national park
Saxon Switzerland National Park
A surreal landscape of eroded sandstone pillars, arches, and mesas along the Elbe, beloved by rock climbers and landscape painters.
34 km · about 40 min drive
EuropeGermanySaxony
Bautzen
Saxony, Germany · Europe
About Bautzen
Bautzen sits on the route: 10 minutes from Doberschau, 34km from Saxon Switzerland National Park.
Bautzen is in Saxony, Germany, with about 42,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Doberschau, about 4 km away.
Bautzen (German pronunciation: [ˈbaʊtsn̩] ) or Budyšin (Upper Sorbian pronunciation: [ˈbudɨʃin] ), until 1868 Budissin in German, is a town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river, is the eighth most populous town in Saxony, and is theRead more
seat of Saxony's largest district. Bautzen lies in the bilingual Sorbian settlement area of Lusatia, and is Lusatia's third-largest town after Cottbus and Görlitz, as well as the second-largest town in Upper Lusatia.
The town lies in the hilly Upper Lusatian Gefilde, a part of the northwesternmost foothills of the Sudetes, just north of the Lusatian Highlands. Bautzen is the first larger town on the Spree River, and the Bautzen Reservoir lies in the north of the town. In 2021, Bautzen had a population of around 38,000.
Although Görlitz is larger, it is Bautzen that is regarded as the historical capital of Upper Lusatia. Bautzen is the political and cultural center of the entirety of the Slavic minority of the Sorbs (Upper and Lower), although Lower Lusatia and the Lower Sorbian-speaking Sorbs have their own, second center, which is Cottbus. About 10 percent of Bautzen's population is Upper Sorbian-speaking. The use of the language is more widespread in the countryside surrounding the town than in the town itself. Bautzen is the seat of several Sorbian institutions like the Domowina, the German-Sorbian People's Theater (Němsko-Serbske ludowe dźiwadło), and Sorbian Broadcasting.
From 1346 until 1815, the town was a member of the Lusatian League. The Bautzen Wenceslaus' Market (Bautzener Wenzelsmarkt, Upper Sorbian: Budyske Wjacławske wiki) is "Germany's oldest Christmas market mentioned in a chronicle". Asteroid 11580 Bautzen is named in honour of the city.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bautzen?
Within an hour or so of Bautzen: Saxon Switzerland National Park (34 km), Bohemian Switzerland National Park (34 km), Bastei Bridge (35 km), Pravčická Gate (35 km).
Where is Bautzen?
Bautzen is in Saxony, Germany, about 4 km from Doberschau.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 41,972
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Germany
- Region
- Saxony
- Timezone
- Europe/Berlin
- Coordinates
- 51.1803, 14.4349
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Germany
ADAC roadside assistance: +49 89 22 22 22. No general speed limit on some autobahn sections but advisory 130 km/h.
Full driving guide for GermanyTags
Worth the detour from Bautzen
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
national park
Bohemian Switzerland National Park
A mesmerizing landscape of deep gorges, towering sandstone pillars, and dense forests in the Czech-German borderlands along the Elbe River.
34 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Bastei Bridge
A spectacular sandstone bridge spanning jagged rock pillars 194 metres above the Elbe in Saxon Switzerland National Park.
35 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Pravčická Gate
The largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, standing majestically in the heart of Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
35 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Bohemian Switzerland (Pravčická Brána)
Sandstone wonderland in the Czech Republic with Europe's largest natural stone arch and dramatic rock formations.
35 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Pravcicka brana
Largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, the centrepiece of Bohemian Switzerland National Park, walked from car parks at Hrensko or Mezni Louka.
35 km · about 40 min drive
castle
Königstein Fortress
A vast hilltop fortress on a sandstone plateau above the Elbe, with ramparts offering panoramic views over Saxon Switzerland.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Görlitz Old Town
Germany's easternmost city, a stunningly preserved jumble of Gothic, Renaissance and baroque facades nicknamed 'Görliwood'.
39 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Bautzen
- 42 kmRakotzbrückeA fairy-tale 'Devil's Bridge' whose arch forms a perfect circle with its reflection in Kromlau's rhododendron park.
- 63 kmJested TowerA rocket-shaped 1970s hotel and TV tower crowning the 1,012 m summit above Liberec, reached by a twisting mountain road with sweeping views over Bohemia: an icon of Czech modernist architecture.
Driving in Germany
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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