miles/20 km) and Poland (31 miles/50 km), than it is to Germany’s largest city, Berlin (146 miles/235 km). In 2022, when my brother and I took the train to Prague from Bautzen, we encountered far more Germans than that of any other country… including the Czech Republic.

I’ve always found the people of Bautzen to be very welcoming, warm, and friendly. However, be forewarned, it’s not a city heavy on tourism, or catering to foreigners, like other German cities such as Berlin, Frankfurt, or Munich may be, as they are much bigger tourist hotspots. While the larger cities are wonderful to visit, getting to explore the smaller, less visited cities, like Bautzen, is a unique experience. And regardless of Bautzen being smaller and less visited, there is still plenty to see and do.

With a city center that resembles a colorful medieval town, Bautzen is very picturesque. It’s a wonderful city to stroll, where you’ll pass beautiful historic buildings while walking down cobblestone streets. You can visit The Leaning Tower of Bautzen (The Reichenturm), which is one of the abruptest leaning, yet still usable towers in the Alps. Located in the Buttermarkt, it’s open daily from 10am to 5pm. It was built during the 1490s, but after several devastating fires and sieges, the foundation was rocked and the tower was first observed leaning in 1747. It wasn’t until the mid-1950’s that they finally fastened the foundation to keep it from leaning until it fell. It is now permanently deviated by almost 5 feet (1.44 meters).

After touring the Leaning Tower of Bautzen, take a stroll down the charming and quaint Buttermarkt, where you’ll find plenty of shopping and dining options. The street offers clothing boutiques, general stores (like Germany’s version of CVS), novelty shops, ice cream parlors, and a variety of restaurants serving Italian, American, and, of course, authentic German cuisine. We met up with some family to enjoy a delicious lunch of traditional Bratwurst and potatoes.

Then take a stroll up the hill to Ortenburg Castle, a 10th-century castle built by Henry I upon the site of a 7th-century fort, and later rebuilt by Matthias Corvin, King of Hungary in the 15th-century. Although it’s said to be open 24 hours a day, we didn’t get the chance to go inside. However, we were able to walk through the gates and stroll along the castle grounds.

You can visit The Alter Wasserturm (the new water tower), which is an impressive historical landmark. Built in 1877, it was constructed to meet the town’s growing population and increasing water demand during the Industrial Revolution, with an elevated tank capacity of 1,000 cubic meters. In use for nearly 100 years, it was decommissioned in 1967 when the Strehla waterworks took over the city’s water supply. While it was once fully open to the public, since December 2017, interior access has been limited to special events.

Take a visit St. Peter’s Cathedral, a 13th-century Baroque and Gothic style church located in the heart of Old Town. Built between 1456 and 1463, it’s one of the oldest and largest shared domination churches in Germany. Today, it is shared by Catholics and Lutherans, with corresponding altars located on separate sides of the sanctuary. 

One beautiful place to visit is St. Nikolaikirche, or Saint Nicholas Church, in Old Town. Free to enter, it’s no longer an active place of worship, however, a small chapel was built on the grounds in 1848 that has been used for funerals since 1852. Originally built in the early to mid-1400s, the church was destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War in 1620. Although efforts to rebuild the church persisted, due to financial reasons, it was ultimately decided to restore the Church of Our Lady instead, which had also been destroyed in 1634. As a result, St. Nicholas Church remains in ruins to this day. Today, the site serves as an important cemetery for the city of Bautzen, particularly for Roman Catholics, and is the final resting place of numerous notable Sorbian figures.

For some spookish lore, go check out the Hexenhaus, or “Witches House”, located in Old Town. It is the oldest preserved residential building still standing in Bautzen. Built in 1604, it was originally built as a fisherman’s hut, and survived the great fire of 1634. It has withstood all other fires, sieges, and acts of war. Some of the original wooden shingles from the 15th-century still remain on the roof today. It was graced its name from the lore that it was protected by a gypsy. A slight reconstruction was done in 1959.

Bautzen is also home to 6 museums, including the Museum Bautzen, which is dedicated to the history and culture of the city of Bautzen. Our family was prominently featured in a traveling exhibition while we were there in 2022, as well a smaller, permanent exhibition. There is also the Sorbian Museum, which is dedicated to the Sorbs, a West Slavic ethno-cultural minority from the Lusatia region, and the Mustard Museum, which you guessed it, a museum dedicated to mustard and Bautzen’s role in the globalization of its consumption. Yum!

On a more personal note, we visited my grandfather’s childhood home during both visits. Although the building now houses several families, so we couldn’t go inside either time, simply seeing it from the outside was meaningful. Even more significant, it’s where the Stolpersteine’s dedicated to my grandfather, great-grandfather, great-grandmother, and great-uncle are located. Getting the chance to see them twice, and showing my daughter the stones honoring the great-grandfather she never had the opportunity to meet, was an indescribable experience. Stolpersteine’s can be found throughout Bautzen, and across Germany, honoring countless victims of the Holocaust.

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Overall, if you ever take a trip to Germany (or perhaps Czech Republic or Poland), I highly suggest plotting in a visit to beautiful and historic Bautzen. It’s only about 30 minutes from the Polish border, 2 hours from Prague, 2 hours from Wrocław in Poland, 2.5 hours from Berlin, and 4.5 from Munich. All easy train rides and a very doable day or overnight trip. It’s a city that’s done a remarkable job at revitalizing itself, transforming back to the charming, friendly, and welcoming city that existed pre-WWII. Please don’t pass up the opportunity to see the wonderful, colorful, and lovely German city of Bautzen!