Via Sacra cycling pilgrimage route from Bautzen to Löbau

Bautzen is the capital of Upper Lusatia and the center of the Upper Sorbs, a Slavic ethnic group that settled here before the German eastward expansion and still maintains its own language, culture, and colorful customs. On a granite plateau high above the Spree stands the Ortenburg, the seat of the Upper Lusatian land vogts. They represented the Bohemian kings and, after 1635, the Saxon electors, who were also margraves of Upper Lusatia in personal union. Not far from the castle, the 83m high tower of St. Peter's rises into the sky. The cathedral is the oldest and largest simultaneum church in Germany. A walk around the outer walls of the Ortenburg (Easter Path) is highly recommended. When exploring the old town, especially worth visiting are the Nikolaifriedhof cemetery, the Old Waterworks, and the Reichenturm. The latter is called the "leaning tower of Bautzen" due to its lean of 1.44m.