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Top 12 Things to Do in Dresden, Germany

Dresden's historic landmarks have been rebuilt to their former splendor

Dresden, located in eastern Germany , is sometimes called "Florence at the Elbe" thanks to its idyllic location on the banks of the river. It's a city of  biergartens and Baroque architecture, peppered with world-class museums that house some of the world's most remarkable treasures and jewels. Although 80 percent of Dresden’s historic center was destroyed in World War II , many significant landmarks have been restored to their former splendor and new attractions attest to Dresden's playful atmosphere. As an added perk for visitors, most of the city's best sights are all within walking distance from Dresden's Altstadt , or Old Town. 

See Funky Buildings in the Kunsthofpassage

TripSavvy / Erin Porter

The Kunsthofpassage is an art revitalization project that was completed in 2001. Taking advantage of the collective area behind buildings in the Neustadt, this quirky attraction consists of different themed areas, like the Court of the Elements, which features a blue building decked out in pipes that create music in the rain, and the Court of Lights, where multimedia presentations are displayed in a courtyard lit up by mirrors reflecting the sun. Located among the courtyards are also several boutiques, restaurants, and creative studios where you can find unique workshops and exhibitions.

Go for Baroque in the Grand Garden

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If you luck out on a beautiful day in Dresden, there's no better place to enjoy it than the Grand Garden . Built in the baroque style during the 17th century, the garden consists of large grassy lawns and a giant pond surrounding the main palace and takes inspiration from French and English gardening styles. One of the park's most beloved features is the Dresden Park Railway , which is a kid-sized steam locomotive that tours around the park. There is also a zoo and a botanical garden.

Marvel at the Church of Our Lady

TripSavvy / Christopher Larson

Dresden’s Church of Our Lady, also known as the Frauenkirche , has a moving history: In World War II, when air-raids wiped out the city center, the grand church collapsed into a 42-foot high pile of rubble. The ruins were left untouched until 1994 when the painstaking reconstruction of the church began. Almost wholly financed by private donations from around the world, the people of Dresden celebrated the resurrection of their Frauenkirche in 2005.

Act Like Royalty at Zwinger Palace

The Zwinger Palace is one of the most excellent examples of late Baroque architecture in Germany. Built between 1710 and 1728, the Zwinger was used for court festivities and tournaments. Today, the Baroque complex of pavilions, galleries, and inner courtyards is home to first-class museums including the Old Masters Picture Gallery which displays the famous Sistine Madonna by Raphael and is considered one of Germany's best museums.

Stroll the Brühlsche Terrasse

Brühl's Terrace is set between the Elbe and the Old Town. Nicknamed “the Balcony of Europe,” the terraced promenade was part of Dresden’s original rampart until it became the garden of the Royal Palace. Here you can climb a monumental staircase, flanked by four bronze statues, and take a walk along the promenade. It is lined by some of Dresden’s most beautiful historic buildings, including the Royal Art Academy and the Albertinum Museum .

Follow the Procession of Princes

The Procession of Princes is the largest porcelain mural in the world at 330-feet long. The artwork depicts a parade of Saxon princes and dukes and was created to commemorate the 1000-year-long reign of the House of Wettin. It is impressively composed of 25,000 tiles and covers the exterior of the Royal Mews in Auguststrasse. At night, the painting is illuminated, creating a magical effect.

Admire the Largest Green Diamond in the World

Dresden’s Green Vault is home to one of the most beautiful royal treasures collections in Europe. Housed in the Dresden Palace, Augustus the Strong founded the treasure chamber in the eighteenth century. It is filled with elaborate artworks of gold, silver, gems, enamel, ivory, bronze, and amber, and includes the largest green diamond in the world. This is one of the most popular attractions in Dresden, so it's wise to get your tickets in advance.

Take a Ride on the Historic Paddle Steamer

In Dresden, you can take a very special boat trip on one of the Elbe River's most historic paddle steamers, an old-fashioned steamship powered by just one engine. Coffee cruises offered in the afternoon serve German cakes and sweets while gliding down the river towards the town of Meissen where porcelain is made, or take a cruise through the peaceful scenery of Saxon Switzerland National Park , which sits on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic and is not actually in Switzerland .

Get Cultured at the Semperoper

Spend an unforgettable evening in the lavish Semperoper , built in 1841 by the German architect, Gottfried Semper. Set at the Theater Square in the heart of Dresden, the portal of the Opera depicts famous artists such as Goethe, Shakespeare, and Molière. The Semperoper was destroyed by Allied bombing in 1945. After extensive reconstruction, the Opera reopened in 1985—with the same piece that was performed just before its destruction.

Eat at the Most Beautiful Milk Shop

The Guinness Book of Records lists Pfund’s Dairy as the most beautiful milk shop in the world. Opened in 1880 by the Pfund brothers in the Neustadt quarter, this assessment is hard to argue with. This unique dairy is elaborately decorated from floor to ceiling with hand-painted porcelain tiles from the neo-Renaissance period. It’s a feast for all eyes and tastebuds, so don’t leave without trying some local cheeses, homemade ice cream, or a glass of fresh buttermilk.

Discover Germany's History of War

Dresden Museum of Military History ​ is a fascinating exploration into Germany's military history including some of the darker elements of the country's past. Originally an armory from 1876 for Kaiser Wilhelm I, the site has undergone many transformations and at one point was a Nazi museum, a Soviet museum, and an East German museum. Ironically, it survived the Allied attacks of 1945 while much of the city burned because of its location on the outskirts.

The museum has more than 10,000 exhibits, ranging from large equipment and ammunition to scale-based replicas and models. It boasts an impressive collection of over 800 land, air and sea vehicles, over 1,000 guns, rockets and flamethrowers, and historically significant items like the ship's bell from SMS Schleswig-Holstein. Instead of focusing on the glory of battle or the mightiness of weaponry, exhibits highlight the human aspects of war.

Ride a Hanging Cable Car

You only need to spend a few Euros to get a wonderful view of Dresden. The Schwebebahn Dresden is a unique hanging cable car. The Schwebebahn Dresden went into service in 1901, which makes it the oldest suspension railway in the world. From the top, you can see down the river towards Saxon Switzerland National Park.

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Dresden: synonymous with culture

There are many ways to define culture and beauty. But they can be easily summarised in just one word: Dresden. The sheer wealth and splendour of the cultural treasures just a stone's throw from the Elbe plains are enough to take your breath away.

Although the attribute 'world famous' is dished out all too often, it is a befitting term for Dresden. The city is famed not only for its three major landmarks – the Baroque Zwinger Palace, Semperoper opera house and the Church of Our Lady – but also for Brühl's Terrace and the Royal Palace, the Elbe Castles on the Loschwitz hillside, the exclusive villas of the Blasewitz borough, the garden city of Hellerau and, of course, the twelve Dresden State Art Collections. Here you will encounter treasures such as Raphael's The Sistine Madonna and the Green Vault, the world's largest treasure chamber.

Semperoper Opera House

Bundeswehr military history museum, dresden state art collections, church of our lady.

Dresden is also famed for its music. The opera house, the Staatskapelle orchestra, the Dresden Philharmonic and the Kreuzchor boys' choir all leave audiences enraptured. The cultural calendar is packed all year round, with the city hosting international festivals and captivating theatre and dance productions. In summer, the city flocks to open-air events in parks and on the banks of the atmospheric Elbe River. Dresden is more than just a city of history and heritage, as evidenced by several modern architectural masterpieces. If you happen to be in Dresden in December, be sure to visit Germany's oldest Christmas market. The Striezelmarkt was first officially documented in 1434 and remains to this day a spectacular celebration of lights, colours and tantalising aromas.

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19 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Dresden

Written by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Updated Dec 27, 2023 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

Dresden, one of Europe's greatest Baroque cities, about 30 kilometers north of the border with the Czech Republic, stands majestically astride the Elbe River. It was the seat of the Saxon rulers, who lavished their attention on its riverside palaces and soaring churches, and left the city with their vast collections of art and antiquities.

This wealth of historic artifacts — it even includes beautifully preserved royal clothing — is displayed today in world-class museums. However rich Dresden's treasures and proud its heritage, modern history has not been kind to the city. Dresden suffered the double blow of almost complete destruction in World War II, followed by 45 years of postwar neglect under the Soviet regime.

It's hard to believe all this from the Dresden you see today. It has risen from its ashes and bears few scars from its late 20th-century trauma. Palaces glitter, gardens bloom, and the dome of the magnificently restored Frauenkirche again stands out above the skyline.

With its wealth of museums, palaces, and other tourist attractions, there are plenty of things to do in Dresden. But don't spend all your time hurrying between these points of interest; take time to stroll along Brühl's Terrace, admire the river from one of its bridges, and smell the roses in its romantic gardens. You can find the best places to visit in this gracious and beautiful city with this list of the top tourist attractions and things to do in Dresden.

See also: Where to Stay in Dresden

1. Dresden Frauenkirche

2. dresden royal palace and museums, 3. zwinger and old masters picture gallery, 4. semper opera and theaterplatz, 5. the great garden and zoo, 6. stroll along brühl's terrace, 7. pillnitz palace and gardens, 8. dresden kulturpalast, 9. the georgentor and the procession of princes, 10. the japanese palace and the golden horseman, 11. albertinum, 12. cruise the elbe on a paddlewheeler, 13. hike in saxon switzerland, 14. take a day trip to meissen, 15. dresden transport museum, 16. shopping and gallery hopping in the neustadt, 17. moritzburg palace, 18. a weekend getaway in the erzgebirge, 19. the german hygiene museum, where to stay in dresden for sightseeing.

Dresden's spectacular Frauenkirche is one of the most remarkable reconstruction projects ever to have taken place in Germany, if not the world. Completed in 1743, the spectacular Baroque original was considered one of the most beautiful churches in Europe. After its destruction during Allied bombing in 1945, the ruins of the old building were cataloged and stored for use in its reconstruction.

After the reunification of Germany in 1990, plans to rebuild developed rapidly, and when it reopened in 2005, nearly 4,000 original stones had been included. Topping it all - and as a symbol of international goodwill - was a gold cross provided by Great Britain, whose bomb had wrought much of the devastation.

The vast interior is simply spectacular. The restored high altar is a fantasy of Baroque flourishes highlighted in gold, and tier after tier of galleries rings its walls. You can take an elevator to the dome for views of the city, participate in worship services (once a month in English) and listen to one of the more than 100 concerts performed here each year.

Stop for a reflective moment to look at the cross that once topped the dome, its twisted remains found amid the rubble. An exhibition describes the reconstruction project, which was funded by contributions from all over the world. Guided tours are available.

Address: Georg-Treu-Platz 3, 01067 Dresden

If you have time to see nothing else in Dresden, it should be this and the Frauenkirche. One of Europe's richest and probably its oldest public museum (although the Vatican disputes this), the Dresden State Art Collection , inside the Dresden Royal Palace , is also one of its most modern and forward-looking in terms of displaying and interpreting its treasures for visitors.

Priceless art, opulent court clothing, intricate needlework, even Augustus the Strong's personal garden tools are shown and their significance explained. All the detailed labeling and background information is also in English, and cases housing the dazzling collections from the fabled Green Vault are in non-reflective glass, so you can admire (and photograph) them from all sides with a clear view from every angle.

The original Green Vault, largely destroyed with the rest of the palace in World War II, has been reconstructed to house parts of the collection in their original settings. This extraordinary collection includes masterpieces of gold, silver, jewelry, and ivory from the 14th to 18th centuries, all of which had been removed to safety at the onset of the war.

From 1485, the castle was the home of Saxony's electors and kings, and it was Augustus the Strong who decided that the royal collections should be open for the public to enjoy. In 1723, he began to turn the formerly private treasure chambers into a public museum.

In addition to the treasures of the Green Vault, the Turkish Chamber , established in 1614, houses one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from the Ottoman Empire. Other collections include the Numismatic Cabinet of medals and seals; the Dresden Armory of weapons and armor; and the Print Cabinet , containing graphic art, drawings, watercolors, and pastels by European artists from the 15th century onward.

Not content to imitate the delicate, original Renaissance sgraffito decoration on the exterior walls with painted designs, Dresden has chosen instead to replicate it exactly, and master stone artists are still painstakingly engraving the intricate designs into the stone. In the courtyard, step close to the decorated walls to appreciate the detail of the carved lines.

Address: Taschenberg 2, 01067 Dresden

The Zwinger — a magnificent early 18th-century palace in the center of the city beside the Elbe — is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Germany. It's worth walking around the outside just to appreciate its architecture. On its south side is the majestic 32-bayed Long Gallery, and flanking it to the east and west are four symmetrically arranged pavilions, the Wallpavillon and the Nymphenbad (Bath of the Nymphs), with its graceful fountains and mythological figures.

Aside from its impressive architecture, the Zwinger houses more of the Dresden State Art Collections. These include the Dresden Porcelain Collection and scientific instruments in the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments .

In the new Zwinger Xperience exhibit, you can immerse yourself in festivals, parades, and the drama of the remarkable building through panorama projections and virtual reality stations.

The Old Masters Picture Gallery, the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister , features about 750 paintings from the 15th to the 18th centuries, among them Italian Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Correggio, and Tintoretto. The collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings includes works by Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Dyck, and Vermeer.

Address: Sophienstraße, 01067 Dresden /

The west side of Dresden's Theaterplatz, one of Germany's finest public squares, is dominated by the magnificent Semperoper , the city's opera house, built in the style of the Italian High Renaissance. To see the lavishly decorated interior, either attend a performance (which includes concerts, ballet, and opera) or take a spirited tour led by one of the staff, who will share tales of some of the great performers and guests as you tour.

In the center of Theaterplatz stands an equestrian statue from 1883 of King John, and at the southeast corner stands the Altstädter Wache, the Old Town Guard-House , built in 1831 and modeled on the famous Guardhouse in Berlin . To the southeast is the Taschenbergpalais , a Baroque palace dating from 1711.

Address: Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden

The lovely Great Garden (Großer Garten) was laid out in the French Baroque style beginning in 1676 and has been open to the public since 1814. The Sommerpalais , built between 1678 and 1683, is one of the earliest Baroque palaces in Germany. Also in the park are the Dresden Zoo and the Dresden Botanical Garden , where more than 10,000 species are arranged geographically for a world tour of plant life.

The Dresden Zoo, one of Germany's oldest, is home to more than 1,500 animals, representing all the continents. Through large glass panels, you can watch Humboldt penguins swim, and both the ring-tailed lemur island and the Tundra aviary are visitor accessible. More than 450 plants and trees keep the Africa House looking like home for the elephants.

Along with the zoo, another attraction for families is the miniature railway, the six-kilometer-long Parkeisenbahn, staffed largely by children. It is a good way to get from one attraction to another and to the frequent concerts and performances that are held in the park. Of interest to car enthusiasts is Volkswagen's Transparent Factory , an assembly plant that offers tours of the manufacturing and assembly processes.

Address: Hauptallee 8, 01219 Dresden

No trip to Dresden is complete without a stroll along Brühl's Terrace, or Brühlsche Terrasse, also known as the "Balcony of Europe." Approached from the Schlossplatz by a broad flight of steps, this area on the site of the old city ramparts was laid out in 1738 as a private garden, and opened to the public in 1814.

The sculptured groups on the staircase represent morning, noon, evening, and night, and the Dolphin Fountain is the only part left of the original garden. Bordering part of this promenade is the College of Art , built in 1894. The Moritz Monument , the oldest one surviving in Dresden, was erected in 1553. Below, the Terrassenufer on the banks of the Elbe is the main landing stage for cruise boats.

Address: Georg-Treu-Platz 1, 01067 Dresden

In the 1720s, Augustus the Strong ordered a pair of Baroque summer palaces built beside the Elbe, where he could entertain at costume parties and sporting contests. Decorated in the then-popular Chinoiserie style, they face each other across a garden.

Schloss Pillnitz later became the royal family's summer residence, and in 1820 the Neoclassical New Palace was built, forming the third side of the Pleasure Garden . During all this time, the gardens grew and expanded across the estate, each new addition reflecting the tastes and styles of its era, until they stretched across much of the 77-acre park.

Apart from the beauty of their design, their charm lies in the way the Baroque, Neoclassical, and English landscape styles merge harmoniously. Wander through them to find hedge gardens; wooded landscapes; an English Pavilion reflected in a lily pond; a Chinese garden: a tropical Palm House, and the garden's prized possession, one of Europe's oldest camellia trees , now almost 30 meters tall.

The palaces are worth touring, both for their Chinese-inspired decorations and for the museums they house. The Museum of Decorative Arts and the Crafts Museum contain furniture, musical instruments, glass, pewter, porcelain, and textiles from State Arts Collections, and there is a reconstruction of the New Palace kitchens .

You can get to Pillnitz from Dresden by bus, but the best way to arrive is by paddle steamer , floating along the Elbe, under the famed Blue Wonder Bridge and past the three Schlösser (castles) on the Elbe: the late Neoclassical Albrechtsberg , Lignerschloss (built in 1850), and the Neo-Gothic Schloss Eckberg (built 1859-61).

Address: August-Böckstiegel-Straße 2, 01326 Dresden

The pride of GDR architecture when it opened in 1969 as a "House of Socialist Culture" during the Soviet era, the Dresden Kulturpalast was given new life in a complete redesign of its interior as a state-of-the-art home for the Dresden Philharmonic. After some controversy, its overtly Soviet exterior mural "The Red Flag" and the wall fresco "Our Socialist Life" were retained, a rare glimpse of GDR Dresden.

While the exterior may be in the spirit of Eastern Modernism, the interior of the auditorium is strikingly 21 st -century, with dramatic red seats descending in layers to the central podium, and folded ceilings and walls to provide outstanding acoustics.

In contrast to the classical sounds of the Dresden Philharmonic, the Kulturpalasat will be home to Die Herkuleskeule cabaret theater , known as one of Germany's best.

Address: Schloßstraße 2, 01067 Dresden

The Georgentor, or Georgenbau, was the original city exit to the Elbe Bridge and the first of the city's many Renaissance buildings. On the west side is a doorway from the original building with its rich sculptural decoration, including an equestrian statue of Duke George. Also of interest is the Langer Gang , a long wing linking the Georgenbau with the Johanneum that was built in 1591.

