Oybin Castle and Monastery

In the middle of the Zittau Mountains, a sandstone rock rises about 120 metres above the village of Oybin. On its summit Emperor Charles IV began building a residence for his retirement in 1364 and a few years later founded a monastery, whose Gothic church still soars skywards as a tall ruin. Romantic painters such as Caspar David Friedrich and Carl Gustav Carus made the Oybin famous. The castle, the monastery ruins and the small mountain cemetery between them form one of the best-known sights of Upper Lusatia.

History: robber barons, an emperor's seat, a ruin

The first traces of settlement date from the Bronze Age. The Oybin appears in records in 1291, when the town of Zittau destroyed a castle used as a base by robber knights. From 1311 it was expanded into a fortified complex guarding the trade routes. In 1364 Charles IV built the Emperor's House, and in 1369 he gave the mountain to the Celestine monks. The monastery church was built between 1366 and 1384, with the involvement of Peter Parler's workshop from Prague Cathedral. Hussite troops besieged the mountain twice in vain, in 1420 and 1429, after which it was considered impregnable. With the Reformation the monks left; the last one moved to Zittau in 1559. In 1577 lightning set the church on fire, a rockfall in 1681/82 destroyed further parts, and villagers used the walls as a quarry.

What to see

• Monastery church: The ruin's tall Gothic window openings stand free against the sky. Thanks to the good acoustics, concerts have been held here since 1972.
• Emperor's House and castle courtyard: The remains of Charles's residence on the west side, secured in 1877, together with the castle gate and defensive walls.
• Mountain cemetery: Since around 1512 to 1515, the village has buried its dead between the rocks and the monastery walls. This is the very scene the Romantic painters captured.
• Exhibitions: In the residential tower, the permanent exhibition "The Oybin – a rock in world history" covers the mountain's story; in the Bahrhaus the theme is "Saints and Sinners".
• Camera obscura and circular path: A camera obscura stands at the highest point, and a path leads around the entire summit plateau.

Good to know

During the Hussite Wars, part of the treasure of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague was kept safe on the Oybin. The mountain has its legend too: the Brothers Grimm and Ludwig Bechstein recorded the tale of the "Maiden's Leap". After the Second World War, Hermann Knobloch rescued the almost destroyed Great Zittau Lenten Veil of 1472 here. Up to 100,000 people climb the mountain every year.

Opening hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

• April to October: 09:00–18:00; November to March: 10:00–16:00. On 24 and 31 December the gate closes at 14:00. The site is open all year.
• Admission April to October: €9, reduced €8, children aged 6 to 14 €3, families €22.
• Admission November to March: €6, reduced €5.50, children €2, families €14.

Themed tours, for example by torchlight in the evening, are available on request.

Getting there

The climb starts in the centre of Oybin village, passes the Bergkirche and takes about 15 minutes. A lovely alternative leads through the Ritterschlucht, a narrow rock cleft. The most atmospheric way to arrive is on the narrow-gauge railway from Zittau, which has been running to Oybin since 1890.

Tripto tip

Allow two to three hours for the climb, the ruins and the exhibitions. After the entrance, walk the circular path around the plateau first to see how the castle and monastery grow out of the rock. Sturdy shoes are worth it, as the paths over steps and sandstone are uneven. In July a medieval castle and monastery festival takes place in odd-numbered years, and the "Monastery Night" in even-numbered years.