Things to do nearby

A Baroque church with two towers on a hill at the foot of the Lusatian Mountains, built to plans by Octavio Broggio in the early 18th century. Behind the church stands a masonry arch with Stations of the Cross paintings from 1807; inside is an organ by Anton Feller from 1884.

The church was slated for demolition in 1961 and has been gradually restored since 1989. It is a protected cultural monument.

A small zoo at the Malevil resort in Heřmanice v Podještědí where you can get really close to the animals: llamas, Cameroon and domestic goats, sheep, a donkey, an ostrich, ponies, pigs, raccoons, ferrets, rabbits and poultry, plus parrots in an aviary.

A botanical garden is right next door. Open all year round – a great trip for families with children.

Remains of a 13th-century castle on the summit of Žernov (544 m), which once guarded the trade route from Česká Lípa to Zittau. Its name (German Mühlstein – millstone) recalls the sandstone quarrying for millstones that eventually destroyed the castle.

A green-marked trail leads to the top; the Silver Spring (Stříbrná studánka) is about 200 m away.

A romantic castle and monastery ruin on a sandstone rock in the Zittau Mountains, just across the border. Emperor Charles IV built an imperial residence here and in 1369 founded a Celestine monastery whose Gothic church is still breathtaking.

The ruins were made famous by Romantic painters including Caspar David Friedrich. Guided tours, concerts and historical festivals take place here, and there is a camera obscura at the top.

No need to go far for a meal: Hostinec Husky is 50 m and restaurant U Tří lip 100 m from the guesthouse. Farma Hvozd is just under 3 km away.

A historic narrow-gauge railway (750 mm) running from Zittau to the resorts of Kurort Oybin and Kurort Jonsdorf in the Zittau Mountains. Fun for kids and adults and an easy way to explore without a car.

The nearest stations, Kurort Jonsdorf and Oybin, are 6 and 7 km from the guesthouse.

One of the oldest noble castles in Bohemia, founded around 1240 and later rebuilt as a Renaissance château. St. Zdislava of Lemberk lived here. Its highlight is the Fable Hall with a coffered ceiling from 1610 showing 77 animal fables.

A national cultural monument, open to visitors from April to October.