Along its inner side is a long Tuscan-style arcade, with 22 rounded arches, leading to the Court Stables. Its most important attraction, however, is the famous Fürstenzug - the Procession of Princes - a 102-meter-long portrait of the Dukes, Electors, and Kings of the house of Wettin, together with leading German figures from the arts and sciences. Commissioned in 1870, it consists of 25,000 Meissen Porcelain tiles.

Address: Schloßstraße 1, 01067 Dresden

In the Neustädter Markt, across the river in Dresden Neustadt (the city's newer district) is the statue of Augustus the Strong in the pose of a Caesar, wearing Roman armor and seated on a horse. Made in 1736, it's commonly known as the Golden Horseman and is one of the city's most popular landmarks. It sits at the beginning of a long Hauptstrasse, a wide boulevard with a tree-lined promenade at its center, a popular place for an evening stroll.

Also here is the Japanese Palace, or Japanisches Palais, a Baroque and Neoclassical-style mansion, built in 1737. Richly decked with Chinoiserie, it was built to house Augustus the Strong's collection of porcelain (now the Dresden Porcelain Collection), but now houses the State Museum for Prehistory and the Museum of Ethnology Dresden . Another nearby attraction, housed in the 16th-century Jägerhof, is the Saxon Museum of Folk Art .

Address: Palaisplatz 11, 01097 Dresden

Built between 1884 and 1887, the Renaissance Revival Albertinum on Brühl's Terrace is as spectacular as the world-class art collection it houses. The museum is best known for its impressive New Masters Gallery , with its rich collection of works of the Romantic and Realist periods, as well as French, Polish, Romanian, Hungarian, and Belgian paintings of the 19th century and German Impressionists and Expressionists.

Artists and styles represented range from Degas and Goya to Max Liebermann. Other highlights are the Sculpture Collection , including examples from Egypt and western Asia as well as Greek, Roman, and Etruscan work.

Address: Skulpturensammlung, Albertinum Tzschirnerplatz 2, D-01067 Dresden

The Elbe flows through the center of Dresden, and along its shore, under Brühl's Terrace, are moored a fleet of paddlewheel steamships and other excursion boats of the Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt, Saxon Steamship Company . Cruises range from 90-minute tours of the city and its surroundings to longer trips that take you beneath the dramatic rock towers of Saxon Switzerland.

You can also buy tickets for travel between 14 towns along the Elbe, a good way to get to Meissen or to the Pilnitz Palace. A day ticket that allows you to hop on and off whenever you like is a good way to spend a day exploring the Elbe towns. Lunch and romantic evening cruises, as well as special themed departures, are another option for seeing the river.

A favorite day trip from Dresden is to Saxon Switzerland National Park , only 30 kilometers southeast of Dresden, a wild landscape of soaring limestone pillars, with views straight down to the Elbe. Walking trails form a network throughout the park, with paths for all levels of energy, and since 1898, a little tram has carried tourists between the village of Bad Schandau and the waterfall at Lichtenhain .

The most famous sight is the Bastei Bridge , a 76-meter-high stone arched bridge that connects the rock formations. You can hike there or reach it by public transportation.

There are several ways to get to Saxon Switzerland from Dresden: by car, by S-Bahn trains that leave Dresden twice each hour, by excursion boats, or by one of the world's oldest paddle wheel steamboats (the most romantic way).

For an in-depth look at the natural wonders of this park, you can take a Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland National Park Day Trip from Dresden , which includes Bastei Bridge, and a trip across the border into the Czech Republic to Pravčická Gate , the biggest natural sandstone arch in Europe.

Only 30 kilometers to the west and easy to reach on a day trip from Dresden, Meissen was once the seat of the long-reigning Wettin dynasty. They made their home in the Albrechtsburg Castle , which towers above the town and river atop a high hill (the climb through narrow lanes is picturesque but steep - you can avoid it by riding the funicular).

Founded in the 15th century, the castle is one of the finest secular buildings of the Late Gothic period, and its most notable feature is its large spiral staircase. Inside, the rooms have richly decorated vaulting and ceilings, with paintings dating from 1870. Adjoining it atop the crag is the Early Gothic Meissen Cathedral , dating from 1260.

It is an almost pure Gothic building, with nothing but its Protestant pulpit, pews, and organ changed from its medieval appearance. The original front entrance was closed to preserve the early graves in the floor.

Meissen has long been famous for its porcelain, and a top tourist attraction is the Porcelain Factory . A tour there not only includes a look at examples of their work over the past 300 years, but a chance to watch as skilled artists mold objects, sculpt the delicate blossoms, and figures that adorn Meissen figurines and paint flowers on plates and teacups.

The silver mining town of Freiberg , about 40 kilometers southwest of Dresden, is also home to a stunning cathedral, a Late Gothic hall-church with the oldest and largest surviving Silbermann organ in Saxony. The town's historic center is listed as a national monument.

Address: Domplatz 1, D-01662 Meissen

In the Johanneum, one of the oldest buildings in Dresden's Neumarkt, is the Transport Museum, or Verkehrsmuseum. Historic vehicles, including aircraft, steam engines, cars, motorbikes, and watercraft are displayed in engaging exhibits. The navigation exhibit, entered through a stylized ship's hull, explores 1,000 years of maritime history, its technology, and the people who lived and worked on the rivers and seas.

Other exhibits detail the progress of road transport from before the invention of motorized vehicles to the present, and a third follows the development of railways. A model railroad covers 325 square meters, with 26 locomotives pulling 115 cars through detailed models of Saxon villages and countryside. Nearby is the Peace Fountain, as well as the Bundeswehr Military History Museum , the museum of the German armed forces.

Address: Augustusstraße 1, 01067 Dresden

After a fire destroyed Altendresden on the right bank of the Elbe in 1685, the new town (Neustadt) was built in the Baroque style. After major bombing in World War II, this Neustadt was again rebuilt, restoring its Baroque architecture.

Behind its rows of elegant patrician homes hide courtyards that today house restaurants, boutiques, and shops. These courtyards and their passageways are popular places to go shopping, with Dresden's highest concentration of artisan studios and shops.

Stroll through the arcades that have developed in the Baroque townhouses at Hauptstrasse 9 through 19 to find handcrafts, artworks, fine gifts, and restaurants. Look here for original one-of-a-kind works and traditional crafts of the region (remember this is where many of Germany's Christmas decorations originated), and expect to see some being created as you watch.

Not far away, the Kunsthof Passage (Art Courtyard Passage) connects Alaunstrasse 70 with Görlitzer Strasse 21-25. In this enclave of five joined courtyards, you'll feel as though you have entered another world, a Bohemian one of art, color, whimsey, and, above all, creativity. Art galleries, studios, shops, and cafés fill five courtyards, each in a different and colorful theme.

In one, the drainpipes and spouts on a building front have been diverted to create musical instruments that play when it rains. Another courtyard is themed around animals, with bas-relief monkeys cavorting between the balconies.

About 14 kilometers northwest of Dresden is the remarkable Schloss Moritzburg , an Electoral hunting lodge and summer palace in the ochre and white of Saxon Baroque. Begun in 1544 as a modest hunting lodge, this stunning palace was given its present form between 1723 and 1736, with Baroque statues added on the balustrades of the carriage ramp and terrace. The decoration and furnishings of the interior, including hunting trophies and paintings, are preserved unaltered.

Also on the grounds is Little Pheasant Castle , an 18th-century hunting lodge whose extraordinary interior is decorated with rare Rococo finishes : inlaid paneling of exotic woods; mural paintings on canvas; painted and gilded ceiling stucco; painted wood and plaster; faux marble; and walls finished in embroidered silk, feathers, and a remarkable combination of straw and pearls. This rare interior has recently been restored by the World Monuments Fund.

It's Christmas all year-round in the Erzgebirge, or Ore Mountains, about 90 minutes from Dresden and one of the most fascinating and little-known regions in Saxony. The long mining history led to a wooden Christmas ornament industry, which has remained active long after the mines closed.

The central town in the region is Annaberg-Buchholz, crowned by the magnificent St. Annenkirche , a landmark with its 78-meter-high tower. Like much else in the town, the interior of the church is decorated with exceptionally fine woodcarvings . Opposite is a historical museum where you can enter an actual mine, one of the many that lie beneath the ground here.

To see more examples of the woodcarving the region is famed for (many traditional German Christmas folk arts — wooden arches, Christmas carousels, wood-shaving ornaments, and wooden angels to name a few — originated here) visit the Manufaktur der Träume (maker of dreams), a museum filled with stunning examples of carved and painted Christmas and other decorations and toys.

Just outside the Old Town, the Frohnauer Hammer is a museum that includes a fascinating iron-working mill driven by water power.

To the southeast of Dresden's old town is Lingnerplatz, home to the German Hygiene Museum (Deutsches Hygiene-Museum), an institution founded in 1912 to promote health education and healthy living. The museum is more interesting than you'd expect from its name - it's really a museum dedicated to medicine and medical practices.

Among its many interesting exhibits are the famous Glass Woman, first displayed in 1930; a permanent exhibit dealing with the human race; and a fun interactive children's museum that focuses on the senses.

Address: Lingnerplatz 1, 01069 Dresden

The dazzlingly restored old town (Innere Altstadt) contains Dresden's top attractions and is a convenient place to stay despite its crush of tourists in the summer. To be within walking distance of the Frauenkirche and Zwinger but away from crowds, consider the Neustadt neighborhood, just across the river and close to the Japanese Palace and folk art museum. These highly rated hotels in Dresden are all near the major tourist attractions.

Luxury Hotels :

• A few steps from Frauenkirche, in the center of the old town, Hotel Suitess zu Dresden has large well-furnished rooms and superior service.
• The stylish and almost playful contemporary design of rooms at Hyperion Hotel Dresden am Schloss , between Frauenkirche and the Residenz, is a nice contrast to the surrounding Baroque architecture.
• A short walk from the Zwinger and historic center, Bulow Palais and its Michelin-starred restaurant are in Neustadt, away from the high-season crowds.

Mid-Range Hotels:

• Offering spacious, modern rooms and on-site indoor parking, Innside by Melia Dresden is a few steps from Frauenkirche.
• Halfway between Frauenkirche and the Royal Palace, the new Amedia Plaza Dresden offers chic, modern rooms in the Jüdenhof, a building with a rich Jewish history.
• A few blocks away and overlooking the popular Altmarkt square, Star Inn Hotel Premium Dresden im Haus Altmarkt has large well-decorated rooms, between the historic and shopping districts.

Budget Hotels:

• A block from Altmarkt and a short walk from Frauenkirche, Premier Inn Dresden City Zentrum is on a main shopping street close to the Hauptbahnhof rail station.
• Don't be put off by the name of Motel One Dresden-Palaisplatz. It's not a motel but a smart modern hotel with spacious rooms and accommodating staff, just across the river in the Neustadt.
• Right at the station, InterCityHotel Dresden is a 10-minute walk from the main sights and the zoo/botanic garden attractions, or take advantage of the hotel's free city tram tickets to go everywhere.
• Ibis Budget Dresden City is close to the museums of the Zwinger and Residenz palaces and has quiet rooms despite its location in a busy shopping district.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

Places to Visit near Dresden: An easy train or car trip away, Leipzig is also a center of art and culture, and the leading city in Saxony after Dresden. Not far south of Dresden is Prague , the capital of the Czech Republic , crowned by the beautiful Prague Castle .

Where to Go from Dresden: To the north and connected by direct rail and highways is Berlin , the capital of Germany and its largest city, filled with museums and art galleries . Close to Berlin is Potsdam , like Dresden a city filled with royal palaces.

More on Germany

A Complete Travel Guide to Dresden: 21 Best Things To Do & See

Florence of the elbe.

Dresden may not be the first city you think of when you’re considering a getaway in Germany , but in our humble opinion, it would be a shame to overlook it.

Dresden is the capital of the state of Saxony and the city lies in the old East Germany two or three hours south of Berlin – close to the border of the Czech Republic and not far from Poland, either.

Therefore, it’s an obvious city to visit if you’re on a road trip in eastern Germany or on your way south by car from for example Denmark or Sweden .

Dresden, which was once Germany’s cultural centre , was more or less completely destroyed by bombings at the end of World War II, but today the city has risen from the ashes.

Located on the banks of the river Elbe , Dresden is a beautiful German city packed with amazing museums, impressive architecture and lots of history.

The city is even referred to as “Florence of the Elbe” and although we honestly don’t think Dresden looks or feels that much like Florence, the incredible Baroque buildings are truly something to marvel at.

We spent three days in Dresden in the autumn of 2020 (including a day trip to the Saxon Switzerland National Park) and we think it’s one of the most beautiful German cities we’ve visited – and we’ve been to quite a few.

In this travel guide, we share the best things to do and see in Dresden, why you should visit, where to stay, how long to stay, when to visit, how to get around the city, our best travel tips and much more.

Where to stay in Dresden?

• Value for money: Hotel Indigo Dresden – Wettiner Platz (IHG Hotel) .
• Luxury: Gewandhaus Dresden, Autograph Collection .

Search for the best and cheapest hotels in Dresden here .

Table of contents

Why visit Dresden

How long to stay in dresden, 21 best things to do and see in dresden, where to stay in dresden, is it safe to visit dresden, how to get around dresden, how to get to dresden, when to visit dresden, our best tips for dresden, what to bring to dresden, minimise your impact.

Dresden is a relatively big German city but it’s fortunately small enough to experience the best things to do and see in a day or two, making the city particularly suitable for a weekend trip .

It’s also perfect for a stopover on a road trip through Germany (as we did in autumn 2020), or in combination with visiting the German capital of Berlin . The two cities are only 2 hours apart by train or 2-3 hours by car.

At the end of World War II , Dresden was bombed and large parts of the city were destroyed.

Since then, many of the buildings have been reconstructed so they look like they originally did before the bombings.

If you’re interested in history or culture , Dresden is just the city for you. There are so many interesting museums and unique buildings here.

And if you enjoy walking around pleasant streets among beautiful buildings while eating good food , we’re confident that you’ll enjoy both the old and new parts of Dresden.

How many days to stay in Dresden depends entirely on your personal pace and needs, of course.

We would recommend at least 1 full day to see the most famous sights in Dresden, and preferably 2 full days to go a little deeper and have time to visit some of the museums.

If you also want to experience the nearby Saxon Switzerland National Park (which we definitely argue that you should!), it’s a good idea to set aside an extra day for the day trip.

We spent 3 full days and 4 nights in Dresden which was absolutely perfect for us.

You can also stay longer if you want time to sleep in and stroll around at a leisurely pace with plenty of time to stop at cafés and see all the city has to offer.

2 or 3 days in Dresden will be optimal for most people.

Dresden City Card

If you expect to use the public transport system in Dresden a lot on your trip, it might be worth looking into getting the Dresden City Card ( adlink ).

The card provides unlimited use of public transport in Dresden for 1, 2 or 3 days.

Apart from that, you also receive discounts on museums, city tours and selected sights in Dresden (among other things).

See the prices and read more about the benefits of the Dresden City Card here ( adlink ).

And now for the best things to do and see in Dresden… Let’s get to it!

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What to do in Dresden naturally depends on what you’re most interested in but in this travel guide, we’ve written about the most popular sights – and those we enjoyed seeing ourselves.

Most of the best things to do and see in Dresden can be found in the old part of town : Altstadt (literally “old town” in German).

This is where many of the museums and Baroque-style buildings are found.

The new town , Neustadt , is more modern and this is where you’ll find many of the best cafés and restaurants in Dresden.

But we’ll get to that later…

Are you ready to know more about what to do in Dresden?

Scroll down or click directly on the links below to go to the sight or experience you want to read more about.

• Altstadt – The old town
• Frauenkirche – Church of Our Lady
• Fürstenzug – The world’s largest porcelain mural
• Neumarkt – The new marketplace
• Zwinger – A Baroque complex with museums
• Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister – Impressive art collection
• Porzellansammlung – A huge porcelain collection
• Semperoper – Dresden Opera House
• Residenzschloss – Dresden Castle
• Katholische Hofkirche – Dresden Cathedral
• Altmarkt – The old marketplace
• Brühlsche Terrasse – Brühl’s Terrace
• Augustusbrücke – The Augustus Bridge
• Elbe – The river that runs through Dresden
• Hop-on hop-off bus tour in Dresden
• Neustadt – The new district
• Goldener Reiter – The Golden Knight
• Kunsthofpassage – Backyard art
• Japanisches Palais – The Japanese Palace
• Saxon Switzerland National Park – A unique natural area
• Schloss Pillnitz – Pillnitz Castle

1. Altstadt – The old town

Altstadt is Dresden’s old town and the area is rather small but very beautiful.

You must spend time here on your trip to Dresden. It’s really pleasant to stroll around Altstadt and admire the beautiful architecture.

Most of Dresden’s well-known buildings like the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger Complex and the Residenzschloss (Dresden Castle) can be found in the old town.

Pretty much everything is within walking distance here. It’s a good idea to wear proper shoes as most streets are cobblestoned .

2. Frauenkirche – Church of Our Lady

One of the city’s landmarks and one of the sights not to be missed in Dresden is the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) at Neumarkt.

The Evangelical Lutheran church was originally built in Baroque style in the 18th century but it was destroyed during the bombing of Dresden in World War II.

More than 3,800 stones were salvaged from the original church and used in the reconstruction from 1994 to 2005, along with new stones.

All of the black stones you can see today are the old, original stones.

For a unique view of Dresden, you can go up to the dome of the church (which is one of the largest church domes in Europe).

You have to climb quite a few stairs to get up there, so if you’re out of shape or afraid of heights, it might not be the best activity.

The price is 10 EUR (~ 10.75 USD)* for adults and you can see other prices and opening times on the church’s website here .

*Prices are last updated in summer 2023.

3. Fürstenzug – The world’s largest porcelain mural

An über cool and totally free attraction in Dresden is the super long mural of “Fürstenzug” (Procession of Princes).

Saxony’s rulers (kings, dukes, margraves and electors) are portrayed walking and riding horses in a long parade with their names written below.

