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Study in Görlitz district

Görlitz is a largely rural district in eastern Saxony, with university life in Zittau and Görlitz, historic towns and mountain walks.

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Görlitz old town and Obermarkt viewed from Reichenbacher Turm
Photo: Frank Kuropka (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

In short

Görlitz is a rural district (Landkreis) in Saxony with 243,958 people (Destatis, 31 Dec 2024). It has one university: Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz (Zittau). Summers average 18.2 °C and winters 0.6 °C, with about 694 mm of rain a year (DWD, 1991–2020).

Görlitz district in numbers

Population

243,958Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Area

2,111.4 km²Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

People per km²

116Destatis 2024 (opens in a new tab)

Universities in the district

1Where Is My Uni? catalogue (opens in a new tab)

Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz

Typical student rent

€269 per monthSource (opens in a new tab)

Published rent per person for a furnished single room in a two- or four-person shared flat in Wohnheim F, Zittau. Undated operator listing checked November 2026; this is a residence price, not a district-wide market average.

Average temperature

9.2 °C a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Rain

694 mm a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Sunshine

1,792 hours a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

Frost days

85 a yearDWD 1991–2020 (opens in a new tab)

About Görlitz district

Görlitz district covers the eastern part of Upper Lusatia in Saxony. Its two university towns offer different settings: Görlitz has a historic centre beside the Polish border, while Zittau sits close to the Zittau Mountains (JobKompass (opens in a new tab), Saxony Tourism (opens in a new tab), Naturpark Zittauer Gebirge (opens in a new tab)).

Beyond the campus towns, landmarks include Löbau’s cast-iron lookout tower and the cross-border Muskau Park at Bad Muskau. This is a good setting to consider if you want historic streets and outdoor trips alongside your studies (Löbau (opens in a new tab), UNESCO (opens in a new tab)).

Main towns

Universities here

Universities in Görlitz district, biggest first.

Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz has campuses and student accommodation in both Zittau and Görlitz; choose your home around the location of your course (HSZG housing (opens in a new tab)). The RB65 connects the two towns, making travel between them possible, but check the timetable against your classes before committing to a daily commute (VBB (opens in a new tab)). This setting is worth considering if student clubs and access to nature appeal to you: the university lists Maus in Görlitz and DeZi-Bar in Zittau as local meeting places (HSZG clubs (opens in a new tab)).

Find a course in Görlitz

Housing

Availability differs between the campus towns. On 9 October 2026, Studentenwerk Dresden reported that Vogtshof in Görlitz was fully occupied, while rooms remained available in Zittau. That supports an easier residence search in Zittau at that point, rather than a blanket claim that housing is easy throughout the district (Studentenwerk Dresden (opens in a new tab)).

The typical student rent we found, and what that figure covers, is in the key facts.

How to find a place

Student residences

Cost of living

Useful budget anchors are the €269 monthly shared-flat room listed at Wohnheim F and the €3–5 cafeteria lunch estimate in HSZG’s international guide for 2026/27 (Studentenwerk Dresden (opens in a new tab), HSZG international guide (opens in a new tab)). A separately purchased Deutschlandticket costs €63 monthly in 2026; check your university ticket entitlement before buying another subscription (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab), HSZG student council (opens in a new tab)). These provide practical starting points, but no verified like-for-like comparison with big-city living costs was established.

Jobs & employers

Engineering, healthcare, research and tourism provide distinct employment routes. Siemens Energy manufactures industrial steam turbines in Görlitz, the municipal hospital offers employment and placement routes, and the district’s JobKompass covers tourism and hospitality employers (Siemens Energy (opens in a new tab), Klinikum Görlitz (opens in a new tab), JobKompass (opens in a new tab)). For work alongside classes, start with university assistant roles and hospitality employers, then check hours, language requirements and the actual workplace.

Typical student jobs

Major employers

Getting around

ZVON is the local transport association. Regional trains connect Görlitz with Dresden via Bautzen, and Zittau with Dresden via Bischofswerda (VVO (opens in a new tab)). DB’s November 2026 examples put direct Görlitz–Dresden Hbf journeys at roughly 1 hour 20 minutes; check your travel date for changes (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab)). RB65 links Zittau, Görlitz, Weißwasser and Cottbus (VBB (opens in a new tab)). The Deutschlandticket covers ordinary local and regional public transport in Germany; check cross-border validity separately before travelling into Poland or Czechia (Deutsche Bahn (opens in a new tab)). For accommodation outside the campus towns, check the final evening connection before signing a lease.

Main stations
Nearest airport

Dresden Airport (DRS)

The nearby commercial-airport option to check first. Its S2 rail service connects with Dresden-Neustadt and Dresden Hbf, where onward regional connections serve the district (Dresden Airport transport (opens in a new tab), VVO (opens in a new tab)).

Weather & seasons

Long-term averages from the German Weather Service station Görlitz (16 km from the district centre), 1991–2020.

