Major events draw large numbers of visitors to the city. Highlights include the Street Theatre Festival, the Old City Festival and the Festival of St. Jacob. UNESCO world heritage sites and biosphere reserves all go to make the Neisse-Nisa-Nysa Region of Europe a very distinctive and interesting one in terms of its cultural wealth and its recreation and leisure amenities. Quite simply: It’s got everything!

The character of the streets and squares, and the flair of the historical parks and gardens give the city its distinctive face. In addition to its historical quarter, Görlitz has self-contained quarters dating from the late nineteenth century and areas in Art Nouveau style; magnificent villas are testimony to the city’s rich heritage.

The German city of Görlitz is an old city rich in history, the Polish city of Zgorzelec is a young community with Polish charm. The city of two halves presents itself as a green city. Numerous parks and extensive swathes of open areas provide a variety of opportunities for recreation. The appeal of the region, which brings together art, culture and nature, is hard to find elsewhere.

Recently made famous as the setting for Wes Anderson's film “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” the Goerlitz department store is a majestic, airy structure with a beautiful leaded glass dome over the atrium, striking brass chandeliers and a grand staircase leading to the balconied terraces of the upper floors. Görlitz is hosting such international productions as "Around the World in 80 Days", "The Reader", "The Book Thief", "Inglorious Basterds", and "Grand Budapest Hotel".