Anja Weber
The Götzinger Höhe is considered the balcony of Neustadt in Saxony. Rumors have been swirling since the hotel and restaurant closed in mid-May 2024. It is feared that the restaurant will never open again. This would mean the region would lose a traditional excursion destination. After all, the team was still able to celebrate the three-star classification in November 2022. "Guests can feel the personal touch of the expertly managed hotel as soon as they check in. The terrace with its wonderful panoramic view over the countryside is particularly popular in summer," is one of the reasons given by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA), which awards the stars.
The Götzinger Höhe and the restaurant on the Ungerberg belong to Neustädter Berggasthöfe GmbH. Its managing director Robert Klaus assured us in June of this year that the Götzinger Höhe was only temporarily closed and that they were working on a new concept. This apparently now means that a new tenant is being sought for the restaurant. Apparently there is no such person yet. Efforts are underway to find one, says Neustadt's mayor Peter Mühle (non-party). After all, the town also advertises the excursion destination as a tourist attraction - especially the observation tower. It is owned by the town. Originally, the restaurant staff opened the tower early in the morning and locked it again in the evening.
Now that the restaurant is closed, at least the tower is permanently accessible. There is a small latch on the door that just needs to be opened and you can climb the tower free of charge and enjoy the wonderful view of the Neustadt valley. There is a donation box at the tower. If you particularly enjoyed the climb and would like to contribute to the preservation of the tower, you can put a small donation in the box, which the town will then use for maintenance work on the tower.
Wide panoramic view beyond Neustadt
The iron observation tower is 25 meters high. From there, you have a magnificent panoramic view of the Neustadt valley as far as the Lusatian Mountains and Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland. On a clear day, you can even see as far as the Ore Mountains on one side and the Jizera Mountains and the Giant Mountains on the other.
The observation tower has been standing since 1883 and the steel scaffolding has been renovated several times and later extensively reconstructed. If you want to climb the tower, you have to use the open spiral staircase. 84 steps lead to the first platform at a height of around 16 meters. There are then a further 40 steps to the upper plateau.