The time period ranges from the 12th to the 20th century and it’s fun to notice how the style of clothing and weapons change over time.

The 102-metre-long mural is found on the outside of the Residenzschloss complex and it’s said to consist of a whopping 23,000 porcelain tiles – which makes the Fürstenzug the world’s largest porcelain mural .

4. Neumarkt – The new marketplace

It’s in the central place of Neumarkt you’ll find the Frauenkirche mentioned above (and the Fürstenzug mural right next to it).

The historic area was badly damaged by the bombings and accompanying fires during World War II but much has been done to rebuild the square and reconstruct the buildings.

The Neumarkt square is surrounded by pretty coloured houses and a statue of Martin Luther.

From the end of November and all throughout December, a cosy Christmas market is held on Neumarkt and at the Frauenkirche.

5. Zwinger – A Baroque complex with museums

In our opinion, the Zwinger is one of the most beautiful sights in Dresden – a magnificent Baroque complex with several museums, a lovely garden area and fountains.

It’s one of the most famous monuments in Dresden and a must-see!

The Zwinger was built at the beginning of the 18th century during the reign of Augustus the Strong and was very much inspired by Louis XIV’s opulent palace in Versailles (near Paris).

It’s free to walk around the courtyard and we really think it would be a shame not to.

However, you have to buy tickets in order to enter the museums.

The Zwinger ticket can be purchased here ( adlink ), granting access to all four museums:

• Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery)
• Skulpturensammlung (Sculpture Collection)
• Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection)
• Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments)

Below we elaborate on the two most popular museums.

6. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister – Impressive art collection

The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) is filled with 750 incredible works of art from the 15th to the 18th century.

The impressive collection of art contains, among other things, significant European works of art, including works by Raphael, Rembrandt and Vermeer.

The collection can be found in the Semper Gallery in the Zwinger gallery wing.

Buy a ticket for the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and the other museums in the Zwinger here ( adlink ).

7. Porzellansammlung – A huge porcelain collection

If you love porcelain, you must visit Dresden’s porcelain collection, the Porzellansammlung, which is the world’s largest collection of porcelain with more than 20,000 pieces.

Here you’ll find porcelain vases, plates, cups, human figures, animals and many other fine works of art in all sizes.

The collection was started by Augustus the Strong who loved porcelain.

His early collection consisted of porcelain from the Ming and Qing dynasties, which he bought from China, and later he founded the first European porcelain factory in Meissen.

The museum itself has some majestic rooms and colourful ways of showcasing the artworks.

Buy a ticket for the Porzellansammlung and the other museums in the Zwinger here ( adlink ).

8. Semperoper – Dresden Opera House

Right next to the Zwinger lies the Dresden Opera House called Semperoper .

Operas, ballets, music and theatre shows are on all year round, but if you can’t quite find a performance that suits you, it’s also possible to go on a guided tour ( adlink ).

Even if you skip the show and the tour, you must pass by the square and enjoy the building from the outside because it’s definitely one of the most spectacular buildings in Dresden.

9. Residenzschloss – Dresden Castle

In the middle of the old town and only a stone’s throw from the Semperoper opera house you will find Dresden Castle (also called the Royal Palace).

Dresden Castle is one of the oldest buildings in the city and it was once used as the residence of princes and kings in Saxony.

If you love old European palaces (like Victories does!), you have to experience the Residenzschloss.

The castle is now used as a wonderful museum full of treasures and art.

The general ticket ( adlink ) gives access to Neues Grünes Gewölbe (the New Green Vault), the Turkish Chamber, the Renaissance Wing, and the Armory.

For some reason, entry to the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (the Historic Green Vault) has to be purchased separately. It can be done here .

Be aware that tickets can sell out quickly, so it’s a good idea to order tickets at least a few days in advance.

10. Katholische Hofkirche – Dresden Cathedral

With a size of no less than 4,800 square metres, Dresden Cathedral is the largest church in the entire German state of Saxony .

You pass it quite naturally if you go to see the Opera House and Dresden Castle.

Dresden Cathedral, which in German is called Katholische Hofkirche, is originally from the 18th century . But like so many other buildings in Dresden, it had to be restored after the bomb damage during World War II.

Several members of the royal family are buried in the crypt – as is the heart of Augustus the Strong (the rest of his body is buried in Krakow, Poland).

11. Altmarkt – The old marketplace

While Neumarkt is the new square, Altmarkt is the old square (“neu” means new and “alt” means old).

In addition to restaurants, cafés and the shopping centre Altmarkt Gallery , you’ll find the Lutheran church of Kreuzkirche Dresden here. It was built in a Late Baroque style with a tall tower.

The Altmarkt square is especially known for housing one of Germany’s largest and best-known Christmas markets , Dresdner Striezelmarkt, considered to be the oldest Christmas market in the country (from 1434!).

12. Brühlsche Terrasse – Brühl’s Terrace

The Brühlsche Terrasse (Brühl’s Terrace) is a large pedestrian promenade along the river Elbe.

As it is stretching high above the bank of the river, it’s also sometimes referred to as the “Balcony of Europe” .

It’s a perfect place to stroll around with stunning views of the Elbe River and Dresden’s iconic Baroque buildings.

You’ll find Brühl’s Terrace in the Altstadt north of Neumarkt between the bridges Augustusbrücke and Carolabrücke. Towards the latter lies The Brühl Gardens , which is a nice little park to walk through.

13. Augustusbrücke – The Augustus Bridge

Perhaps you have already noticed that Augustus the Strong has made his mark in Dresden.

Well, he also lent his name to the bridge Augustusbrücke, which crosses the Elbe River and connects the modern new district of Neustadt in the north with the historic city centre Altstadt to the south.

Since the 12th century, there has been a bridge at that exact location but the present-day sandstone bridge with several arches was built in the early 20th century.

We walked over the bridge a handful of times and from the middle of it, you have such a beautiful view of the city’s photogenic skyline. It’s especially great for pictures just before sunset .

14. Elbe – The river that runs through Dresden

The Elbe cuts through the city and it’s impossible to avoid the river on a trip to Dresden.

That’s why we’ve included the Elbe in this Dresden travel guide – because there are many fun things to do on and along the river.

Take a walk along the banks, enjoy the view from the Brühlsche Terrasse, cross the river over one of the bridges or go on one of the popular canal cruises .

You can, for example, consider booking a relaxing trip on a charming paddle steamer ( adlink ) to the Loschwitz Bridge, where you can see beautiful Dresden from the water.

Or what about going on an extended boat trip all the way to Pillnitz Castle ( adlink ), where in addition to experiencing Dresden from the river, you also get 20 minutes to explore the beautiful palace grounds?

15. Hop-on hop-off bus tour in Dresden

Is there a big city in the world that doesn’t have hop-on hop-off buses ?

They’re in Dresden , that’s for sure. And although we didn’t personally hop-on, they can be smart (and fun) to use – especially if you only have a short amount of time in the city or don’t want to walk that much yourself.

From the top of the double-decker buses , you can enjoy the fresh air and nice views while being driven directly to some of the most popular sights and things to do in Dresden (including many of those we’ve included in this Dresden travel guide).

You can take the whole trip in one 90-minute loop and learn about Dresden from the comfort of your seat on the bus or you can hop on and off as much as you like during the period your ticket is valid.

There are 22 stops along the route and buses run every 15 to 30 minutes .

You can buy tickets that are valid for 1 day or 2 days ( adlinks ) and both of the tickets also include guided tours to some of the sights and attractions.

16. Neustadt – The new district

We’ve written plenty about the old historic district of Dresden – what about the new district ?

Neustadt is just on the other side of the Elbe to the north of the old town and can easily be reached with the help of one of the bridges that cross the river.

If you’re travelling on a budget, this part of Dresden is most likely where you’ll be staying. We stayed in Neustadt ourselves during our time in the city.

The Neustadt area has a more modern feel to it with street art and lots of shops and delicious restaurants.

Although there are not too many things to do and see here, there are still a few that are worth mentioning. We’ll share them in the next few sections.

17. Goldener Reiter – The Golden Knight

If you come to Neustadt via the Augustus Bridge, you will immediately catch a glimpse of the Goldener Reiter (The Golden Knight).

As the name suggests, it’s a golden statue of Augustus the Strong sitting on a horse – dressed as a Roman Caesar.

The area around the statue is very green with small fountains. Behind it there is a nice tree-filled avenue leading down to Albertplatz.

In winter there is a Christmas market here which is supposedly more relaxed than the big, famous Striezelmarkt mentioned earlier.

18. Kunsthofpassage – Backyard art

One of the most special things to see in Dresden’s Neustadt is the Kunsthofpassage.

The Kunsthofpassage consists of five small backyards that were converted into an art experiment called the Ginkgo Project .

A group of artists, sculptors and designers redesigned the facades of the old buildings in 2001, so now each building and yard has its own theme.

There are also cute outdoor cafés, artist studios and small shops.

The distinctive “Hof der Elemente” (Garden of the Elements) is probably the most photographed of the backyards. Here, a drain and gutter system covers the entire facade between the windows and balconies.

When it rains, music plays from the creative system that has been set up.

If it rains on your trip to Dresden, you know where you have to go!

Kunsthofpassage is not visible from the street, so it’s not a place you easily stumble upon. Luckily it’s on Google Maps so you can find it that way.

19. Japanisches Palais – The Japanese Palace

The Japanese Palace is a wonderful building seen from the outside.

It was originally built at the beginning of the 18th century to house Augustus the Strong’s porcelain collection, but as you know, the collection is now found in the Zwinger Complex, and today the palace instead houses the Ethnological Museum and various changing exhibitions.

There are divided opinions about the museum inside, and since we’ve not been there ourselves, we will just recommend visiting the Japanese Palace’s small courtyard .

We enjoyed a bowl of soup and a cup of coffee in the afternoon. It’s a super cosy place for a small break.

Around the Japanese Palace, there is also a park with many small paths to walk on.

20. Saxon Switzerland National Park – A unique natural area

One of the best things to do in Dresden is, in our opinion, to venture outside of Dresden to go to the Saxon Switzerland National Park (or National Park Sächsische Schweiz in German).

The national park is for sure worthy of a day trip if you like hiking and experiencing unique nature.

In fact, the beautiful rocky canyon landscape and the famous Bastei Bridge was why Dresden got on our travel radar in the first place!

The sandstone mountains are found about an hour’s drive east of Dresden on the Czech border.

The Bastei Cliffs and the Bastei Bridge are the main tourist draws here.

The bridge is built into the rocks and most of all looks like something straight out of a fairy tale or a fantasy film .

The bridge was completely covered in fog when we were there at sunrise but we returned at sunset to an absolutely fantastic sight.

In between, we wandered around the national park and, among other things, hiked up to see the view at the Schrammsteinaussicht as well as explored Felsenburg Neurathen ; a castle built into the rocks.

We could write an entire travel guide to the Saxon Switzerland National Park because we simply loved it so much. Go there!

If you want to spend more than a day in the national park, you can consider staying in nearby Bad Schandau , for example at the beautiful spa hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme (adlink) .

Otherwise, you can take a day trip from Dresden like we did.

We drove there in our own car but there is also the option of going on an arranged trip that includes transport to and from Dresden.

You can see some of the popular options below.

21. Schloss Pillnitz – Pillnitz Castle

The lavish castle Schloss Pillnitz is located next to the Elbe River approximately 30 minutes of driving from Dresden.

Once again, Augustus the Strong is behind one of the special attractions in Dresden…

He had the castle built and renovated as a summer residence in the 1720s. Descendants of Augustus the Strong used it until 1918.

The castle actually consists of three palaces and there are several museums.

Experience the Domed Hall , which was used as a ballroom and dining room, the Royal Kitchen and the Catholic Chapel . You can also see Saxon (and European) arts and crafts from the 17th and 18th centuries.

On the grounds of the castle, there are also some beautiful landscaped gardens and a big palm house with plants from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

For a more scenic and adventurous trip than just driving from Dresden, you can sail along the Elbe on one of the historic paddle steamers on a canal cruise that goes to Pillnitz Castle ( adlink ).

Map of Dresden

Find all the best things to do and see in Dresden on the map below.

Which part of Dresden should you stay in?

Overall, Dresden can be divided into two areas: The old town and the new town .

As a rule of thumb, the old town of Altstadt is a little more expensive to live in as you’re close to the best sights in the city.

In the new and more modern district of Neustadt , you do have to walk a little further or take public transport to get to the historic city centre. In return, you’ll find cheaper accommodation .

Many of the best hotels in Dresden are located in the Altstadt (old town) but there are definitely some really good options in Neustadt (new town) as well.

Search for the best and cheapest hotels in Dresden here ( adlink ).

The best hotels in Dresden

5-star stays in dresden at 4-star prices.

There are several fantastic 5-star hotels in Dresden and last time we looked the prices were surprisingly low !

We don’t know why. Perhaps Dresden is just not as popular for city trips as for example Paris or Rome .

Anyway, this means that you can either save a little money and stay cheaper than you would otherwise – or perhaps upgrade your room a bit and get a lot of value for your money.

• Hyperion Hotel Dresden Am Schloss (5*) : Luxury hotel in the middle of Dresden’s old town with comfortable rooms, roof terrace, fitness centre, spa and sauna.
• Felix Suites at the Zwinger (5*) : 5-star apartment hotel where each apartment has its own kitchen. Beautiful view of the old town, modern gym and good facilities.
• Gewandhaus Dresden, Autograph Collection (5*) : Pool, beautiful rooms and a perfect location. Doesn’t get much better.
• Relais & Châteaux Bülow Palais (5*) : In a royal mood? Here you can sleep like an emperor or empress without being ruined.
• Suitess – At the Frauenkirche (5*) : Choose between exclusive apartments and hotel rooms in the middle of the old town.
• Hotel Elbresidenz an der Therme Bad Schandau (5*) : Beautiful spa hotel in Bad Schandau, located just 30 kilometres from Dresden. Perfect for visiting the Saxon Switzerland National Park.

Hotels in Dresden with good value for money

There are several fantastic 3 and 4-star hotels in Dresden where you get really good value for money. Here is a small selection.

• INNSiDE by Meliá Dresden (4,5*) : Nice rooms and great facilities for the money while being close to the Elbe in Altstadt.
• ARCOTEL HafenCity Dresden (4*) : A short walk from the city centre but offers large rooms, fitness, meeting facilities – and pets are welcome.
• Hotel Indigo Dresden – Wettiner Platz (IHG Hotel) (4*) : Stylish, subdued rooms right by the Altstadt – including a fitness centre.
• Aparthotel am Zwinger (3*) : Apartments with kitchen less than 1 kilometre from the old town.
• NH Dresden-Neustadt (4*) : One of the cheapest hotels in Dresden which is still reasonably located in relation to the city’s sights and attractions.
• Schiffsherberge Pöppelmann (2*) : The bathrooms are shared – but you do live cheaply and centrally on a boat in the Elbe River.

Like other German cities, Dresden is a relatively safe city to visit – also at night.

With that said, you naturally always have to be aware when you move around in a larger city.

Take your precautions and use your common sense .

Beware of pickpockets at the busiest tourist attractions and on public transport.

We felt entirely comfortable in Dresden and would personally think that the city is at least as safe to visit as other big cities in Germany and Western European countries.

Dresden is a relatively compact city, so the best way to get around is to walk .

It’s easy and safe .

Once you’re in the old town, Altstadt, you can easily walk to all the main sights of Dresden.

If you live in the Neustadt (modern part of town), it can save you some time and energy to take a tram into the old district but it’s definitely also possible to walk there – it just takes a little longer.

Put on some good shoes and get around for free by simply walking from one place to the next – and you’ll be sure to see some interesting things along the way, too.

By public transport

Dresden has a public transport system consisting of buses , trams , trains and even boats .

It’s punctual and relatively cheap to use. Just be aware that there is limited service after midnight.

If you expect to use the public transport system a lot on your trip, it might be worth looking into the Dresden City Card ( adlink ).

At the same time, you get discounts on entrance to museums, city tours and selected sights in Dresden (among other things).

See the prices and read more about the advantages of the Dresden City Card here ( adlink ).

Single-ride and day tickets for public transport in Dresden are also sold in vending machines at the largest stations and inside all trams and buses.

The old trams only accept cash, while the new trams and buses are cashless and only accept credit cards. Remember to stamp the ticket before use to validate it.

You can also use the app DVB mobil and easily buy your ticket on the phone before you get on. Read more about the public transport system DVB here .

There are also a number of options to rent bicycles and electric scooters around town.

We drove to Dresden ourselves but during our stay in the city, we didn’t use the car to get around.

Luckily we found a free parking space in a residential area so we could walk around and take the tram once or twice.

Of course, there are also quite a few paid parking spaces and parking garages in the city.

Below, we elaborate on the options for how best to get to Dresden.

Car to Dresden

Dresden is well connected to the German Autobahn system (national highways).

That means it’s easy to get here by car from all over Europe.

Dresden is one of the larger German cities that many people pass by if they drive from Denmark and further down through Europe – for example to the Czech Republic, Austria , Italy or Croatia.

Be aware that people drive very fast on the stretches of autobahn that do not have speed limits. Take caution.

Take the train to Dresden

Dresden is well connected to the Germain train network.

From Berlin, it takes approximately 2-2,5 hours to go to Dresden by train.

Flights to Dresden

Dresden has its own airport called Dresden Airport (Flughafen Dresden).

While it’s not huge, it does have connections to for example Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt as well as other big cities in Europe.

Use our adlink below to find the cheapest tickets:

Search for the cheapest flight tickets on Momondo .

The weather and the seasons are worth paying attention to when planning a trip to Dresden.

But when is the best time to travel to Dresden?

We were there ourselves at the beginning of October and enjoyed the beautiful autumn colours and the warm weather.

Dresden can be visited all year round and there really isn’t a bad time to go to the city. We imagine that each season is special in its own way .

Spring is a great time to visit Germany with sunny days and blooming flowers. It can still be a bit chilly, so check the forecast before you pack.

Summer is of course the hottest season, and the temperatures can get quite high in July and August. At the same time, it’s also at its rainiest in the summer. The summer holidays in Germany are spread out between mid-June and mid-September.