Winter

0.6 °C

49 mm rain a month

2.2 h sun a day

Spring

9 °C

49 mm rain a month

6 h sun a day

Summer

18.2 °C

83 mm rain a month

7.5 h sun a day

Autumn

9.4 °C

51 mm rain a month

3.9 h sun a day

Expect cold, often frosty winters and warmer summers, with rain possible throughout the year. Pack waterproof layers for walks and a warm coat for winter journeys to campus. Spring and autumn suit exploring the Zittau Mountains’ walking trails, while December brings Görlitz’s Christmas market (Saxony geology service (opens in a new tab), market organiser (opens in a new tab)).

Culture, language & food

Local identity combines Upper Lusatian traditions with a visible border setting. Around Zittau, traditional Umgebindehäuser are characteristic buildings; in Görlitz, the old-town bridge makes neighbouring Zgorzelec part of an easy cross-border walk (Naturpark Zittauer Gebirge (opens in a new tab), Saxony Tourism (opens in a new tab)).

For student evenings, Maus in Görlitz and DeZi-Bar in Zittau are concrete starting points: both are listed by HSZG as pubs and party organisers. Expect to build your social routine around particular clubs and events; these are small campus towns (HSZG clubs (opens in a new tab)).

Plan to learn German even if your course uses English. HSZG’s international guide says most modules are taught in German, while selected programmes use English; check the requirements of your particular programme rather than treating English as a campus-wide teaching language (HSZG international guide (opens in a new tab)). As a practical goal, aim for conversational German for everyday errands and stronger German for customer-facing work. HSZG offers German as a foreign language, alongside other language courses (HSZG language centre (opens in a new tab)). You may hear Upper Lusatian dialect, particularly in the southern part of the region (dialect background (opens in a new tab)).

Local food

Places & events

Places to see

  • Görlitz old town and Altstadtbrücke

    Old town

    Walk between the market squares, Peterskirche and the pedestrian bridge to Zgorzelec (Saxony Tourism (opens in a new tab)).

  • Muskauer Park

    UNESCO

    A landscaped park extending across the Neisse and the German–Polish border, with a reconstructed castle, bridges and an arboretum (UNESCO (opens in a new tab)).

  • Zittau Mountains around Oybin and Jonsdorf

    Nature

    Sandstone formations and walking trails south of Zittau offer a practical destination for an outdoor study break (Saxony geology service (opens in a new tab)).

  • Oybin castle and monastery ruins

    Castle

    Historic castle and monastery remains on Berg Oybin, highlighted among the nature park’s cultural sights (Naturpark Zittauer Gebirge (opens in a new tab)).

  • König-Friedrich-August-Turm, Löbau

    Viewpoint

    The cast-iron lookout tower on Löbauer Berg is the town’s distinctive landmark (Löbau (opens in a new tab)).

Events

  • Zittau market square and town hall

    Zittau market square and town hall

  • The New Castle in Bad Muskau

    The New Castle in Bad Muskau

Student experiences

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Studying in Görlitz district: FAQ

Is Görlitz district a good place to live as a student?

It is worth considering if you want small-town university life with identifiable student meeting places. HSZG lists Maus in Görlitz and DeZi-Bar in Zittau as pubs and party organisers (HSZG (opens in a new tab)).

Is there a university in Görlitz district?

Yes. Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz operates in both Zittau and Görlitz, with student residences available in both towns; check your course’s campus before choosing accommodation (HSZG (opens in a new tab)).

Can I travel between Zittau and Görlitz by train?

Yes. Both towns are on the RB65 route, which continues through Weißwasser to Cottbus. Check current departure times and engineering-work notices before planning a regular commute (VBB (opens in a new tab)).

How much does student accommodation cost in Görlitz district?

One verified example is €269 monthly for a furnished single room in a shared flat at Wohnheim F in Zittau, listed by the operator when checked in November 2026. This is a specific residence price, not an average for private rentals (Studentenwerk Dresden (opens in a new tab)).

Is it easier to find a student room in Zittau or Görlitz?

The latest verified operator statement, dated 9 October 2026, reported vacancies in Zittau but full occupancy at Görlitz’s Vogtshof. Availability can change, so apply and request a current offer (Studentenwerk Dresden (opens in a new tab)).

What jobs can students look for in Görlitz district?

Useful starting points include university assistant work and hospitality employers. HSZG’s ZukLOS publishes student assistant opportunities, while the district’s JobKompass lists tourism and service employers; check each opening for hours and language requirements (ZukLOS (opens in a new tab), JobKompass (opens in a new tab)).

More guides

Sources & photo credits

Last updated November 2026. Population and area: Destatis. Weather: Deutscher Wetterdienst. Universities and courses: our catalogue. Everything else was researched from the sources below and checked — how we research these guides.

Sources

Photo credits

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