Tradition meets pleasure
Schnitzel, chips or pizza? Hungry people can find these dishes everywhere. But how about something typical from Upper Lusatia? The region attracts visitors with its diverse, fresh and rural cuisine. Saxon, Bohemian, Silesian and Sorbian influences combine to create a tasty mix of hearty classics and fine festive specialties. Taste traditional potato dishes such as Teichelmauke, regional fish or experience centuries-old brewing traditions - Upper Lusatia invites you to discover its culinary treasures.
A real potato farm
The history of Upper Lusatian cuisine tells of change and consistency. While people lived on pastries and porridge for many centuries, the potato also began its triumphal march in Upper Lusatia in the last third of the 18th century. It has shaped regional cuisine to this day. In the regional dialect, potatoes are called "Abern", also known as "Abunn" or "Aribbl". Home-grown potatoes, inventiveness in the home kitchen and seasonal ingredients such as vegetables from the garden created a unique cuisine with dishes such as Abern soup, jacket potatoes with linseed oil and curd cheese or Quarkkäulchen.
Taste regional delicacies
Whether savory or sweet - Oberlausitz specialties stand for authentic enjoyment and make the region a culinary experience. Hearty classics such as the spicy Kamenzer sausages and the legendary Bautzen mustard give every dish an unmistakable flavor. Those with a sweet tooth will be delighted by the famous Pulsnitz gingerbread, which has been made by hand for centuries and is a real highlight, especially at Christmas time. Beer lovers will also get their money's worth: the Landskron Brau-Manufaktur in Görlitz, Bergquell Brauerei Löbau, Frenzelbräu in Bautzen and the Eibauer Privatbrauerei will win you over with beers full of character brewed according to old brewing traditions.
Home on a plate: stop off and enjoy
Visitors to Upper Lusatia can experience the variety and authentic character of Lusatian cuisine in the region's inns and restaurants. You can feel the connection to your homeland in every bite. Many restaurateurs focus on regional specialties such as Stupperle or Teichelmauke, which are particularly popular on menus in southern Upper Lusatia.
Teichelmauke consists of mashed potato with a spicy broth poured over it. The mashed potatoes are arranged like a pond, hence the name. It is served with boiled beef and sauerkraut. Stupperle are typical dumplings from Upper Lusatia. In addition to boiled jacket potatoes, semolina is added to the dough. The name "Stupperle" comes from "stuppen" and means "to stuff". The name is no coincidence. After a portion of Stupperle, you feel well "stupped".
The use of seasonal and regional ingredients is a trademark. Whether traditionally prepared or interpreted in a modern way - every dish tells a story.
Wedding soup and sweet pancakes: the diversity of Sorbian cuisine
You shouldn't miss this unique culinary heritage of Lusatia when you visit the region! The Sorbs/Wends have lived in the region for centuries. The smallest Slavic people have also left their mark on the region's cuisine, which is rich in tradition. The dishes of the Sorbs are characterized by simple ingredients such as potatoes, meat and fresh vegetables and stand for seasonality, regionality and a close connection to nature.
Delicacies such as hearty beer soup, cabbage mauke with red cabbage or buttermilk pancakes embody the rustic charm of this cuisine. Festive dishes such as wedding soup or beef with horseradish sauce play a central role on special occasions and are an integral part of the traditions of the Sorbian community.
Modern chefs are also inspired. They reinterpret classic recipes and combine tradition with innovation. Sorbian cuisine invites you to experience history, culture and unadulterated enjoyment.
Traditional "Sroki" pastries
In anticipation of spring, the Sorbs celebrate the "bird wedding" on 25 January. The birds thank the children for feeding them in winter in the form of sweet pastries. The so-called "Sroki" (translation: magpie, the bride of the bird wedding) is made from milk roll or yeast dough, meringue or cream.
The pastries can be found in regional bakeries around the time of the bird wedding.
Where mustard is at home: Bautzen and its spicy ambassador
It belongs to Bautzen like breakfast eggs belong to Sunday: mustard. It has been produced in the city of towers for over 150 years - with pride, sophistication and a good dash of history. But in Bautzen, mustard is much more than just a spicy accompaniment on the plate. It is a symbol, a bearer of tradition and the protagonist of an annual culinary showcase that combines indulgence and regionality.
Its aroma is slightly pungent, the color sunny yellow, the taste unmistakable. Bautzen mustard - the little everyday hero from Upper Lusatia, which has been used for generations on sausages, in sauces and on sandwiches. And no longer just in eastern Germany. The product in the yellow and blue packaging with the distinctive lettering has long since found fans all over the country. It can also be found more and more often on supermarket shelves in other European countries. "I've even eaten it in the Portuguese Algarve," says Dietmar Stange, Chairman of the Bautzen/Budyšin Tourism Association. At the southwesternmost point of Europe, the cult food truck "Last Bratwurst before America" can be found on the coast. "They had a big bucket of Bautzen ready when I visited."