Autumn is super nice with orange colours everywhere, and you have plenty of excuses to stop in at cosy cafés for cake and a cup of something hot to drink. The most beautiful autumn colours can typically be seen at the end of September and in October, perhaps also at the beginning of November before the leaves fall off the trees.

Winter can be cold in Dresden, but on the other hand, there are usually fewer tourists – except around Christmas and New Year. The city looks beautiful when it’s covered in snow. If you visit during the Christmas period, you must not miss one of Germany’s largest and best-known Christmas markets , which can be found on the Altmarkt as well as the Christmas market on the Neumarkt.

As with most other holiday destinations (and especially with big cities in Europe), it can be a good idea to plan around the most common holidays if you want to avoid large crowds and at the same time get the benefit of cheaper accommodation.

For shorter queues and cheaper hotel prices , January, February, March and November are the cheapest options – if you don’t mind colder weather.

For the best weather , we would recommend visiting Dresden in May, June, September and October.

• Credit cards can be used in most shops, but as in the rest of Germany, cash is still often used and it’s not unusual for cash to be used in parking and ticket machines, at cafés and the like.
• Get up early and be one of the first at an attraction if you want to avoid long queues in the high season.
• Drink tap water . It’s not only good for the planet, it’s also good for your wallet. The tap water in Dresden is absolutely safe to drink – so bring a refillable bottle.
• Travel to Dresden outside of the holidays . Accommodation prices are lower, good deals are easier found and there are fewer tourists.
• Walk, walk and walk some more . Walking around Dresden is free, easy and good for the soul. And you’ll probably find many hidden gems along the way.
• Consider buying a Dresden City Card ( adlink ), if you plan to use public transport to get around (and/or visit any museums).
• Travel insurance (adlink) . Never travel without it!
• A good camera – here’s a guide to the gear we use .
• Sunscreen (adlink) . Especially if you visit Dresden in the summer. We recommend that you use an organic, vegan sunscreen without oxybenzone and other harmful chemicals.
• Sneakers or other types of shoes you can walk in comfortably.
• A refillable water bottle . Just drink water from the tap in Dresden.
• Cash for parking and other small purchases, especially 1 and 2-euro coins. Not all places in Germany accept credit cards.

To minimise your impact during your visit, follow these guidelines:

• Bring your own drinking water in a refillable bottle.
• Avoid single-use plastics , including straws.
• Dispose of waste properly and do not throw it on the ground.
• Take only photos, leave only footprints . Let everything stay in its natural place.
• Be considerate of other visitors .
• Respect wildlife .

Thanks for reading

Thank you for reading our travel guide to Dresden. We hope it has been helpful!

What do you think of Saxony’s historic capital?

If you’ve already been there, it would be great to hear your best tips and tricks in the comments. Is there a cool or fun thing to do or see that we forgot to include?

Don’t hesitate to ask us anything if you haven’t been to Dresden yet. We are happy to help.

Pin for later:

Our favourite travel resources:

• Booking.com for cheap hotels.
• Momondo for the best flight deals.
• SafetyWing for travel insurance. We also like World Nomads and True Traveller . All three compared here .

Our camera gear:

• Panasonic GH5 . Used for all of our photos and videos.
• DJI Mavic 2 Pro . Best drone out there!
• Sirui Tripod . Lightweight and strong.
• See all of our camera gear here .

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2 thoughts on “ A Complete Travel Guide to Dresden: 21 Best Things To Do & See ”

Hello there! I just finished reading your Dresden travel guide on the best things to do and see, and I must say, it’s an exceptional resource for anyone planning a trip to this fascinating city. Your article offers a comprehensive guide that highlights the top attractions and experiences in Dresden.

I appreciate how you’ve curated a list of the best things to do and see in Dresden, showcasing the city’s rich history, cultural heritage, and architectural marvels. From the iconic Frauenkirche and the grand Zwinger Palace to the picturesque Elbe River and the vibrant Neustadt district, your guide covers a diverse range of experiences. The inclusion of practical tips and recommendations for each attraction, such as opening hours and nearby amenities, adds immense value to the article.

Furthermore, your descriptions and insights about each place provide a deeper understanding of Dresden’s significance and charm. It’s evident that you have a genuine passion for the city, and your enthusiasm shines through your writing. The stunning photographs accompanying the post further enhance the visual experience and make me eager to explore Dresden myself.

Thank you for sharing this wonderful travel guide to Dresden. Your article has not only educated me about the city but has also inspired me to visit and discover its unique treasures. Keep up the fantastic work, and I’ll be eagerly waiting for more of your travel guides and recommendations.

Thanks so much for your kind words!

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Learn about Dresden's rebirth in one perfect day

Nov 15, 2022 • 8 min read

Tourists walk in the gardens of Pillnitz Castle in Dresden © Elizaveta Kovaleva/Lonely Planet

Located on the Elbe River in Saxony, Dresden's story is one of rebirth. Allied bombing leveled the city in 1945, but in the decades since the end of the war, renovations have restored the historical core into the vibrant city it was in the 18th century. 

Dresden’s urban rebirth continues in 2023 with a second phase of renovations of the Altmarkt (central square) to include more accessibility and climate protection measures. The project is set to reopen in time for the 2023 Striezelmarkt, one of the oldest and largest Christmas markets. 

Seema Prakash fell so in love with the city more than a decade ago, she moved here and began giving walking tours of the city and its history. She shows us a perfect day learning about Dresden.

Dresden bewitched me the moment I saw the sun rise over its domes and baroque skyline on a magical morning in 2009. I was traveling solo, fleeing from a deep personal crisis in order to take time off to consider my future, when Dresden’s legendary rising-from-the-ashes story resonated with my own – and set me off on my new career as a licensed guide. (Or as my mother called it: a psychohistorian!) More than a decade later, I know every one of Dresden’s graceful facets. To show guests my Dresden in a manner that is entertaining, informative and engaging is my personal credo

Why you should visit Dresden

Some of us believe that the Elbe slows down as it passes its beloved Dresden, kissing both banks before flowing onward. You can discover Dresden’s beauty in the lush wine-growing slopes along the river, as well as in the historic center: in squares ringed by iconic buildings, in tall steeples and towers of its churches, in airy cobbled courtyards and (especially) in the galleries of its sumptuous museums. After being nearly bombed into oblivion during WWII, Dresden has been lovingly rebuilt, and now waits to be discovered by discerning travelers who love culture, history and – of course – wine.

Morning: Arrive by train and visit the Altmarkt

8:30am – If you’re arriving in Dresden by train, grab a pastry from Le Crobag and exit the main station at Prager Strasse. Once the most expensive shopping street in Dresden, Prager Strasse was completely destroyed in WWII in the course of one night. In the 1960s, it was rebuilt to be the international face of socialist East Germany, with new apartments, shops, sculptures and fountains surrounding a pedestrianized area. Follow the crowds toward the large Altmarkt (Old Market Square), where the oldest Christmas market in Germany takes place in December. This will bring you face to face with the large, glass-fronted Kulturpalast (or the “House of Socialist Culture”), built in the early 1960s and today housing a library, philharmonic hall and other facilities. Walk further and enter the baroque heart of historic Dresden, left in ruins during the East German regime before major post–Cold War restorations.

Stroll through Neumarkt

Make your way toward Neumarkt and the imposing Frauenkirche , rebuilt to its original splendor using stones sourced from the rubble. This is the epitome of Dresden’s rising-from-the-ashes spirit, and a symbol of forgiveness and reconciliation. Stroll through the restaurants along narrow, cobbled Münzgasse, then walk up the stairs to the top of Brühl’s Terrace – which Goethe called the “Balcony of Europe” – to admire the views of city and the Elbe below. Turn left to the end of the terrace and follow the steps down to Schlossplatz, admiring the magnificent Dresden Cathedral and Royal Palace along the way. Pop into the cathedral to admire the extraordinary Silbermann organ, which was happily dismantled and stored safely during the war before its reinstallation.

9:30am – See more of the city by buying a ticket for a hop-on-hop-off bus tour, or heading to the riverbank for a seat on one of Dresden’s historic “white fleet” paddleboats. The bus will take you past the impressive Volkswagen Transparent Factory , the beautifully landscaped Grosser Garten (Great Garden) and over the 19th-century Blue Wonder bridge. (We recommend verifying the boat schedules and reserving tickets beforehand.)

Chocolate at Camondas

10am – Before your tour, spend a few minutes discovering why Dresden is known as the “Chocolate City.” Walk past the Procession of Princes (one of the largest porcelain paintings in the world) and through the Georgentor (an elaborately sculpted gateway), and toward Camondas. In this chocolate emporium, you can sample hot chocolate (try it with a dash of chili powder), chocolate ice cream, a large variety of chocolate truffles and pralines, even a small museum…it’s sheer chocolate heaven.

Take a river cruise of the Elbe

10:30am – If you opt for the boat (and we recommend doing so), rush to claim a seat on the top deck for clear views of the Elbe Valley. With its wine slopes, meadows and imposing “castles” (actually elaborate villas from the 19th century), the valley’s harmony of landscape and architecture has earned it a Unesco designation. During the ride’s 90 minutes, life takes on a dreamy, meandering tempo as you pass by other boats, paddling children, anglers, horses, people reading, grilling, walking dogs or cycling.

Neumarkt for Saxon lunch

12:30pm – Stroll back to Neumarkt, and consider your many options for lunch. Head down the stairs of the old gunpowder tower at Pulverturm restaurant, or grab a table at the cheery and bustling Dresden 1900 for authentic Saxon cuisine (think hearty potato soup and schnitzel with creamy mushroom sauce; if you’re hungry, tackle the giant pork knuckle). For a relaxed, leisurely meal, enjoy the elegant dining room at Grand Cafe Cosel. If you’d rather explore more, grab a fresh filled roll, slice of torte and coffee from one of the many nearby bakeries and enjoy some people-watching on the square as you eat. 

2pm – Time for a dose of history, culture, iconic buildings and interesting stories, through a two-hour walking tour with a licensed guide – an absolute must.

Tour Residenzschloss

4:30–6pm – Get in a bit more culture with a visit to one of Dresden’s famous museums. My personal favorite is the Royal Palace (Residenzschloss), which combines reconstructed palace rooms and modern museum areas, taking you on a journey through the Renaissance and baroque eras. Look out for the original throne of Saxony , dresses and jewelry from the 16th to 18th centuries and portraits of the ruling family, plus armor, weapons and other personal objects fashioned out of precious metals and stones.

Check for a market in Altmarkt

6:30pm – Before leaving the Old Town, see if there’s a market happening in Altmarkt. In addition to the famous Christmas market, smaller events take place to mark transitions in seasons, offering a collection of quaint stalls with regional street food, handicrafts and drinks. If it’s wine-harvesting season, try a Federweisser, wild, frothy young wine; at Christmastime, a mulled Glühwine is a must. Zum Wohl !

Bohemian Neustadt and Kunsthofpassage

Now it's time to discover the other face of Dresden: grungy, edgy and bohemian Neustadt (New City). Take a tram or simply walk across Augustus Bridge, Dresden’s oldest, toward the statue of the Golden Rider, which depicts the conquering Saxon king Augustus the Strong confidently riding out in the direction of Poland. Follow Hauptstrasse – a once-wide baroque alley that was destroyed in the war and recreated as a boulevard in the 1970s in typical East German style – to Albertplatz, with its two gigantic fountains adorned with mermaids and mermen. Veer right in the direction of the 19th-century Gothic Revival Martin Luther Kirche, and take in some of Dresden’s only remaining Wilhelminian-style architecture, which features luxe stucco facade decorations, oriel windows and towers, and decorative wrought-iron doors.

As you walk through Neustadt, your goal is to get as lost as possible, as you discover street art, decipher graffiti, wander through small side streets and stumble across charming courtyards such as Roskolnikoff, a small restaurant that seems to have never been informed of East Germany’s fall. Look for the Kunsthofpassage, a series of connected, once-abandoned courtyards transformed by artists into whimsical streetscapes dotted with small boutiques. 

Watch football at Katy's Garage

7:30pm – There are more than 200 bars and restaurants in Neustadt’s single square mile, some so small that they fit barely five guests at a time. If there is a football match on, head straight away for Katy’s Garage, an open-air bar with giant TV screens. Be sure to order a glass of the signature Erdbeerbowle – a potent punch made with fresh strawberries (when in season).  

9pm – Set out for a pub crawl, or settle down in one of Neustadt’s many shisha bars (Habibi on the corner of Louisenstrasse and Martin Luther Strasse is a restaurant, cafe and shisha bar with great ambience). The day’s grand finale will take place at Franks Bar on Alaunstrasse. The hot spot’s young owner, Ilya, spent the pandemic year experimenting with ingredients to create his masterpiece: a Black Forest Cake in liquid (and alcohol-heavy) form. If that’s too heavy, his fresh-fruit daiquiris go down perfectly on a hot summer evening.

Walk to the middle of Carola Bridge to enjoy a splendid night-time view of Dresden – and linger over your goodbye, as the Elbe flows below you.

Have a bit more time? Seema has created an extended 4-day itinerary that features these highlights in Dresden and the surrounding area.   

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A city guide to Dresden, eastern Germany's rebuilt cultural masterpiece

After decades spent rebuilding from the rubble, the eastern German city is thriving, with beautifully reconstructed architecture, a hip art district and rolling Riesling vineyards.

As sure as the River Elbe runs through Dresden, so too does an undercurrent of dignity and stoicism. Even without prior knowledge of the city’s history, you can feel it like a physical force emanating from Dresdeners, who, I learn, have plenty of reasons to be proud of their home. Located in eastern Germany, 30 miles from the Czech border, the Saxon city was bombed to near-oblivion by Allied forces six months before the end of the Second World War. Its baroque edifices were reduced to rubble and, under the Soviet   control that followed, even more of the city was left to crumble and   decay.

“We always say the Russians destroyed buildings more efficiently than any bombs,” says my guide, Susanne, with a wry smile. “Since the wall came down, we have rebuilt our city brick by brick.”

Perhaps the most pertinent example is the Frauenkirche (Church of our Lady), a beguiling sandstone masterpiece softly glowing golden in the sunlight. Until 1994, it remained a blackened ruin, but in the aftermath of German reunification in 1990, Dresdeners appealed to the world for funds to help resurrect their beloved   church.

“We picked up every stone and worked out where it would have been,” Susanne says. “Like the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzle.”  

Reconstruction took 11 years and, in a moving denouement, Britain donated the new cross that now stands proudly on its domed roof. Among the team of craftsmen commissioned to create it was a goldsmith whose father had taken part in the air raids.

Hardship has seemingly bred not only determination, but also a rebellious spirit and artistic vigour — and nowhere is this more evident than in Neustadt, an area once so dilapidated it was destined to be bulldozed. But in the years following reunification, creative types moved in, squatting in buildings and creating the street art for which the district has become known. Today, Neustadt is a bastion of independent bars and lunch spots, but its art scene still thrives, with galleries such as Galerie Holger John hanging witty, subtly political prints in their windows.

As dusk falls, I climb the winding walkway to the Frauenkirche’s dome and look out over the rooftops. Dresden unfurls beneath me, most of it restored — a phoenix risen from the ashes. Now it’s rebuilt, this isn’t a city to stand still; both place and people are ready to fly.

Seven highlights of visiting Dresden

1. Zwinger : To visit the Zwinger is to dive into Dresden’s baroque heyday. Built as a party pad for royals in the 1700s, when Augustus the Strong sat on the throne (his own residence, Dresden Castle, stands behind the Zwinger and is also worth visiting), the lavish, sculpture-studded palace complex surrounds an enormous courtyard filled with fountains. It now houses three museums: the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), in which hang celebrated artworks including Raphael’s Sistine Madonna; the Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection); and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon, which displays a curious collection of telescopes, clocks and globes.  

2. Procession of Princes: This 335ft-long mural presents Saxony’s rulers as a procession of riders. The 24,000 porcelain tiles adorn the outside of the Stallhof, part of the Dresden Castle complex, and were among the only items in the vicinity to survive the bombing of February 1945. Porcelain can withstand temperatures of up to 1,000C, so while much of the city burned, Augustus and his ancestors rode on.

3. Kunsthofpassage :   After the Berlin Wall came down, Kunsthofpassage, in Neustadt, was taken under the wing of a group of artists. The result: a series of refreshingly original street art. The most famous features interlinked drainpipes twisting and turning against a turquoise backdrop; when rain trickles through them, it produces a musical tinkle. Another building is adorned with a giant relief of a giraffe, plus monkeys swinging from window to window. Murals and art can be found all around the area, and a walking tour with guides like Susanne Reichelt offers an insider’s perspective.

4. Großer Garten: In Dresden’s biggest park, sprawling east from Altstadt, paths are overhung with horse chestnut trees and a small train chugs around the border. The real draw, though, is the crumbling baroque summer palace, built in 1680. In spring, a flower festival sees its rooms filled with plants, while each winter a local theatre company performs A Christmas Carol — Ein Weihnachtslied   by candlelight.

5. German Hygiene Museum :   This museum was founded by Karl Lingner, best known for manufacturing the mouthwash Odol. Far from focusing just on sanitation, however, the purpose of the space was to examine trends in science and culture. There are sections on life and death, nutrition, sex, movement and beauty, and recent exhibitions have included a thought-provoking look at the future of food.

6. On your bike: As Dresden is fairly flat, cycling is an easy way to cover lots of ground. Cycle to Blasewitz, a residential area full of pastel-hued 19th-century villas, before turning towards the river, where you’ll get a great view of the city’s three palaces — Albrechtsberg, Lingner and Eckberg — on the opposite bank. Many hotels provide bikes, or you can join a tour. Private guide and Dresden local Cosima Curth offers a four-hour cycle with multiple stop-offs for £150.

7. Take a hike: The Saxon Switzerland National Park lies to the east of Dresden, and trains to the picturesque town of Pirna — the park’s entry point — take less than 20 minutes. From here, you can explore a fairytale landscape of epic proportions, where sandstone peaks puncture a forest of pine, oak and fir trees. Consider a culinary hike with BrotZeit Tour ; founder Kristin knows the area like the back of her hand and will even rustle up a picnic of local cheese, meat and wine.

