Zittau (Žitawa, Žytawa, Żytawa, Žitava, Upper Lusatian Dialect: Sitte; from Slavic "rye" (Upper Sorbian and Czech: žito, Lower Sorbian: žyto, Polish: żyto)) is the southeasternmost city in the German state of Saxony, and is located in the district of Görlitz, Germany's easternmost district. It has a population of around 25,000, and is one of the most important cities in the region of Lusatia (Upper Lusatia).
The inner city of Zittau still shows its original beauty with many houses from several architectural periods: the famous town hall built in an Italian style, the church of St John and the stables (Salzhaus) with its medieval heritage. This multi-storied building is one of the oldest of its kind in Germany.
Zittau sits on the Mandau River, while the Lusatian Neisse, which forms the border with Poland, touches the city in the east. The confluence of both rivers is located in the southeast of the city. Further south is a tripoint of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, and the incorporated village of Hartau lies where the Lusatian Neisse forms the German/Czech border for a short distance. Zittau lies in the Zittau Basin, just north of the Zittau Mountains (part of the Sudetes). Zittau is located right next to the Turów Coal Mine, one of the largest artificial holes visible from space, on the other side of the Lusatian Neisse.
