Germany · 2026 itinerary
Cottbus 3-Day Itinerary
A day-by-day plan for Cottbus: the best attractions in order, where to eat, how to get around — with free hotel briefings for your stay.
Arrive & Explore the Highlights
A grand neo-Renaissance building with a 60m tower. Outside is always free; free guided tours every first Saturday at 11am.
🕐 Box office Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm
Free entry💡 Pick up a free ticket voucher for the open-air summer opera screenings from the tourist office 100m away.
Hotels near Cottbus State Theatre →14th-century Gothic church with a bilingual Sorbian-German service, medieval fresco fragments inside, and a quiet cemetery garden.
🕐 Church open Mon-Sat 10am-4pm (services Sun 9am, visitors welcome)
Free entry💡 Visit during the monthly Sorbian language café (free, every third Saturday 2-4pm) for tea and folk stories.
Hotels near Wendish Church (Lower Lusatian Sorbian Church) →DaNando · ££
Italia · ££
Deeper Into Cottbus
A long, thin park along the Spree river with cycle paths, wildflower meadows, and a free open-air art gallery on the riverbank wall.
🕐 Open 24 hours
💡 Rent a bike from Radstation near the main station (€10/day) and follow the path east to the floating wooden footbridge.
Earl Pückler's 19th-century landscape park with artificial lakes and a striking pyramid tomb. Free grounds; palace interior costs €8.
🕐 Park daily 6am-9pm; palace Wed-Mon 10am-5pm
💡 Climb the pyramid mound for the best view over the lakescape, then walk to the Schloss café for cheap cake.
Vasilis
Eiscafé Da Capo
Final Favourites & Departure
Exhibits on the Sorbian minority: traditional costumes, Easter egg painting, and folk music. Entry €5, under-18 free.
💡 Go on the first Wednesday of the month for free admission. The museum shop sells hand-painted eggs for €3 each.
Piato
Ristorante Roma
Getting Around Cottbus
FlixBus is the budget option but check for luggage fees (€5 per large case). Arrive at BER 15 mins early—the bus stop is a 5-min walk from terminal exits. From Cottbus bus station, tram line 6 stops at the hotel in 10 mins.
Book through a local firm like Taxi Cottbus (49-355-55-11) for a fixed price. Avoid black cabs at BER—they often add €15+ surcharges.
Buy a single ticket from the machine at the Hauptbahnhof—tap on board. No need to validate; drivers check visually. Day ticket (€6.50) covers the whole city network, useful if you explore Spremberger Turm or the zoo.
Buy the Brandenburg-Berlin-Ticket (€29 for day unlimited travel; €20 one-way single) at the DB machine. The 20-minute walk from station to hotel is flat, but tram line 1 stops right outside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 3 days enough for Cottbus?
Three days covers the main highlights well. You can see the key attractions like Cottbus State Theatre and get a genuine feel for the city. For a more leisurely pace or to explore neighbourhoods in depth, a 5-day trip is better.
What is the best time to visit Cottbus?
See our full best time to visit Cottbus guide — it covers weather month by month, peak vs. shoulder seasons and how to avoid the crowds.
Where should I stay for this itinerary?
A central location saves transit time between sites. Top options include Radisson BLU Hotel, Pension & Gasthaus Frenzel, Pension Schulz. See the full ranked list with free briefings for each.