Where to go shopping in Dresden

1. Pfunds Molkerei : Hand-painted tiles featuring dancing angels, cherubs, cows and woodland creatures adorn this dairy shop from floor to ceiling. After purchasing some cheese, head to the upstairs cafe for a lactose-laden snack (the cheesecake is particularly good) and a spot of people-watching. Cheese and wine (or milk) tastings are available, as are tours of the dairy — just be sure to book in advance.

2. Hauptstrasse:   This tree-lined boulevard in Innere Neustadt, known as the baroque quarter, has shopping opportunities aplenty. Ignore the chain stores and keep your eyes peeled for the passages full of independent shops: try Goldschmiedewerkstatt Barbara Oehlke for handmade jewellery or Blumengalerie Dresden for plants and vases. Afterwards, head to Neustädter Markthalle for pop-up stalls, cafes and a supermarket with an excellent confectionery section.

3. Markets: Most famous for its Christmas markets (including Striezelmarkt, the country’s oldest), Dresden also has plenty of year-round offerings. Elbeflohmarkt (open on Saturdays, pre-pandemic), sells everything from antique furniture to retro posters, while music fans could spend days rifling through records at Schallplattenbörse, a second-hand vinyl market.

Where to eat in Dresden

1. Oswaldz: This is a cafe that takes pride in its coffee. Compact, cosy and with a courtyard looking out across the Elbe, Oswaldz stocks several blends from local roastery Phoenix, plus an excellent array of cakes. Come for the flat white and stay for the pastrami sandwiches and raspberry-and-beetroot cheesecake. But be prepared to wait — it’s a popular place, and queues regularly snake down the street.

2. Kulturwirtschaft: Opened last year in Kraftwerk Mitte, a disused factory-turned-cultural hub, Kulturwirtschaft does decadence better than any other restaurant in Dresden. If you can tear your eyes away from the chandeliers, silver vases, velvet armchairs and two grand pianos for long enough to peruse the menu (German with a nod to wider Europe), try the beef roulades with red cabbage and dumplings, or the goat’s cheese tart with roasted vegetables.

3. Restaurant Atelier Sanssouci :   Michelin-starred Restaurant Atelier Sanssouci serves classic French cuisine in a neoclassical villa surrounded by two acres of manicured gardens. Enjoy your meal with   a   local Riesling, and then, as the restaurant belongs to the Hotel Villa Sorgenfrei, consider splashing out on an overnight stay and saying yes to that second bottle.

How to experience the city like a local

1. Vineyard visits: Dry whites from Dresden are among the country’s finest, but as a wine region, Saxony’s small size means it’s often overlooked. Its vineyards are as wonderful as the wines themselves: charming, often family-run affairs that serve up mulled white wine in winter and glasses of Goldriesling in summer. Head first to Hoflössnitz estate, with its half-timbered house, before moving on to Schloss Wackerbarth winery for a glass of Bacchus — both are in the suburb of Radebeul, only a 30-minute tram ride from the centre.  

2. Feinbäckerei Rebs:   At this popular bakery, local favourites include bauernbrot bread, glazed pastries and stollen. The latter is said to have originated in Dresden in 1329 and now has PGI (protected geographical indication) status. Only a select number of bakeries, including Feinbäckerei Rebs , can create these ‘official’ versions, which beat any supermarket imitations hands   down.

3. Elbe Valley:   Head downstream from the Loschwitz Bridge towards the sleepy meadows of the Elbe, and suddenly the thrum of the city fades away. Crowned by Pillnitz Castle and lined with centuries-old villas, this sprawl of grassland is a prized dog-walking, sunbathing and picnicking spot for locals.  

Where to go in the evening

1. Blue Note: Small, dimly lit and cosy, with a drinks menu as long as your arm, this local gem plays live jazz into the early hours to an enthralled crowd. Bands range from small-time outfits to national and even international artists, but whoever’s on stage, you’re guaranteed to have a good time. Arrive around 8pm to bag a choice seat by the   bar.

2. Bautzner Tor : On entering this pub, you’ll be forgiven for wondering if you’ve accidentally walked into a museum, as its large central room is stuffed full of defunct East German gadgets. In fact, this is the official brewery tap of craft beer company Neustädter Hausbrauerei. Local beer in Dresden is excellent, so try whatever special is in season, as well as sampling the Rot, Helles and Hanf options, available year-round.

3. Frauenkirche :   The Frauenkirche’s cavernous domed ceiling makes for compelling acoustics, and the church regularly holds evening concerts. Many acclaimed classical musicians, including oboist Albrecht Mayer, have performed here, playing moving renditions of works by world-famous German composers like Bach and Beethoven.

Where to stay

1. Am Schillerplatz Bed and Breakfast : This B & B has spotless rooms in the characterful environs of a 400-year-old home. It offers views of the Loschwitz Bridge, also known as the ‘Blaues Wunder’ (‘Blue Wonder’), a sky-hued steel structure connecting the districts of Blasewitz and Loschwitz. Don’t miss the farmers’ market that sets up outside on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

2. Penck Hotel Dresden :   Local painter and sculptor A   R   Penck gained international recognition for his neo-expressionist pieces, reflective of tribal art. This design hotel houses countless artworks by the artist, including a gigantic sculpture rising from its rooftop. Rooms are ultra-modern, minimalist and sleek, and the location is ideal for inner-city wandering, located just five minutes from the old town.

3. Schloss Eckberg : As the country with the greatest number of castles, nowhere does sleeping in a fairytale tower seem more apt than in Germany. Schloss Eckberg sits above the Elbe, all crenellated walls, marble columns and sweeping lawns. The castle also has its own vineyard, bringing a whole new meaning to ‘local wine’.  

Getting there & around   You can reach Dresden by train from London St Pancras, changing in Brussels and Frankfurt. There are no nonstop flights from the UK; instead, fly to Berlin and travel onwards by train (a two-hour journey). Berlin is typically served from various UK airports by British Airways , Lufthansa , Ryanair and EasyJet .

Average flight time: 2h.

The easiest way to get around the city is by bike or tram. Many hotels offer bicycles, or you can rent one from Roll on Dresden . The Dresden City Card   covers tram and bus travel, as well as offering discounted entry into some museums.    

When to go   The ideal time to visit Dresden is in winter, when bars sell steaming glasses of mulled wine, the smell of stollen wafts from bakeries and Christmas markets spring up across the city. For its annual wine festival, however, go in September — dates vary, but it’s normally held towards the end of the month.  

More info visit-dresden.travel germany.travel cosima-curth.de tourguide-dresden.de

How to do it Kirker Holidays offers three nights at the Bülow Palais hotel, B & B, from £596 per person, including flights.

Published in the September 2021 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)

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• Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe
• Gewandhaus Dresden, Autograph Collection
• Hilton Dresden Hotel
• Bilderberg Bellevue Hotel Dresden
• Restaurant Stresa
• Restaurant Genuss-Atelier
• Lloyd's Cafe & Bar
• Restaurant Moritz
• Green Vault
• The Dresden Zwinger
• Frauenkirche Dresden
• Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
• Dresden Christmas Market
• Scenic Bastei Bridge with Boat Trip & Lunch: DayTour from Dresden
• Historic Dresden Small-Group Walking Tour
• Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland National Park Day Trip from Dresden
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Home » Travel Guides » Germany » 15 Best Things to Do in Dresden (Germany)

15 Best Things to Do in Dresden (Germany)

On the Elbe in the state of Saxony, Dresden is a city of Baroque wonders that have been resurrected since the war. The Wettins were a long line of Electors and Kings who ruled the state and kingdom of Saxony their seat in from Dresden between the 13th and 20th centuries.

None of these rulers wielded as much power as Augustus II the Strong in the 18th century. He is the man to thank for the astounding wealth of the Staatliche Kunstsammlung (State Art Collections), which are so large they have to be organised across different historic buildings in the city. There are invaluable gold treasures, paintings by Renaissance masters, oriental porcelain, classical sculpture, ceremonial weapons and more than you could ever squeeze into one trip.

Let’s explore the best things to do in Dresden :

1. Frauenkirche

Crested by one of Europe’s largest church domes, the majestic Frauenkirche demands your attention on Neumarkt.

The original church was completed in 1743, following designs by the architect George Bähr who didn’t live to see it completed.

Frauenkirche was totally destroyed in 1945. At first its rubble was left in Neumarkt as a war memorial, but it was eventually moved to storage in the 1980s to prepare for a future reconstruction.

This was finally begun in 1994, using a lot of the preserved material (3,500 individual stones), and work was completed in 2005. The new gilded cross and orb atop the dome were forged in London as a gesture of reconciliation, while the damaged former cross can be found to the right of the church’s new altar.

2. Zwinger Palace

One of Germany’s most lauded Baroque edifices, the Zwinger was ordered by Saxon Elector Augustus II the Strong in the late 16th century as a space for lavish court festivities.

The work was completed in the early 18th century by the court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and the sculptor Balthasar Permoser.

What began as an orangery slowly grew into a complex of richly ornamented pavilions and gardens, overlooked by galleries lined with balustrades and statues.

One of many theatrical elements is the Nymphenbad (Nymph’s Bath), a fountain in a hollow enclosed by sculptures of nymphs that are set in niches and crowning the balustrade.

The Zwinger’s pavilions host museums based on the state collections, and we’ll come to the best one next.

3. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister

The Zwinger’s Sempergalerie houses one of the world’s outstanding collections of Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Flemish Renaissance art.

The collection was started by Augustus I in the 16th century, but really took shape in 1746 during the reign of Augustus III when a big chunk of the Duke of Modena Francesco III’s collection was purchased.

So prepare yourself for a feast of art by Vermeer, Rembrandt, van Eyck, Titian, Raphael, Giorgione, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Hans Holbein the Younger , El Greco, Zurbarán, Canaletto, van Dyck, Rubens, the list goes on.

Around 750 paintings are exhibited at one time, just over a third of the collection.

4. Semperoper

Named after its architect Gottfried Semper and opened in 1878, Dresden’s resplendent opera house is one of the world’s most respected performing arts venues.

This was the second opera house at this location, after the first burned down in 1869. Semper had also designed the original one, which was completed in 1841. The marvellous Neo-Baroque/Italian Renaissance hall was gutted during the war and reopened in the mid-1980s.

On the facade look for the statues of Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, Molière, Euripides and Sophocles.

In the 19th century the Semperoper staged world premieres for operas by Wagner and Richard Strauss (Elektra, Salome, Der Rosenkavalier). If you can’t catch a performance, there are guided tours of the exuberant interior in English and German throughout the day at 15 to 30-minute intervals.

5. Dresdner Residenzschloss

This Renaissance palace was the residence for the Electors and then the Kings of Saxony from the 16th to the 19th century.

Like the Zwinger the palace is now an ensemble of museums for the various state collections.

The most exquisite of all is the Green Vault, the royal treasure chambers, which we’ll cover next.

But you can also view the Dresden Armoury, an astounding assortment of ceremonial armour, weapons and regalia, and the Turkish Chamber, one of the most significant collections of Ottoman art outside Turkey.

Also in the palace is the Kupferstich-Kabinett, the 500,000-strong collection of sketches, prints and drawings, by artists like Albrecht Dürer, Goya, Michelangelo, Jan van Eyck, Rubens and Rembrandt.

And not to forget the Münzkabinett, which is the state coin collection composed of 300,000 pieces from antiquity to the present, and from all parts of the world.

6. The Green Vault

On the first and second floors of the western section of the Dresdner Residenzschloss are the incredible treasure chambers of the Saxony Electors.

The Green Vault was started by Moritz of Saxony in the 16th century and extended in the 18th century by Augusts II the Strong who turned the chambers into one of the world’s first public museums.

His intention was to create a Gesamtkunstwerk (comprehensive artwork) to convey power and wealth.

The Historical Green Vault is the name given to the restored 18th-century chambers on the first floor, bursting with around 3,000 masterworks in gold, ivory, silver and amber.

Meanwhile the New Green Vault on the floor above is a separate museum concentrating on the works of the virtuoso goldsmith Johann Melchior Dinglinger, a favourite of Augustus II the Strong.

7. Fürstenzug

On the east side of the Residenzschloss, come around to the facade of the Stallhof on Augustusstraße where there’s a porcelain mural 102 metres in length.

This monumental artwork was initially painted in the first half of the 1870s, and this image was later replaced by porcelain tiles in the 1900s to protect it from the elements.

You couldn’t ask for a better history lesson, as Fürstenzug records all 35 rulers of the House of Wettin, from the margraves in the 12th century through the Dukes and Imperial Electors and ending with the Kings in the 19th century.

8. Dresden Porcelain Collection

The southern halls of the Zwinger Palace are reserved for state porcelain collection, which was set up by Augustus II the Strong in 1715. You can marvel at a treasury of Chinese and Japanese porcelain acquired in the 18th century.

There are pieces like Imari ware, which was produced for export in the 17th and 18th centuries, and china from the Ming (14th-17th century) and Qing (17th-20th century) dynasties.

But the museum also excels for its locally produced Meissen porcelain, including figurines, a table set belonging to Frederick Augustus III and vessels decorated with Rococo and oriental motifs.

There are over 20,000 pieces of the collection, but only exhibition space for 10% of that, so the displays are regularly updated.

9. Brühl’s Terrace

Just north of the Frauenkirche is a regal 500-metre panoramic terrace, looking out on the Elbe from the left bank between the Augustusbrücke and the Carolabrücke.

The terrace connects with the cathedral via a ceremonious stairway, and goes back to the time of Dresden’s fortifications.

It got its name in the 18th century from the statesman Heinrich von Brühl who constructed a series of lavish buildings here when the walls were pulled down.

Only the gardens on the east side survive, while the remainder of the terrace is traced by public buildings and museums in the historicist style.

There are many sculptures on the way, including a statue of Gottfried Semper and a monument to Caspar David Friedrich.

10. Albertinum

On Brühl’s Terrace, the Renaissance Revival Albertinum was constructed in the 1880s as a home for the royal sculpture collection.

Now, as well as containing the “Skulpturensammlung” the building holds the New Masters Gallery, for contemporary works purchased after 1843. The New Masters Gallery is a who’s who of European art up to the Second World War, loaded with works by Romantic (Friedrich, Richter), Impressionist (van Gogh, Monet), Symbolist (Klimt, Munch) and Expressionist painters (Klee, Kirchner). The Skulpturensammlung has more than five millennia of sculpture, from Classical Antiquity to the 21st century via the likes of Rodin, Degas and Lehmbruck.

11. Dresden Cathedral

After the Albertine Wettins converted to Catholicism under Augustus II the Strong to make them eligible for the Polish throne in the 18th century they set about building a new court church.

By the Elbe on the western end of Brühl’s Terrace, it was designed in an Italian Baroque style by the Rome-born architect Gaetano Chiaveri.

The church only gained cathedral status in the 1960s, and was another of Dresden’s monuments to be resurrected after the war.

In all, 49 members of the Albertine line of the Wettin Family are buried in the crypt, including Augustus I, Augustus III and all of the 19th-century Kings of Saxony, as well as the heart of Augustus II the Strong.

The cathedral holds the last survivor of four organs designed by the master Gottfried Silbermann in the early 1750s.

12. Neustadt

Made up of an inner and outer neighbourhood on the right bank of the Elbe, the Neustadt is the district of Dresden that was reconstructed after a fire in the 1730s, which is why it’s called “new”. The inner part fell within Dresden’s old fortifications and since 1989 has been recognised by its street art and counter-culture, rubbing shoulders with architectural landmarks like the Japanisches Palais hosting Dresden’s ethnology and pre-history museums.

With some 150 restaurants and bars, the outer Neustadt is one of best places to go out in Germany.

Come for the Bunt Republik Neustadt festival, three days of mayhem in June.

13. Kunsthofpassage

In the Neustadt you may stumble upon a passage through a chain of courtyards, all with whimsical designs.

Take the Hof der Elemente (Courtyard of the Elements), which has a tangle of drainpipes shaped like musical instruments on the facade.

When it rains the water creates its own music.

Hof des Lichts (Courtyard of Light) has projection screens for multimedia performances, as well as well as metallic mirrors that illuminate the courtyard and throw artistic patterns on the walls.

Also check out Hof der Fabelwesen (Courtyard of Mythical Creatures), where the artist Viola Schöpe has adorned the walls with paintings and ceramic mosaics of bizarre creatures.

All along the Kunsthofpassage are cafes, art galleries and one-off shops.

14. Pillnitz Palace & Park

A few kilometres up the Elbe from Dresden is the summer residence for the Electors and Kings of Saxony.

Pillnitz is actually a complex of three palaces: The Wasserpalais (Waterfront Palace), Bergpalais (Upper Palace) and the Neues Palais, a Neoclassical palace from the 1820s.

The Wasserpalais and the Bergpalais have a delightful fusion of Baroque and the Chinoiserie that was in fashion in the 1720s.

Today they house the state applied arts collections of ceramics, furniture and textiles dating back to the 1200s.

The Neues Palace has a museum about the history of the complex and the court intrigue that took place here in the 18th century.

The 28-hectare grounds are stunning, and the Conifer Garden and Dutch Garden are sprinkled with rare trees.

15. Panometer

In 2006 the Austrian artist Yadegar Asisi brought his “Panometer” concept to Dresden, installing a panoramic image 27 metres in height and 127 metres in circumference in a disused telegraphic gasometer in the Reick district.

The attraction takes advantage of the gasometer’s completely hollow interior to show panoramas of Dresden from the past.

When the attraction opened the image depicted Dresden at the height of its power in the middle of the 18th century.

Since 2015 and the 70th anniversary of Dresden’s bombing there has been a panorama revealing the extent of the damage (and its reconstruction), rotated with scenes from the city’s Baroque heyday, partially inspired by Canaletto’s famous landscapes of Dresden.

