Berlin to Gorlitz and Muskau Park: Private day trip

Although Gorlitz has provided the setting for many famous movies over the years (Grand Hotel Budapest, Inglourious Basterds, and The Monuments Men to name just a few), it is the fabulous Peterskirche Gorlitz with its mighty twin towers that takes the accolades. The church majestically sits on a hill overlooking the River Neisse within the town walls and both the interior and exterior are an inspiration. This Gothic church, which could easily pass for a cathedral, is an object of extraordinary beauty. The Romanesque doorway adorned with spooky gargoyles hiding beneath the branches of the arch, the luminous fifteenth-century gothic interior, and the organ from 1703 with its mind-blowing sound effects, all add to an incredible visitor experience. Feel free to stop, take a seat in a pew and just look up at the incredible ceiling to add to the sense of wonderment that makes a visit to this church a truly memorable occasion.

The park was designed in the nineteenth-century by Prince Hermann von Puckler-Muskau, who dreamed of creating a park resembling an art gallery by combining nature and architecture along the banks of the River Neisse. Stretching over 545 hectares, this vast green area is populated with forests, castles, lakes, wells, bridges, plus a cottage and a chapel. Walking through the park, where something delightful waits at every turn, is an incredible experience as you meander through one man’s private fantasy. Although artificially planned and built, the park is in harmony with nature, with thoughtfully balanced features and following the paths around the park reveals sweeping views of rolling meadows. This is the ideal location for a stroll or a picnic to see why the park often invites comparison with those found in English stately homes. It also provides visitors with the unique opportunity to enter a different country simply by crossing the bridge over a small river!