Filming locations in Görlitz

Görlitz is the rare town so perfectly preserved that filmmakers treat it as a ready-made set, and Wes Anderson did exactly that with The Grand Budapest Hotel. His 2014 caper assembled its fictional republic of Zubrowka largely here, on the German side of the Polish border, in streets that needed almost no dressing.

The single must-see is the Görlitzer Warenhaus, a century-old Art Nouveau department store whose grand atrium and sweeping staircase became the lobby of the film's pink hotel. It is a real building used as a set rather than a permanent attraction, opened to visitors at certain times and for occasional markets, so check the local listings before you make the trip.

Beyond the Warenhaus, the location is really the whole town. Locals call it Görliwood for good reason, and wandering one of Germany's best-preserved old towns is the point as much as any single facade. The handsome squares and merchant houses are exactly the untouched backdrop that drew the production in the first place.

Practically, Görlitz sits well off the usual tourist trail, which is part of its charm and means the crowds are thin. Cross the footbridge over the river and you are in the Polish town of Zgorzelec, an easy and slightly surreal addition to the day.