15 Best Things to Do in Dresden (Germany):

• Frauenkirche
• Zwinger Palace
• Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
• Dresdner Residenzschloss
• The Green Vault
• Dresden Porcelain Collection
• Brühl's Terrace
• Dresden Cathedral
• Kunsthofpassage
• Pillnitz Palace & Park

The 11 Best Things to Do in Dresden, Germany

You’ll find Dresden and its glorious medieval, baroque, and neo-renaissance architecture on the serene banks of the River Elbe. Arrayed across the Elbe Valley, Dresden’s history can be traced back to the 12th century, while its famous Christmas market is not much younger, having been held almost continuously since 1434.

As you stroll through the Neumarkt and along Bruhl’s Terrace (nicknamed the “Balcony of Europe”), you’ll soon understand why the dukes, electors, and kings of Saxony made Dresden their royal capital. Along the banks of the River Elbe are grand palaces and palatial gardens, while the riches, treasures, and artwork of the Saxon nobility can be found in the Green Vault and the Old and New Masters’ Galleries.

With so many things to see and do, you might not know where to begin. That’s why we’ve compiled our list of the absolute best things to do in Dresden for you. Stick to these fun and unique Dresden bucket list recommendations, and there’s no doubt you’ll have an amazing time exploring this gorgeous European city!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or booking through one of our links we may earn a small commission (don’t worry, it’s at no extra cost to you).

11 Fun and Unique Things to do in Dresden, Germany

1. see saxon royalty at dresden castle.

Dresden Castle is one of the most impressive Dresden attractions. Rising above the banks of the River Elbe, for centuries, this was the home of Saxony’s noble and royal families. 

Today, the sprawling royal complex is a mélange of baroque and Renaissance architecture largely dating from the 18th and 19th centuries when Saxony was an independent German kingdom. The history of Dresden Castle can be traced back much further than this, to when it was founded as a fortress in the 12th century AD.

Like much of Dresden, the castle and its royal palace were destroyed during World War II. It was slowly rebuilt (renovations are still ongoing today), and as you tour through stately rooms and grand dining halls, you’ll see the lavish lifestyles lived by the Saxon royal family. 

2. Examine Treasures Inside the Green Vault 

A visit to the Green Vault is easily one of the best things to do in Dresden. Located within the Dresden Castle complex, the Green Vault is one of the oldest museums anywhere in the world.

The Green Vault (named for the green-colored pillars found within) was originally used in the 17th century as a secure vault for the Saxon nobility’s treasures. In the 1720s, Saxon ruler Augustus the Strong decided to open the vault, and its many treasures, to the public, inadvertently opening an early type of museum in the process. 

Augustus the Strong displayed treasures from across the world, including ivory and bronze from Africa and his royal family’s crown jewels. The Green Vault was damaged during World War II, but it was reopened in 2004. 

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3. Join a Walking Tour of Dresden’s Old Town 

Nothing beats a walking tour, and if you’re looking to see the best sights in Dresden, it’s the best introduction to the city. 

Free, tips-based walking tours depart several times per day from the Martin Luther Statue (near the Frauenkirche) in the Neumarkt. From here, you’ll delve into the Saxon history of Dresden before learning how the city’s medieval and baroque architecture was almost obliterated during the Second World War. 

But Dresden is like a phoenix, and from local guides, you’ll also hear how the city was rebuilt, over many decades, from the rubble. There are niche tours you can book in Dresden, too, including food, beer, and most intriguing of all, the Night Watchman’s Tour by lantern light !

4. Walk Along Bruhl’s Terrace 

Taking a walk along Bruhl’s Terrace is one of the top things to do in Dresden. This beautiful terrace sits high above the River Elbe, offering sweeping views of Dresden’s cityscape from its lofty perch. 

Bruhl’s Terrace was originally part of the city’s defensive walls, but in 1814, after the Saxons won the Battle of Leipzig, the walls were opened to the public and transformed into a glorious viewing terrace worthy of victory. 

Bruhl’s Terrace is now nicknamed the “Balcony of Europe,” and as you stroll above the river banks, walking past the Frauenkirche and Dresden Castle, you’ll soon understand why!

5. Admire the Reconstructed Frauenkirche

One of the most iconic Dresden attractions, the Frauenkirche , with its beautiful baroque architecture, is both a symbol of Dresden’s past and its more recent history. 

Built as a Lutheran church in the 18th century, the Frauenkirche was the seat of religion in Saxony’s capital. The church’s splendid dome and lavish interior were a tribute to Dresden’s prestige, but during World War II, the Frauenkirche was razed to the ground.

The Allied firebombing of Dresden caused unprecedented loss of life and cultural destruction on a level unknown before. Much of the city was destroyed, and as a monument to those who lost their lives, the East German government decided that the Frauenkirche would remain a pile of symbolic rubble in the city center.

However, the citizens had other plans, and once Germany reunited in the 1990s, the Frauenkirche was pieced back together, brick by brick. Today, it stands proud once more, after a massive rebuilding effort brought this Dresden landmark back from the dead. 

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6. Visit the New Masters’ Gallery at the Albertinum

Art lovers have made a great choice to visit Dresden, given the capital of Saxony is home to one of Europe’s most impressive art collections.

Head to the Albertinum (built in the late 19th century and named after King Albert of Saxony), and you can see the work of Europe’s New Masters on display. The gallery is home to several hundred classic paintings by a range of artists, including Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, who were active in the 19th and early 20th centuries. 

The Albertinum is located on Bruhl’s Terrace, where it forms a particularly aesthetic addition to Dresden’s skyline. 

7. And the Old Masters Gallery at The Zwinger 

Dresden’s baroque architecture found its apogee with the construction of The Zwinger, a vast palace and gardens built during the reign of Augustus the Strong in the early 1700s.

Located in the Old Town, the palatial grounds are home to lavish sculptures and pleasure gardens, just as the 18th-century Saxon nobles envisaged it. Much has been reconstructed, however, given The Zwinger was heavily bombed during the Second World War. 

The Zwinger is also home to one of the best art museums in Dresden, the Semper Galerie, which opened in 1855. The Semper Galerie is where you’ll find the Old Masters’ Gallery , an impressive collection of artwork created by the likes of Raphael, Rubens, and Rembrandt between the 15th and 18th centuries.

8. Cruise on the River Elbe 

The River Elbe is the lifeblood of Dresden, and there’s no better way to experience the city’s glorious skyline than with a cruise along the river.

The river is well-known for its historic paddle steamers, pleasure boats that have plied the waters for decades. One of the most fun Dresden activities, this is the oldest paddle steamer fleet in the world, and you can sit back in historic surroundings as you take in famous sights like the Frauenkirche and Bruhl’s Terrace.

You can take a short cruise through Dresden, book a romantic dinner cruise at sunset, or join a longer day tour along the River Elbe to romantic Saxon towns like Meissen. 

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9. Get Festive at the Striezelmarkt 

The Striezelmarkt is one of the most famous things to see in Dresden. The city has hosted its iconic Christmas market almost every year without fail (World War II aside) since 1434. And if you’re planning an end-of-year trip, this is easily one of the best things to do in Dresden.

Celebrations begin at the end of November, as the start of Advent is marked as the market is officially opened.

For the Advent period, Dresden’s Old Town is thrown over to wooden market stalls, carol singers, and Gluhwein drinkers in one of the most traditional Christmas markets in Germany . 

10. Day Trip to Saxon Switzerland National Park

A day trip to Saxon Switzerland National Park is one of the most incredible Dresden activities. Located just a one-hour drive from the city, you’ll be awed by the dramatic rock formations of this spectacular national park.

The national park protects the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, a unique mountain range on the border with Czechia, where the rocks and peaks have been eroded over time into dramatic shapes.

The most famous sight in Saxon Switzerland is the Bastei Bridge, which offers glorious views as it weaves its way through tall rock formations. The national park is the perfect place for hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, and many more active pursuits, making it a great place for outdoor lovers to visit during their stay in Dresden.

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11. Admire Pillnitz Palace and Park

Saxon king Augustus the Strong left an indelible mark on Dresden’s skyline, especially so when he commissioned the lavish Pillnitz Palace for his mistress. 

Located on the serene banks of the River Elbe, in what were then the suburbs of Dresden, Pillnitz Palace quickly became the favored summer escape for Saxony’s nobility. 

Surrounded by vineyards and home to English and Chinese gardens as well as greenhouses and exotic flora sourced from all over the world, today, the Pillnitz Palace and Park continues to offer a refreshing escape from the city. 

There you have it! The 11 best things to do in Dresden. What’s your favorite thing to do in Dresden?

Planning a trip to Germany? Check out our favorite books and travel guides!

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About the Author:

Richard is an award-winning travel writer based in Southwest England who’s addicted to traveling off the beaten track. He’s traveled to 75 countries and counting in search of intriguing stories, unusual destinations, and cultural curiosities. Richard loves traveling the long way round over land and sea, and you’ll find him visiting quirky micronations and breakaway territories as often as he’s found lounging on a beach (which is a lot). When he’s not writing for BBC Travel, National Geographic, or Lonely Planet, you can find Richard writing for the Wandering Wheatleys or updating his off-beat travel blog, Travel Tramp.

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• 20 Must Visit Attractions In...

20 Must-Visit Attractions in Dresden

Known as a city of art and architecture, Dresden offers visitors to Germany a wealth of attractions, from sensational Baroque buildings through to Gerhard Richter ‘s Abstract creations. We’ve selected from the city’s museums and galleries, as well as festivals, history and culture, to bring you the ultimate must-visit list when in Dresden.

1. canaletto's view.

Head to the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) in the extensive Zwinger palace complex (see below), and study the most famous view of Dresden – Canaletto’s Dresden Seen From the Right Bank of the River Elbe Below the Augustus Bridge . This 18th-century masterpiece from the Venetian great portrays the city’s Baroque gems in all their glory, before they were destroyed in the February 1945 bombings during World War II. Then go to the right bank of the Elbe, near the Augustusbrücke to the spot where Canaletto’s view was conceived, and look across to the new-old cityscape.

Theaterplatz 1, Dresden, Germany , +49 351 4914 2000

Canaletto’s Dresden Seen From the Bank of the River Elbe Below the Augustus Bridge , 1748 | © Elke Estel/Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister/Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

2. Royal Palace

From 1485, the Wettin royal family lorded it over Saxony from the Residenzschloss (Royal Palace) in central Dresden. Similar to so many historically and architecturally significant buildings in the city, it was hugely damaged during the Allied bombing and was fortunate to survive demolition after 1945. Check out the Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe), one of Europe’s most renowned collections of treasures and artefacts.

Taschenberg 2, Dresden, Germany , +49 351 4914 2000

Dresden’s Royal Palace, which dates back to the 15th century as home to the royal family | © Kolossos/WikiCommons

Jazz events

If you’re in Dresden for even a short period, there is a chance you’ll happen upon a festival or two during your stay. The International Dixieland Festival Dresden will hit its 48th edition in May 2018 and continues to be a major success – claimed to be the largest ‘old-time jazz’ festival in Europe, it features bands from across the planet. Fans of more modern jazz will enjoy the several-week November Jazztage festival.

City Festival

Another major annual marker on the calendar is the Dresden Stadtfest city festival, also known as Canaletto, which celebrates the foundation of Dresden. It takes place in the third weekend of August and features thousands of artists, attracting more than half a million visitors. Favourites are the arts and crafts from the Middle Ages, jousting tournaments, musical events and – of course – the obligatory fireworks.

3. Opera at Semper

As one of Europe’s most historic and renowned centres of music, a visit to Dresden isn’t complete without heading to the Semper Opera , also part of the Zwinger complex. Before being chased out of Saxony for his revolutionary beliefs, Richard Wagner premiered some early works in the city, and his – and other great composers’ – works feature regularly.

Theaterplatz 2, Dresden, Germany , +49 351 4911 705

Semper Opera | © Allie_Caulfield/Flickr

Started under Saxony’s most famous ruler, Elector August Friedrich I, the Baroque style Zwinger palace complex has been dubbed one of the greatest ‘complete works of art’ ever created. Constructed to house culture and entertainment for the Dresden Court, it was later rebuilt after wartime destruction. As well as the Semper Opera and the Old Masters Picture Gallery, there’s also a Mathematical-Physics Salon (Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon) much-loved by techies. Take your time with the art collection, as there’s everything from Raphael to Rubens … and that Canaletto.

Sophienstraße, Dresden, Germany , + 49 351 491 420 00

Old Masters Picture Gallery | © Jorge Royan/WikiCommons

5. Gerhard Richter at the Albertinum

Born in Dresden in 1932, artist Gerhard Richter was fortunate that he was too young to fight in World War II. However, the hardship of Nazi period, including the war years and their aftermath, shaped him and his work. Dresden’s New Masters Gallery (Galerie Neue Meisters) in the Albertinum museum holds the Richter Archive, and shows a selection from this modern master. There are also works by Monet, Caspar David Friedrich and Degas, among other art greats.

(entrance Brühlsche Terrasse and Georg-Treu-Platz) Dresden, Germany , +49 351 4914 2000

Gerhard Richter Abstraktes Bild (946-3) 2016 I © Gerhard Richter 2017/Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden

6. Christmas Market

Having taken place a grand total of 583 times, the annual Dresdener Striezelmarkt claims to be the oldest Christmas market in the world still running. It opens at the end of November and continues until Christmas Eve, and contains a whole host of Christmassy events, from carol singing through to an award ceremony for a Gingerbread Queen. While in the Altstadt (Old Town), buy a Dresden Christstollen, the cake which gives the market its historic name: ‘ struzel ‘ or ‘ striezel ‘ is old German for this long, baked yeast product crafted into a woven shape.

Altstadt, Dresden, Germany

Dresden”s Striezelmarkt, in existence since 1434 | © Sylvio Dittrich/Dresden Tourist Office

7. Großer Garten park

Botanical Garden, Museum, Park

Like most of the best big-sized cities in Germany, green spaces are vital for quality of life. Dresden is blessed with a number of parks and other green areas, with the Großer Garten the best and largest amid the hubbub of the city and within touching distance of the Altstadt. As well as sports arenas, palaces, art and lakes, there is the German Hygiene Museum and the Botanical Garden.

Dresden, Germany , +49 351 445 6600

Palace Großer Garten| © Michael Schultz/Schlösserland Sachsen

8. Kulturpalast

Concert Hall, Library

On April 28, 2017, the long-planned renovation of Dresden’s Kulturpalast arrived, though in fact it was actually something of a second coming. The Kulturpalast is considered an iconic piece of East German communist-era architecture and was first opened back in 1969. Its recent modernisation includes a new concert hall, and is home to the city’s philharmonic orchestra, as well as the city library.

Schloßstr. 2, Dresden, Germany , +49 351 656 067 00 (Dresdner Musikfestspiele), +49 351 486 6866 (Dresdner Philharmonie), +49 351 864 8113 (city library)

Kulturpalast, a relic of communism, renovated and reopened in 2017 | © Nikolaj Lund/Kulturpalast Dresden

9. Bundeswehr Military History Museum

10. The World of the GDR

Communism reigned in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR, but DDR in German) across five decades, and its legacy continues to affect politics and culture here. The notion of ‘Ostalgie’ is often thrown at people who grew up under communist rule, who get positively nostalgic about the period. True or not, visitors to Die Welt der DDR museum don’t have to have experienced real-life communism to enjoy a fascinating glimpse of what life was like in Dresden between 1945 and 1989.

Antonstraße 2A, Dresden, Germany , +49 351 5634 0888

Dresden’s Welt der DDR museum shows life under East German communism | © www.weltderddr.de

11. New Synagogue

12. Brühl's Terrace

Carrying the moniker of ‘the Balcony of Europe’, Brühl’s Terrace was one of the hot locations for the educated and rich for centuries. Just like today, they came to stare at the cultural wonders of baroque Dresden from this terrace above the waters of the River Elbe.

Georg-Treu-Platz 1, Dresden, Germany

Brühl’s Terrace, with silhouette of the Kunstakademie, Frauenkirche and Cathedral at night | © Frank Exß/Dresden Tourist Office

13. Festung Dresden

Festung Dresden is a fortress situated beneath Brühl’s Terrace, and includes some of the oldest still existing Renaissance parts of the city. Opened to the public back in 1814, the vaults, casemates and a surviving city gate attract many visitors every year. The interior is undergoing refurbishment at the moment, and is due to re-open next year with the exhibition ‘ Splendor. Tears. Disaster. Closer than ever ‘ outlining more than 450 years of history.

Georg-Treu-Platz 1, Dresden, Germany , +49 351 4383 7030

Below Brühl’s Terrace is Festung Dresden | © DMG/Dittrich/Dresden Tourist Office

14. Dresden Cathedral

15. Loschwitz

If you want to see how some of the richest people in the world lived in the 1920s and 1930s, have a stroll around Loschwitz, a Dresden suburb. It’s packed with villas and there is a rare funicular railway with a great view of the valley below.

Dresden, Germany

The funicular railway at Loschwitz | © Verkehrsverband Oberelbe GmbH/photo Martin Schmidt /Dresden Tourist Office

16. Blue Wonder Bridge

17. Frauenkirche

The Frauenkirche Baroque church was all but destroyed during World War II, and was for decades left as a vivid reminder of the destruction of war. Recently rebuilt, not to universal approval because of its anti-war ruined symbolism, it is a focal point of the city’s ever-evolving new and rebuilt Neustadt.

Neumarkt, Dresden , +49 351 6560 6100

The Frauenkirche, on Dresden’s Neumarkt | © Frank Exß/Dresden Tourist Office

18. Meissen porcelain

The Meissen porcelain manufacturer is nowadays actually around 26 km (16 miles) from Dresden but it started life within the old city. Dresden was, of course, home to the first Europeans to discover the secrets of hard-paste porcelain, and the prestige of its producs continues to the present day.

Talstraße 9, Meissen, Germany , +49 352 146 8600

Meissen porcelain monkey | © Daderot/WikiCommons

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Top 23 Things To Do In Dresden [Don’t Miss Them!]

Going on a trip to Dresden and want to know all the top things to do in Dresden? We have you covered! Below, you will find our guide to all the best attractions in Dresden to plan your ultimate trip.

Located by the Elbe River in the eastern part of Germany, Dresden is the perfect place to visit for Baroque beauty, interesting museums and lavish palaces. From the Old Town to the older New Town to the street art to the galleries and history, there is a lot to enjoy here.

