Großschönau - a village weaves history!

The textile village of Großschönau with its resort town of Waltersdorf is beautifully situated in the Zittau Mountains
Nature Park. Why textile village? While at Rumpelstiltskin spun straw into gold, valuable yarns were the basis for
the wealth of a certain part of the population in this region. Großschönau is the cradle of the German damask and
terry cloth industry. Großschönau is more closely linked to the textile history of damask and terry weaving than any
other community in Germany. In no other place has real damask been woven so much and for so long.
Are you thinking about grandma's good old table linen, which still adorns your Sunday table thanks to its high
quality? Or the terry towels in the closet? Take a look, maybe you are much closer to Großschönau than you think...
The townscape of Großschönau is strongly influenced by the centuries-old textile tradition: Anyone who visits the
place will notice the many small and large half-timbered houses, which were mostly weavers' houses, the unusually
large number of villas for a village, which often belonged to manufacturers, but also the many factories and
Production companies that are still used commercially, but unfortunately some of them are also lying idle.
In particular, the over 660 half-timbered houses, most of which are listed buildings - idyllically located on the
Mandau and Lausur rivers - give Großschönau and Waltersdorf a homely appearance, just as if you were a guest
in a living open-air museum. This is a worldwide unique event. The “Hauslebauers”, as we call them, lovingly
look after their houses and front gardens and give the two places a very special atmosphere.
The architecturally unique sandstone door frames on the houses also contribute to this.
The half-timbered houses can be viewed and used in a variety of ways throughout the community.
Be it the regular local tours, the numerous restaurants that are located in half-timbered houses or also offer
workshops for traditional crafts, such as ceramic art or pewter foundry. A very special experience is the
opportunity to enjoy a holiday in the Umgebindehaus. With a large number of holiday homes or holiday
apartments in surrounding buildings, the municipality of Großschönau has considerable capacity.