It all began in 1866, when the first mustard factory in the region opened in Bautzen. Back then, mustard was a luxury item, a treat for well-off citizens. It was industrialization that made it affordable - and popular. In the GDR in particular, the "Bautzner" brand became an everyday companion. The medium-hot classic was sold in large jars, could be found in almost every kitchen cupboard and was as much a part of bratwurst and boulette as butter slices are of the bread tin.
After reunification, the business passed into private hands. Today, the mustard is produced under the umbrella of Develey Senf & Feinkost GmbH - naturally at the traditional location in Bautzen. Where it all began.
The mustard weeks: On a gourmet route through the city "Mustard is not just a product," says Dietmar Stange. "It's a piece of the city's identity. And that's exactly what we want to show." Once a year, Bautzen is therefore officially dedicated to mustard. This is when the Bautzen Mustard Weeks invite visitors to taste, feast and discover. For four weeks - this year from August 5 to 31, 2025 - the city center is transformed into a culinary stage. Around twelve restaurateurs, including many traditional restaurants serving German cuisine, will be taking part. During this time, guests will find three specially created dishes on their menus in which mustard plays the leading role.
Carp, pike and sturgeon: fresh fish from Lusatia
The land of a thousand ponds: The Upper Lusatian heath and pond landscape forms Central Europe's largest man-made pond region with over 1,000 bodies of water. To preserve this habitat, it was declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1996. Many rare animals and plants live here - and the Lusatian fish. Pond farming has been practiced here for 800 years. Today, the brand "Lusatian fish" brand stands for regional quality.
Only the best is put on the plate, whether in restaurants or the region's farm stores. Carp, pike and sturgeon are among the most popular edible fish. During the Lusatian Fish Weeks, numerous fishing festivals are held in Upper Lusatia every year, where visitors can talk to the pond keepers and sample the fishy delicacies.
However, restaurant chefs do not only use traditional recipes to prepare Lusatian fish. More and more kitchens are becoming much more innovative. Why not try a carp praline!
Silesian Himmelreich - traditional festive dish of Silesian cuisine
Schlesisches Himmelreich is characterized by its sweet and salty taste. It consists of cured pork, often Kassler, and is cooked together with dried fruit such as plums, apricots and apples. Typical spices such as cloves, cinnamon or bay leaves give the dish an aromatic note. It is usually served with mashed potatoes, dumplings or white bread.
This regional dish is often found on the menus of eastern Upper Lusatia.
An interview with our restaurateurs
André Meyer - Bio-Berggasthof Beckenbergbaude
"Reviving Upper Lusatian cooking traditions is a matter close to my heart"
Culinary delights are being redefined on the picturesque Beckenberg near Eibau. André Meyer, head chef and owner of the Beckenbergbaude organic mountain inn, combines traditional recipes from Upper Lusatia with modern touches and a deep commitment to regionality and sustainability. In this interview, he reveals how he creates taste sensations from simple ingredients and what inspires him to do so.
Monika Lukasch - Sorbian Restaurant "Wjelbik"
"In our Sorbian restaurant, we not only preserve Upper Lusatian cuisine, but also reinterpret it time and time again."
In the Sorbian restaurant "Wjelbik" in Bautzen, Upper Lusatian cuisine is not only preserved, but constantly reinterpreted. Monika Lukasch, a trained chef and patissière, runs the family business with passion together with her husband. In this interview , she explains how she reconciles tradition and modernity, puts regional ingredients in the spotlight and why her dishes often evoke childhood memories.
Jörg Daubner - Obermühle Görlitz
"Interpreting the traditional in a new way without losing touch with the region"
Craftsmanship meets culinary art: beer brewing, home-grown vegetables, slow food and a creative approach to regional ingredients characterize the philosophy of the Obermühle in Görlitz. In this interview, Jörg Daubner, trained chef and managing director, explains how a cab driver had a decisive influence on his life, why passion is the most important ingredient in the restaurant business and what visions he has for the culinary identity of Upper Lusatia.
Enrico Schulz - Erbgericht Tautewalde
"Upper Lusatia has opened up in culinary terms and thus gained a whole new diversity"
From Upper Lusatia to the wide world and back: Enrico Schulz, trained chef and Managing Director of the traditional Hotel & Restaurant Erbgericht Tautewalde, has an impressive culinary journey behind him. Having worked in Switzerland, on Norderney and at international catering events for Mercedes-Benz, he brings a wealth of experience to his kitchen. In this interview, he explains how he combines hearty Upper Lusatian cuisine with Mediterranean influences and what particularly inspires him about his homeland.
Alexandra Dreginat - Trixi Park Großschönau
"We want to value food - sustainably and with variety"
Trixi Park Großschönau is located in the heart of Upper Lusatia - a place that stands for family vacations and relaxation. But in addition to adventure, water worlds and cozy vacation homes, the park also sets culinary accents. In this interview, Managing Director Alexandra Dreginat gives an insight into the varied gastronomy of the vacation destination, which impresses with sustainable concepts and regional specialties. Because Trixi Park not only delights the palate, but also makes a statement for environmentally conscious enjoyment.
Culinary impressions of Upper Lusatia