The Saxony capital, Dresden is used to being the home of treasures. Once called the “Florence on the Elbe” because of its beauty, this city has a lot to offer visitors. While not as popular with tourists as places such as Berlin and Munich, this makes it all the better for the rest of us.

We had a great time exploring Dresden. The mix of old, new and rebuilt is interesting and picturesque. There’s some great attractions and just walking around is a joy.

Of course, you will have the best time if you already understand all the things to do and see in Dresden Germany and that’s what we will help you with here.

Below, you will find our full Dresden travel guide with everything you need to know about the best places to visit in Dresden Germany, the best activities in Dresden as well as the best places to stay for your ultimate Dresden vacation!!

There is also a handy map of the Dresden things to do as well as a full itinerary for what to see in Dresden in 1 day and our experiences travelling in Dresden with kids.

Let’s start!

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Table of Contents

An Introduction To Dresden

With a population of over half a million, Dresden is the capital of Saxony and the third biggest city in Eastern Germany. It’s location in the basin of the Elbe River, about 100 kilometres south of Berlin and only about 30 kilometres north of the Czech border.

This beautiful Baroque city started as a Slav village called Drezdzany (Forest Dwellers on the Plain) on the north bank of the Elbe River. The German settlement on the south bank is first found in history in 1216. Even though the Slav settlement is older, it became known as New Town and the German town as Old Town which still continues today.

In its early years, Dresden was passed around a lot. It became the capital of Margrave Henry the Illustrious in 1270 until he died. Then it passed to the king of Bohemia and the margrave of Brandenburg. In 1319, it returned to the margraves of Meissen who were the original settlers of the German town.

In 1485, Saxony was divided by the sons of Frederick II with Dresden the capital of the Albertine Saxon lands and the residence of its rulers.

A terrible fire ruined about half of Dresden in 1491. The city was rebuilt in a Renaissance style and fortified.

In the late 17th and 18th centuries, the electors Augustus I and Augustus II adopted Baroque and Rococo styles as they modernised the city and rebuilt the New Town after a fire in 1685.

Augustus II (also called Augustus the Strong) created the Zwinger complex (which is a must visit on the list of places to see in Dresden coming up) packed full of art as he created his version of an impressive royal capital after visiting Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles. He also imported porcelain from China and Japan which lead to his nearby Meissen works becoming the first place to Europe to manufacture porcelain.

It wasn’t long until Dresden saw more destruction and was 2/3 destroyed in the Seven Years’ War (1756 – 1763). There were several sieges during this war in Dresden as well as occupation by Prussian forces.

More war came in the 19th century thanks to Napoleon. The Battle of Dresden in 1813 was his last big win in Germany.

Dresden became connected to Leipzig and Berlin by rail in the 19th century and the city prospered. Thousands moved from the country side to work in manufacturing industries primary in cigarette, pharmaceuticals and chocolate. In fact, the city grew from 200,000 in 1875 to half a million by 1900.

Before World War II, Dresden was considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and referred to as the “Florence on the Elbe” thanks to its architecture and art. Unfortunately, this all changed during the war with the city almost completely destroyed by bombing raids in 1945 and many of the population killed.

So much was destroyed that there was talk of starting over. Thankfully, the main area around the Zwinger and Residenzschloss in the Old Town was rebuilt. Most of the rest of the city was rebuilt with modern buildings.

Dresden became part of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) after World War II and was also part of the peaceful demonstrations that lead to Germany reuniting. On the whole, it’s prospered since this time.

While basically nothing is original in Dresden, it is still a beautiful city that has much to be enjoyed.

Top 19 Things To Do In Dresden Germany

Here are the best things to do Dresden offers. Read through and select the ones that fit your interests and timeframe. If you only have one day to visit Dresden tourist attractions, find our places to visit in Dresden in one day itinerary below.

Augustusbrücke (August Bridge)

Augustusbrücke is the perfect place to start your explorations of the Dresden places to visit. Crossing the Elbe River in the centre of Dresden, you have views of both the Old and New Towns.

It makes for quite a sight and you’ll be excited to explore more!

Keep walking when you get off Augustusbrücke and you’ll quickly be at Zwinger, one of the Dresden best places to visit.

This impressive palace was originally built between 1710 and 1728 after Augustus II returned from visiting Louis XIV’s palace at Versailles. It was the place to go for parties.

Full of art and with a courtyard full of fountains, this palace is an absolute must visit. Add in ornate decorations and sculptures and you’ll love visiting here.

Look out for the carillon of 40 Meissen porcelain bells which ring every 15 minutes.

There are three museums here – the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Gallery), Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection) and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Mathematical and Physical Salon). The first two are described in more detail below. The latter contains historic scientific instruments.

Each museum has its own entry fee but the courtyard is free.

I highly recommend you visit the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and Porzellansammlung along with the courtyard. Its opulence is enticing – as long as they have finished construction by the time you visited. When we last visited in August 2022, it was getting a new look and there wasn’t anything to see in the courtyard.

Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Gallery)

Home to a fantastic collection of 16 – 18th century European Art, the Old Masters Gallery is well worth checking out when you are visiting Zwinger.

Augustus I started the collection but it was during Augustus III in 1746 that much of the collecting took place. Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Flemish Renaissance art is the specialty and there are many big names like Rembrandt, Raphael, Giorgione, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Vermeer, Rubens and more.

At any one time, about 750 paintings are on display which is only about 1/3 of the collection. Make sure you check out the top floor where you can find Canaletto’s paintings of 18th century Dresden.

Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection)

Another museum to make sure you check out while at Zwinger is the Porzellansammlung in two converted, curving galleries.

This collection was started by Augustus II in 1715 and is quite a collection. It spans 17th and 18th century Chinese and Japanese porcelain to that produced by Meissen in Europe when porcelain production started here under Augustus II.

It’s a huge collection with only about 2,000 of the 20,000 pieces on display at any one time. Highlights include Tiersaal (Animal Hall) which has hundreds of porcelain animals.

Residenzschloss (Dresden Castle)

Very close by is the next of the essential Dresden Germany tourist attractions, Residenzschloss, otherwise referred to as Dresden Castle.

This Renaissance city palace was home to Saxon rulers from 1485 to 1918. Today, it’s home to many precious jewels, gold and more.

While it needed to be rebuilt after World War II (and in fact wasn’t finished until 2013), this building has much of its original splendor and is a fantastic place to explore.

Much like the Zwinger, it has collections you can explore on separate tickets or with a combination ticket with other attractions in Residenzschloss. The top two are the amazing Historic and New Green Vaults which are coming up next on this list of things to see Dresden offers.

Also here is the Kupferstich-Kabinett which is home to over a half a million drawings, photographs and prints from the Middle Ages to now including from big names like Rembrandt, Piranesi, Fragonard and Friedrich or the Münzkabinett (Coin Cabinet) which is the place to go for the history of coins in this area including tons of coins on display.

There is also the Rüstkammer (Dresden’s Armoury) which is home to one of the world’s largest collections of weapon and armour. Within here is also the Turkish Chamber which has a great collection of Ottoman art.

There are also other rooms to explore in the palace like the audience chamber and state bedroom which have been restored to how they were when Augustus II furnished them 300 years ago.

The whole site adds up to a big place to visit where you can easily spend hours. It really is one of the must see places in Dresden.

However, note that there can be long lines to buy tickets here. The ticket options are a little confusing which leads to long lines at peak times. Also, the Historic Green Vault can be sold out days in advance so buy tickets before you come.

It’s also a little confusing working out how to navigate this place as there doesn’t seem to be any maps and there are a lot of exhibits. Just keep walking around and ask for help when necessary so you don’t miss anything. No bags can be taken inside but there’s a free locker room.

Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault)

With over 3000 precious items on display, the Historic Green Vault is the place to go for opulent sites! Homed in the western section of the Residenzschloss, these are the treasures of the old Saxony Electors.

It was started by Moritz of Saxony in the 16th century with Augustus II extending on it in the 18th century. He actually turned it into one of the world’s first public museums. He wanted to show power and wealth and I’m sure it would have worked!

The rooms that house it are also opulent and make for quite a sight themselves. The treasures include gold, silver and ivory works. It all makes for an unforgettable experience.

Entry is via timed ticket only and numbers are limited (even before covid). I recommend you book in advance here .

Neues Grünes Gewölbe (New Green Vault)

On the next floor up is the Neues Grünes Gewölbe (New Green Vault). This is a separate museum which is focused on the goldsmith Johann Melchior Dinglinger who worked for Augustus II.

There are around 1,000 objects on display across ten modern rooms and they are impressive.

Some highlights include 132 figurines that are gem studded and represent the Indian Royal Court and a cherry pit carved with 185 faces.

It can get busy with lunchtimes and the end of the day being the best times to visit.

Fürstenzug (Procession Of Princes)

One of the other Dresden things to see is on the east side of Residenzschloss where there is a massive porcelain mural 102 metres in length called Fürstenzug which miraculously survived the War.

Made with over 23,000 Meissen porcelain tiles, it tells the history of the Wettins, Saxony’s ruling family. There are names and dates of rulers along the mural which was initially painted then replaced with tiles to protect it.

It’s a great way to get a quick history of the rules from the Margraves in the 12th century to the Dukes, Electors and finally the Kings in the 19th century.

This is one of the free things to do in Dresden that you won’t want to miss!

Brühl’s Terrace

When it comes to Dresden top attractions, you won’t want to miss the free and easy Brühl’s Terrace. Located by the Elbe River, it’s a 500 metre terrace with fantastic views across the Elbe and to the New Town. It’s the best place to stroll in Dresden!

Once a private courtyard called the “Balcony of Europe”, it’s now available to everyone.

It’s name comes from the name of the person who constructed a series of opulent buildings here back when the city walls were taken down, Heinrich von Brühl. There are gardens on the east side as well as many interesting sculptures.

It’s located between the Augustusbrücke and the Carolabrücke, and you won’t be able to miss it.

It’s a great place to visit around sunset with great views and vibe.

Katholische Hofkirche (Dresden Cathedral)

Located between Residenzschloss and the Elbe, Katholische Hofkirche adds to the Baroque splendor of this area of Dresden. Originally built between 1739 and 1751, it was created to rival the nearby Protestant Frauenkirche after the Albertine Wettins converted to Catholicism during Augustus II’s rule.

The church was rebuilt after World War II and only became a cathedral in 1964. It’s home to 49 members of the Albertine line of the Wettin family including Augustus I and Augustus III. It also has the heart of Augustus II

This church is big – the largest in Saxony – with a floor area of 4,800 metres squared.

You can enter for free, although I personally prefer the outside, so take a walk around as well.

Verkehrsmuseum Dresden (Dresden Transport Museum)

Another one of the Dresden things to do and see around the Old Town area is the Dresden Transport Museum which is a short walk from all the attractions in Dresden Germany in this list so far.

In this museum, there are many vehicles on display and forms of transport including planes, trains and automobiles! The four main exhibits are based on these (so one on aviation and one on each of rail and road transport) plus a shipping one based on 1,000 years of Elbe shipping history.

There are temporary exhibits as well as a huge model railway with over 785 metres of track.

For families, there are specialist children’s activities including in each of the permanent exhibits.

This museum is informative but also a lot of fun, and we enjoyed it more than we expected. It’s highly recommended.

Frauenkirche (Church Of Our Lady)

This picturesque church should definitely be on your list of Dresden Germany things to do. Located on Neumarkt in the Old Town, it is just a short walk from Residenzschloss and the other Old Town attractions.

The original Frauenkirche was completed in 1743. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the 1945 bombing. Initially, the remains were left as a war memorial, but from 1994 to 2005, it was rebuilt using the rubble to replicate the original.

Today, it has all the beauty of the original both on the outside and once you go inside. It’s amazing to think when you are looking at the altar that it was reassembled from nearly 2000 pieces 😮

91 metres high, the huge dome is spectacular and you can pay a fee to ascend to the top viewing platform. The first 24 metres is by lift but the rest of via narrow stairs and a spiralling ramp. There’s also a steep ladder stairway. This activity is only for the fit.

Even if you don’t climb up the dome, seeing it from inside and outside is amazing. It’s just so big and high. The rest of the interior of the church is also unique among the many churches I have visited, and it resembles a fancy theatre in parts.

Entry into the church itself is free and it’s well worth a look.

This one of the Dresden visiting places is perfect for art lovers. Built in the 1880s on Brühl’s Terrace, the Albertinum was originally the home of the royal sculpture collection.

This building wasn’t damaged as much as the rest of the Old Town in World War II and housed many art collections for a time while other buildings were restored.

Today, it still houses the sculptures as well as the Galerie Neue Meister (New Masters Gallery) which is a collection of paintings by Europeans from the 18th century to World War II. The rooms are also gorgeous.

There are many famous names here including van Gogh, Monet, Richter, Klimt, Munch, Klee and more. There’s also the impressive sculpture collection from classical antiquity to today.

It’s recommended to buy a ticket in advance.

Deutsches Hygiene Museum

Just outside the main Old Town area, the Deutsches Hygiene Museum is one of the alternative things to do in Dresden to add to your list!

While I originally thought it may be about handwashing and cleaning, it’s actually about human beings. The permanent exhibition is on “The Human Adventure” with seven rooms about aspects of human life created to take you on a journey of every day experience and how that impacts your body and self.

It’s much more interesting than that sounds with many interactive exhibits and tons of information about the human body and being human in a fascinating way.

The downside is that many of the descriptions are only in German. However, it’s still possible to get a lot out of visiting here as an English speaker and you have access to an English audio guide as part of your entry fee.

There are also temporary exhibits and a special children’s museum themed “The World Of The Senses”. It focuses on how to explore the world with our five senses and is targetted at 5 – 12 year olds. It’s lots of fun and informative.

Gläserne Manufaktur (Volkswagen Transparent Factory)

One of the unique Dresden Germany attractions is to visit the Volkswagen Gläserne Manufaktur. Located a short walk from the Old Town, it’s also next to Dresden’s botanical gardens.

If you are a Volkswagen fan like me (I miss my VW beetle!), you’ll definitely want to visit here. You get the opportunity to take a tour of the factory to watch work being done on producing electric Volkswagen cars.

This includes information on the cars being made here as well as the technologies being used. You can also take a test drive through Dresden!

It’s worth booking your tour beforehand if you want one in English to make sure it’s available as most are in German. You can find more information on their site here .

The building is cool, so even if you don’t want to do a tour it can be worth a wander here to take a look and a sneak peek inside before visiting the botanical gardens. You can also see quite a bit from the outside looking in through the glass walls. I especially loved all the car chassis we could see when we came by.

Dresden Panometer

If you want to see the biggest picture you’ve ever seen, consider a visit to this unique option among the places to visit near Dresden. The Dresden Panometer is located to the south west of the city centre and was created by the Austrian artist, Yadegar Asisi – the same person who created the Asisi Panometer in nearby Leipzig .

Here, the hollow interior of a disused telegraphic gasometer is used to display panoramic images which are 27 metres tall and 105 metres in circumference. It makes for quite a sight!

The images shown vary over time. At the time of publishing, you were able to see images of Dresden in the middle of the 18th century or in 1945 with the effects of the bombing in World War II – which you see depends on the time of year you go.

Whatever you see, there are exhibits with further information about the times pictured.

It’s incredibly interesting to see these images after a day wandering around Dresden to compare now with then. I spent quite awhile here taking it all in. It’s a fun and interesting way to learn more about Dresden.

You can find our full review to visiting the Dresden Panometer here.

Kunsthofpassage

It’s finally time to explore the New Town and there’s no better way to start than this one of the Dresden activities.

Kunsthofpassage is a chain of courtyards with quirky and unique patterns on the buildings. Each of the five courtyards was designed by local artists and architects and has their own theme.

An example is the Courtyard of the Animals where monkeys leap above giraffes and crocodiles roam. Or you can check out the Courtyard of Elements where tangled drainpipes are shaped like instruments on the building’s facade and play music when it rains.

It’s a great area to wander, have a cup of coffee and buy some souvenirs. The surrounding streets are also nice and it’s an interesting contrast to over in the Old Town.

Militärhistorisches Museum Der Bundeswehr (Military History Museum Of The Bundeswehr)

Located to the north of the city centre, the Military History Museum is a great option of the Dresden places to see especially if you are interested in war and violence and looking at the roots and consequences of it.

The building itself is massive with 19,000 squared metres of exhibits. It started life as a 19th century arsenal. The museum displays over 10,000 historical items including firearms, German military technology, uniforms, documents, images and more. There are also related art collections.

It’s all there to help you learn about the role war has played in the world in the past, present and future and tells the story of German wars from the Middle Ages to today. It’s also about violence and looks at social and state violence as well.

This is a huge collection with so much to think about. Allocate as much time to it as you can. Some exhibits are quite dry but keep looking and you’ll find something that interests you for sure.

Dresden River Cruise

To see Dresden from a different angle, consider a Dresden river cruise aboard the world’s oldest fleet of paddle-wheel steamers.

In summer, 90-minute tours leave regularly from the Terrassenufer Dock which is in between the Augustusbrücke and the Carolabrücke, in front of Brühl’s Terrace.

Find more information here .

Of course, if there is anything else above that particularly appeals, you should edit this list of things to do in Dresden in one day to add it in. Just remove the items that least appeal.

Best Things To Do In Dresden In December/Winter

While most of the things to see in Dresden Germany listed above are possible in winter time, there are also some fun things to do in Dresden Germany in winter you may want to consider.

Dresden Christmas Market

If you are in Dresden over the Christmas period, you should not miss the Christmas Markets. There are many of them! It’s a real highlight of the city.

You absolutely won’t want to miss the oldest one, Striezelmarkt. It’s considered the first Christmas market in the world after having started in 1434. It was originally a one day event but it now takes place over the month preceding Christmas, has over 240 stands and attracts over 2.5 million people a year.

The name comes from a type of cake sold at the market. Today, it is called stollen and is a light fruitcake. There’s never been a better excuse to eat some cake than if you are here 🙂

It’s based in Altmarkt. Just nearby is Prager Straße which is known as a “Christmas mile” of stalls. You can also find a 15 metre high Christmas tree here, Christmas lights and Santa Claus’ house!

