Day 1: 20/08/2024
Morning: Departure to Görlitz
The wonderful German/Polish team of Pewobe g GmbH and Kompetenz team spent two days together to explore the borders cities of Görlitz/Zgorzelec. This project had a particular resonance with the young people familiar to the border situation of Frankfurt (Oder)/Słubice. In the late morning, we met together to the train station of Frankfurt (Oder) to catch the trains to Görlitz. The luck was with us because we did not miss our connected train.
Afternoon: Informal guided tour in Görlitz
Right after our arrival in the train station, we took some time to regain our energy after these static hours and explored by foot the streets of Görlitz. Is there a better way to grasp history than walking through the stunning Gothic, Renaissance? During our exploration, the teams listened to an informal guided tour. Thus, there learned more about the architectures, fountains but also about other cultural heritage.
- Görliwood : The first stop was, indeed in front of the Kaufhaus Görlitz. This old shopping mall dates from 1912. If nowadays it is under renovation, the roaring twenties echoes somehow through the closed door. Due to its beauty, it was especially chosen by Wes Anderson to picture the “Grand Budapest Hotel”
💡 Do you know that Görlitz is also called Görliwood ?
This city is a renowned film location where international filmmakers can enjoy the well preserved architecture. The young people learned that it does not matter to be a big city to be famous!
- The Old Town: Pursuing to the Old Town, we went ahead of the Frauen Turm and the Reichenbacher Turm. We walked with assurance to our destination…
- The Kaisertrutz Bastion: Dating from the 15th century, this Bastion offers now a sweet haven to discover more than 14 000 years of History. In fact, converted as a museum, the Kaisertrutz Bastion disposes of an impressive collection from the Prehistoric Age to the Contemporary Period. We delved into Görlitz’s rich history by exploring the Bastion’s three levels.
Evening: Lunch and interviews with locals near the German/Polish Bridge
- Lunchtime and visit of Görlitz: Because culture can fill the heart but not an empty stomach, our team joined together for the lunchtime after the visit. Replenished, we explored more the places of Görlitz such as the Obermarkt and the Untermakt. Our will was to see the bridge by the end of this first day.
- Interview with the locals: In front of the bridge connecting Görlitz and Zgorzelec, the young people conducted some interview with the local population.
By the end of the evening, we went to the Youth Hostel for the check-in. It offered us some time to rest and collect more energy for the night activities.
- Dinner and Nightwalk: The dinner took place in a restaurant in Zgorzelec. Right after the last meal of the day, we enjoyed together a night walk. We went up to Pfarrkirche St. Peter und Paul, where we could have a panoramic view of the Neiße river and the frontier. Our night excursion drove us near the Nikolaiturm. Then, we came back to the Old Town to admire the Town Hall.
💡 Do you know that Görlitz has an impressive Clock Tower?
At night, we waited in front of the clock and admire the changing of time. When the minutes passed, the huge figure of the watchman forming the clock opens his orange eyes and his mouth. This ingenious mechanic is there to remember that Görlitz experienced fires.
This first day concluded by a good night sleep to better enjoy the upcoming day to Zgorzelec.
Day 2: 21/08/2024
Morning: Breakfast and exploration of Zgorzelec
After a good breakfast, we packed our bags and left the Youth Hostel.
Direction Zgorzelec !
- A touristic walk in Zgorzelec: Just as the previous day, the group walked and received an informal guided tour about the city of Zgorzelc. For this matter, we stopped in front of the Jakob Böhme Haus and the Lusiatian Museum. They also reflected about the migration historical past of Zgorzelec in front of a commemorative stone dedicated to Greek migration in the city.
- The Park Andrzeja Błachańca and Interviews with the locals: Our walk ended in the Park Andrzeja Błachańca where we spotted another commemorative stone celebrating the friendship between Görlitz and Zgorzelec. The group conducted new interviews with the locals in Zgorzelec and enjoyed some free time.
Afternoon: Lunchtime in the Park and guided visit of the Miejski Dom Kultury w Zgorzelcu
For lunchtime, the group ate the lunch packages from the Youth Hostel. This allowed us to better enjoy the nature by eating outside.
A visit to Zgorzelec should not have been complete without seeing the Miejski Dom Kultury w Zgorzelcu (Oberlausitzer Gedenkhalle).
We were offered a guided tour to this marvelous monumental structure from the early 20th century. Comparatively, to our previous cultural experience of Görlitz and Zgorzelec, this building mix cleverly the traditional and the contemporary usage. In fact, our incredible guide explained to us that this place is nowadays an international cultural centre. The young people enjoyed discovering one by one all the rooms opened for us during this tour. Thus, we discovered the projection room, the conference room, the dance room, and we were captivated by the beauty of the contemporary art exposed at the time of our visit.
It will be for sure an unforgettable moment of our trip.
Evening: Dinner and departure to the train station
As all the good things come to an end, we left Zgorzelec to make our way home.
We took a different route to discover a second bridge. Likewise, we were not really alike on the way out and on the way back, as we were enriched by all the discoveries we had made on this trip.
We had dinner together and then took the train.
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