EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

Cottbus's Hauptbahnhof is situated well to the southwest of the centre in a particularly unsalubrious neighbourhood, so it's worth taking tram #1 to Stadtpromenade, then walking east along Marktstrasse to the Altmarkt. The tourist office is at the western edge of the city centre at Karl-Marx-Str. 68 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-2pm; tel 03 55/2 42 54, fax 79 19 31, www.cmt-cottbus.de ).

As an overnight stop, Cottbus is less enticing than the smaller towns of the Spreewald, but private rooms (DM60/¬30-DM99/¬49) can be booked via a special number at the tourist office (tel 03 55/2 42 55). There are also plenty of pensions , among which Aarian , Karlstr. 22a (tel 03 55/79 12 29; DM80-99/¬40-49) is conveniently central, while Café Pücklerstube , Menzelstr. 4 (tel 03 55/71 57 31; DM100-124/¬50-62), is close to the Schlosspark. Among the many hotels are Zum Schwan , Bahnhofstr. 57 (tel 03 55/7 82 00 or 795 3 35; DM100-124/¬50-62), Zur Sonne , Taubenstr. 7-8 (tel 03 55/3 81 88 01; DM100-124/¬50-62), and Ostrow , Wassenstr. 4 (tel 03 55/78 00 80; DM125-149/¬63-74). There's also a youth hostel , occupying an old half-timbered house at Klosterplatz 2 (tel 03 55/2 25 58, fax 2 37 98; DM21/¬10.50 or DM26/¬13). The choice of restaurants and cafés is also good: Wendisches Café , August-Bebel-Str. 82, serves Sorb dishes; Lipa , Wendenstr. 1, does regional specialities; Paulaner Bräu , Sandower Str. 57, is a Bavarian-style beer hall; while Café Altmarkt , Altmarkt 10, is best for Kaffee und Kuchen . Nightlife possibilities include: Stadtwächter , a cosy tavern in an old watchman's house attached to the Stadtmauer; Molle , Stadtpromenade 10, with nine different beers on tap; and Clou Nachtbar , Oberkirchplatz 10, a bar with a dancefloor. The Staatstheater Cottbus, Schillerplatz 1 (tel 03 55/7 82 40), presents a varied programme of theatre and music .