Bautzen is a Lusatian town with a history dating back to the early Middle Ages. The Gothic-Renaissance Castle of Orten and part of the fortifications with numerous towers have been preserved here. A popular family attraction is the Kleinwelka Amusement Park.
The first traces of settlement in the vicinity of Bautzen come from the period of the Lusatian culture. In the early Middle Ages, the Polab Slavs founded their castle here, and were conquered by the Germans in the 9th century. At that time, the first castle was built, later captured by Bolesław Chrobry. It was here that the peace ending the war between Poland and the German Empire was signed in 1032.
The most important monuments of Bautzen come from the Middle Ages, when the city was in its heyday. It was surrounded by city walls with gates and towers. Some of them like the Tower of St. Nicholas, the Matthias Tower, the Lauen Tower and the Scholars' Tower have been preserved to this day. An interesting fact is the Leaning Tower, inclined from the vertical by 144 cm. There is a viewing platform at its top. The main building of the Old Town is the Orten Castle, which now houses the Lusatian Museum with a rich ethnographic collection of the Polabian Slavs and their culture. The gothic St. Peter.
The city can boast of interesting technical monuments. On the banks of the Spree, there is the 16th century Old Water Tower with a viewing gallery. The second, younger, Castle Water Tower is a beautiful complement to the city panorama. A monument of another kind is the Gedenkstätte Bautzen - Stasi Prison, a former detention center and now a memorial site for political prisoners.
Bautzen also has a good offer for families with children. There is the Kleinwelka amusement park with the largest garden Kleinwelka Labyrinth in Germany and the Dinosaur Park with sculptures of prehistoric reptiles on a scale of 1: 1.
