Places of interest in Guben
As one of the oldest towns in Lower Lusatia, Guben looks back on almost 790 years of eventful history. As early as the 14th century, the town on the Neisse river experienced its first heyday with wine and fruit growing, cloth-making, shipping on the Neisse river and long-distance trade. As a result of industrialisation in the 19th century, Guben successfully developed into a hat-making and industrial town of worldwide renown. After the Second World War the town centre was almost destroyed, and the Potsdam Agreement sealed the separation of the town into two parts. Since then, the historic old town, which was severely damaged during the war, has been on the Polish side and the industrial part on the German side. With the upswing in the post-war period, Guben developed into one of the most important chemical fibre production sites of the GDR and the hats produced in Guben were known worldwide.
Despite its industrial past, Guben today boasts a green centre and idyllic squares on the Neisse and Egelneisse rivers. A walk along the small, dreamily flowing Egelneisse is especially recommended on hot days.
