This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Bautzen.
Around forty thousand people live in Bautzen, Saxony, Germany, a town in the east of Saxony, near the Polish and Czech borders. Saxony is located in Eastern Germany, and belonged to the the GDR, the German Democratic Republic, until the late twentieth century, when the Cold War ended with the collapse of Communism. The subsequent economic decline hit Bautzen, as well. A rising unemployment rate forced locals to move away, often to Western Germany. In the decade before the end of the GDR, more than fifty-one thousand people people were living in Bautzen, around eleven thousand more than nowadays. However, the economy in Saxony has been recovering during the last decade and the number of inhabitants is rather stable now.
Bautzen is rich in Medieval architecture, museums, and cultural events. For example you can find the German-Sorbisches Peoples Theater, where the Sorbisches National-Ensemble presents German and Sorbian culture to you. The Sorbs are a minority in Saxony, and Bautzen is a very important cultural centre for them. The beautiful town centre is very compact and most sights are in walking distances.
History and culture enthusiasts cannot miss the Bautzen Prison Memorials. The detention center was infamous during the Communist regime. Today, the complex is a memorial site to remind visitors of the victims of both Bautzen prison institutions. The memorials focus on the history of the prison during the more-than-a-decade-long National Socialism regime before the middle of the twentieth century as well as during the Cold War period. A happier part of the local history is the enchanting Medieval architecture. Bautzen is renowned for its historical town centre, with its skyline of beautiful Medieval towers. Check out the Tower Reichenturm, one of the steepest leaning and still-passable towers north of the Alps as well as Ortenburg Castle. Many more worth-seeing monuments, such as the Old Waterworks, are located in the town centre.
The town offers you a decent supply of hotels and guesthouses in the centre. Most accommodations are clustered in the Old Town. Smaller hotels, with mostly three or four stars, are very common. Tourists with a small budget can check out a Bautzen, Saxony, Germany hostel in town. You'll find clean facilities and a focus on tourist groups and families at a Bautzen, Saxony, Germany hostel -- it is not a party place. A hostel in Bautzen, Saxony, Germany is suitable to spend some relaxed days in the Medieval town centre.
Written by local enthusiast for Bautzen hostels
Flo