Honestly, there are just so many Christmas markets here and things to see, you’ll want a few days just to explore them all and soak it all in 🙂

While you can visit the Semperoper Opera House at any time of year, I especially think it’s a great choice of the Dresden things to do in winter. While it’s cold outside, is there a better excuse to enjoy a show in this famous opera house?

There’s ballet, opera and more. The Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) is especially recommended.

Click here to find out what’s on when you’re visiting Dresden.

Ice Skating At Palais Taschenberg

For unique things to do in Dresden in winter, get ready to put your skates on! An unusual (but awesome) place for an ice skating rink, the inner court at Palais Taschenberg offers ice skating from around late November to late January.

Skates can be rented at the entrance and there is an entry fee. There are decorations and lights, and it’s quite magical.

What To Do In Dresden In One Day 

Only have 1 day in Dresden? What a shame! But it’s ok, it’s still worth going to Dresden if you only have one day.

With a day in Dresden, I recommend you stick to the main attractions in the Old and New Towns. You can explore the following on foot or take public transport to get to Kunsthofpassage.

You can follow the following itinerary of Dresden things to do in a day:

• Start with a walk along Brühl’s Terrace and along Augustusbrücke to enjoy views of the Old and New Towns and the River Elbe
• Start at Zwinger and explore the grounds. If the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Gallery) and/or Porzellansammlung (Porcelain Collection) interest you, be ready to enter when the museums open at 10am
• Next up is a short walk to Residenzschloss (Dresden Castle). If you can spare the time, I recommend entering here with a combination ticket to explore everything of interest. Read the above so you already know what you are interested in seeing
• Before leaving this area, make sure you check out Fürstenzug (Procession Of Princes) before heading on to Dresden Cathedral. Take a quick look inside
• Frauenkirche is up next. Take a look outside and inside, and if you have the time (this will depend on how long you spent in the palaces) and inclination, take a steep walk up to the top of the dome
• It should be getting towards late afternoon now, so it’s time to head to the New Town. Take a walk or hop on public transport and head towards Kunsthofpassage via Albertplatz where you can see a plaza with two fountains
• If you head up Alaunstrasse from here, you can also see the Graffiti Wall on your way
• After you pick your favourite courtyard at Kunsthofpassage, you’ll be surrounded by eating establishments so take you pick and enjoy a well earned sit down and meal

Dresden Attractions Map

Best Place To Stay In Dresden

When it comes to where to stay in Dresden, there is a great range of hotels and other accommodation options. You won’t have any problem finding somewhere to stay.

Below I’ve listed a few different places to consider depending on what type of accommodation you are looking for.

BEST – Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski Review

If you are looking for the best option in the Old Town, look no further than Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski. Located opposite Zwinger palace and close to Residenzschloss, the location can’t be beat.

The building itself was built in the 18th century by August the Strong. It was restored in 1995 to form the luxury five-star hotel it is today.

It’s not just a beautiful palace to call home though. There are a great range of facilities including an indoor pool, luxury spa, fitness centre, multiple restaurants and bars. Parking is available for an extra fee.

In winter, the historic inner courtyard even turns into an ice skating rink (see more about this above).

There are a range of double and suite room options. All are comfortable, well appointed and have air conditioning and satellite TV.

Click here to see the latest prices now or here to read our full review of this hotel.

NEW TOWN – Boutique Hotel Rothenburger Hof Review

For a great accommodation option in Dresden’s New Town not far from Kunsthofpassage, consider Boutique Hotel Rothenburger Hof.

This boutique hotel has a good range of facilities with a fitness centre, garden, terrace and parking on site for an extra fee. There’s also free wifi.

There are a range of room types including doubles and one and two bedroom apartments, perfect for people who want to self cater. All rooms have a desk, TV, coffee machine and private bathroom. Some have a balcony. A buffet breakfast is available.

Click here to see the latest prices.

VALUE – Dorint Hotel Dresden Review

Located a short walk from the Old Town area, Dorint Hotel Dresden is an excellent value option when you want great facilities and services for a good price.

Facilities include an indoor pool, sauna, a Mediterranean restaurant, bar and the option to have buffet breakfast. Parking is available for an extra charge.

There are a range of room types including single, doubles, twins, studios and suites. Some have extra sofa beds. All rooms include mini fridge and cable TV.

Click here for the latest prices.

How To Get To Dresden

We actually had half our family travel to Dresden via hire car and half by train! Either option is easy. Dresden is a major city in this part of Germany and there are plenty of signs (or trains) to get you here.

You can hire a car to get you there by clicking here.

There are regular trains and buses here. You can find timetables and all your options here .

You can also fly to Dresden. Check out flights here.

Once in Dresden, we found it easy to use the local public transport to go from the Old to the New Towns although most of the time, we explored on foot.

Dresden With Kids

We came to Dresden while our older kids were at camp, so this time, we only explored with our six year old which made things very easy.

Below, we have an option of things to do in Dresden Germany with kids which is more specifically for families but the attractions above work well as well, although there is only so much palace that our son wants to explore.

Some favourites are the Deutsches Hygiene Museum which has a childrens museum part and it’s hard to beat the Verkehrsmuseum Dresden (Dresden Transport Museum) which has so much kids will love, especially six year old boys, including areas like this transport garden . So much fun!

Großer Garten (Grand Garden) and Zoo Dresden

Dresden’s Grand Gardens are its largest at around two square kilometres. Created in the 17th century, this is the perfect place to come and run out all of your kids’ excess energy!

There is a lot here including a palace built in the 17th century for the Saxon Elector, Johann Georg III. There is also the botanical gardens and Dresden Zoo.

At the zoo, you can find around 1,400 animals from 235 species so there is plenty to explore and discover. Make sure you head to the Africa House with a four metre high viewing platform over the elephants.

Final Words

I hope you have found this guide to things to do around Dresden useful. It’s a great city to visit with a good range of attractions and stunning streetscapes. We really enjoyed our visit here and would have liked longer to soak it all in.

I hope you enjoy it as much as us!

Find all the best hotels in Dresden here for your great stay. You can find our one week itinerary to Eastern Germany here which includes Dresden. Or check out more guides to visiting Eastern Germany here or read this guide to nearby Leipzig .

Related posts:

By Sharon Gourlay

Sharon first fell in love with Germany back in 2000 on her first visit. She loves the long history, the picturesque Old Towns, the castles, the food, everything really! Since then, she has visited many times and loves writing about Germany here so you can enjoy it too. In fact, Sharon loves German culture so much that she sent her kids to a German primary school in Australia. She especially loves Berlin and towns with charming Old Towns like Celle and Quedlinburg. Sharon also has a Certificate III in International Travel Sales and understands the nitty gritty of travel planning. Through this site, she'll help you have the perfect trip to Germany whether it's your first or tenth time!

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• Biberach an der Riss
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Dresden, Germany

Where is dresden.

Dresden is a charming city on the Elbe river in eastern Germany. It is famed for its stunning architecture.

It is the capital of the state of Saxony , itself once an independent kingdom. Before German reunification, it was part of East Germany.

Dresden is also only a stone's throw away from the Czech Republic border, making it an excellent destination for exploring both countries.

A magnet for art lovers, it boasts treasures such as the Zwinger Museum complex and the Semper Opera House.

However, Dresden also has a sobering side. Much of the city was destroyed during World War II. The rebuilt Frauenkirche is the city's poignant symbol of resilience.

Advantages? Top-notch cultural attractions, a historic vibe with modern appeal, and easy access to other European cities.

Disadvantages? Large crowds during peak season, a sombre World War II history that isn't to everyone's liking, and winter can be quite cold.

Overall, Dresden's charm comes from this mix of history and modernity, culture and nature. It's a place where the fascinating past coexists with bustling life of a contemporary hub.

Why is Dresden worth visiting?

Here are a few reasons why Dresden is worth a visit:

• Baroque beauty : Experience Dresden's stunning architectural landscape, featuring centuries-old churches and palaces that tell their stories of the city's rich history.
• A green oasis : Wander through Dresden's lush parks and gardens, offering natural escapes within the city for picnics with families and friends or peaceful solitude.
• Art lover's delight : Dive into the world of masterpieces at renowned galleries like the Old Masters Picture Gallery, housing over 700 European works of art.
• Saxon Switzerland : Unleash your inner adventurer with a day trip to the breathtaking Saxon Switzerland National Park , where you'll witness outstanding rock formations, awe-inspiring vantage points, and idyllic scenery.

How to get to Dresden

Dresden international airport.

Dresden International Airport (DRS) serves as the primary airport for the city. Conveniently located just nine kilometres north of the city centre, it offers direct connections to destinations across Europe, such as the United Kingdom.

From the airport, you can easily take the S2 train line to Dresden Hauptbahnhof, the city's central train station.

Other airports near Dresden

Although the local airport is just outside the city, other more distant options may well prove to be more convenient.

Distance to Leipzig/Halle Airport: 124km Distance to Václav Havel Airport Prague: 136km Distance to Berlin Brandenburg Airport: 166km

Although the airports at Dresden and Leipzig do offer some European city destinations and carriers, the largest choice is going to be either at the airport in Prague or at the new airport at Berlin Brandenburg.

Train station in Dresden

Dresden Hauptbahnhof serves as the city's central train station. This well-connected hub will be your gateway to exploring the beautiful city. With frequent train services, you can:

• Travel to surrounding areas, such as Meissen , where the exquisite blue and white porcelain known as "Meissenware" is produced.
• Connect to major German cities like Berlin, Munich , and Hamburg.
• Enjoy convenient access to international destinations such as Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.

Dresden Hauptbahnhof is located near Prager Strasse, a bustling shopping district that makes for a great starting point for your Dresden adventure.

Where to stay in Dresden

When visiting Dresden, choosing the right area to stay in can significantly enhance your experience.

Dresden Altstadt is an excellent choice for first-time visitors. It's the historic centre of the city. You'll find yourself surrounded by beautiful architecture and popular tourist attractions.

Staying in Altstadt means you're within walking distance of key attractions, such as the Dresden Frauenkirche and Zwinger Palace. However, be aware that accommodation costs in this district tend to be higher.

Dresden Neustadt , on the north bank of the river Elbe, is the place for those in search of a lively atmosphere and local culture.

This hip neighbourhood is a haven for foodies and shoppers alike. Neustadt is an exciting place to be with its bustling nightlife, trendy bars and eclectic mix of shops.

Accommodation options range from budget hostels to boutique hotels, and public transport is easily accessible for exploring the rest of the city.

If you're interested in historic sites and walking access to attractions, Dresden Altstadt is the perfect base for you.

On the other hand, if you want to experience local culture, nightlife, and unique shopping opportunities, Dresden Neustadt is the ideal choice.

Dresden accommodation map

If you know when you are planning to go but haven't decided on accommodation, then use the map below to get an idea of which properties are available and to compare prices during the period you wish to travel.

Enter your proposed dates and use the '+' to zoom in on a location and reveal more properties. Click on the price above a property to see more information.

( Please note that this selection will also include some guesthouses, pensions and self-catering apartments for those who are interested in that form of accommodation !)

Check Dresden accommodation availability

If you know when you are planning to go but haven't decided on accommodation, then use the searchbox below to get an idea of which properties are available and to compare prices during the period you wish to travel.

History of Dresden

Dresden became a centre of culture and art under the rule of Augustus II and Augustus III in the 18th century.

As you walk through the cobbled streets of this beautiful baroque city, you'll notice the influence these rulers had on shaping its artistic landscape.

The legacy of Augustus II, also known as August the Strong, is reflected in Dresden's architectural gems.

He laid the foundations for a glorious era of artistic development with a keen eye and ambition to make his city an architectural marvel.

During the reign of Augustus III, the enlargement and enrichment of Dresden's art collections played a significant role in enhancing the city's reputation.

Many of the masterpieces now in the museums and galleries found their way into the hands of the Saxon monarch during this period.

One prominent figure of this era was Gottfried Semper. The famous architect left an everlasting mark on Dresden.

Semper contributed extensively to the design of iconic city landmarks, such as the Semperoper – Dresden's exquisite opera house – and the Zwinger – a stunning baroque palace and museum complex.

Dresden's Frauenkirche is another outstanding example of 18th-century architecture.

Destroyed during wartime, the reconstruction of the church stands as a testament to Dresden's love of its cultural heritage.

What to do in Dresden

Once known as the "Florence on the Elbe" for its striking baroque and rococo architecture, Dresden has gradually rebuilt itself since its devastation during World War II.

Now, the restored historical landmarks and breath-taking scenery give you a sense of the elegance and beauty that have been synonymous with this city for centuries.

Connecting Dresden to its neighbours, a well-developed transport network enables you to reach various cities and landmarks with ease. Don't be surprised if you're inspired to explore further afield; the spectacular rock formations of the nearby Saxon Switzerland National Park make for an exhilarating day trip.

In this section, we'll take a look at some of the must-see attractions and cover the Dresden Welcome Card programme that provides discounts and free or reduced access to various attractions.

Dresden Welcome Cards

Investing in a Dresden Welcome Card can enhance your visit to this beautiful city. These cards are available in three different types: Museums Card, City Card, and Regio Card. Each card provides unique benefits to make your tour more enjoyable and budget-friendly.

• Museums Card : This card grants you free admission to numerous museums and exhibitions, allowing you to explore the city's rich history and culture, including the famous Dresden State Art Collection.
• City Card : The City Card offers free admission to certain attractions and also includes the local public transport, ensuring that you can easily travel between the stunning landmarks throughout your visit.
• Regio Card : The Regio Card offers the same benefits as the City Card, with the added bonus of extending the discounts and free access to attractions in the surrounding area.

Attractions in Dresden

Zwinger palace and dresden castle.

A visit to Dresden would be incomplete without exploring the magnificent Zwinger Palace and Dresden Castle (also known as the Royal Palace). These architectural marvels are home to several museums, including the Old Masters Picture Gallery and the renowned Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe), where you can admire a vast collection of precious art and artefacts.

Dresden Cathedral and Semper Opera House

As you wander through the city, be sure to stop by the imposing Dresden Cathedral and marvel at its intricate detailing. Also, take a moment to appreciate the Semper Opera House, an architectural masterpiece that hosts outstanding performances throughout the year.

Brühl's Terrace, Augustus Bridge and the Japanese Palace

From Brühl's Terrace, you can enjoy breathtaking views across the Elbe River and the Old Town, while the Augustus Bridge offers a fantastic photographic vantage point. Nearby, you'll find the Japanese Palace, housing the exquisite Dresden Porcelain Collection, a testament to the city's artistic heritage.

Grosser Garten

Take a break from the hubbub of city life and spend some time in the tranquil Grand Garden. The palace park is the perfect setting for an unhurried stroll.

Nearby Attractions and Activities

The Regio Card is a help for some of the local day trips near Dresden, but visitors who are planning to travel a little further afield might want to look at the Sachsen-Ticket from the German rail service (www.bahn.de). This offers a whole day's travel on regional rail services for up to five adults.

One of the top attractions near Dresden is the Saxon Switzerland National Park. This incredible park features unique rock formations, dense forests, and picturesque valleys. You can spend an entire day discovering the beauty of this national park, taking in its natural wonders.

Within the Saxon Switzerland National Park, the Bastei Bridge is a must-visit landmark. This impressive sandstone bridge connects two rocky cliffs and offers astonishing views of the surrounding landscapes. Be sure to have your camera ready, as you'll want to capture the magical scenery from this vantage point.

Downstream along the Elbe is the town of Meissen , world-famous for its porcelain. Visitors can also sample local wine from the vineyards along the river, while Meissen Cathedral and Albrechtsburg castle are impressive historic sights.

A little further away, visitors can take a trip to the Polish border and the historic town of Görlitz , featured in the Wes Anderson film 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'.

Events and Festivals

While visiting Dresden, you're in for a treat with its calendar of cultural events and festivals.

In spring, the International Dixieland Festival Dresden is a must-see, typically occurring between 14th and 21st of May. This jazz-centred event fills the city with vibrant tunes and performances, offering a unique experience for all ages.

Summer months bring the Film Nights on the banks of the Elbe, allowing you to catch exciting screenings under the open sky. Additionally, the Dresden Stadtfest city festival or “Canaletto” takes place on the third weekend of August, celebrating the city's foundation. Expect to see thousands of artists and attracting over half a million visitors with this lively event.

As the winter season approaches, you'll find the Dresden Striezel Market . Regarded by many as the oldest Christmas market in Germany, it dates back almost 600 years.

Beyond festivals, you'll want to pay a visit to a performance at the stunning Semper Opera House. As part of the Zwinger complex, this magnificent opera house offers a glimpse into Saxony's rich artistic heritage.

Other towns and cities on the Elbe river

Meissen is a small town in eastern Germany, known for its porcelain production. The Meissen Porcelain Manufactory remains one of its main attractions. The Albrechtsburg castle overlooking the Elbe river is another major historical sight. Meissen is the centre of a winegrowing area with the vineyards along the Elbe valley.

Lutherstadt Wittenberg is a town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, about 90 kilometers southwest of Berlin. The town is famous for its association with the Protestant Reformation, as Martin Luther lived and taught here for much of his life. Lutherstadt Wittenberg is home to numerous historic sites, including Luther's House.

Dresden Tourist Office

The Dresden Tourist Office is centrally located near the Frauenkirche in the old town. The office is open seven days a week, with slightly shorter opening times on Sundays.

There is also a tourist office branch in Dresden central train station. Website: www.dresden.de

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Sights in Dresden Elbland

Glitz, glamour and always "Wow!"

It's beautiful here!

Another word for fascination? Dresden Elbland!

Dresden Elbland means joie de vivre, pride, elegance - and nonchalance. Classic meets modern, tradition kisses the future. But above all it means: Open your eyes and don't stop marvelling. Of course, you have to see the Semper Opera House, Zwinger Palace and Frauenkirche. But there is so much more! Look forward to exciting insights into over 800 years of history, a lot of the present and a whole lot of the future.

Founding date of the city

Reconstruction of the Frauenkirche

Invention of European porcelain

Five times great.

Highlights in Dresden Elbland that you simply have to see:

Church of Our Lady

This is what the most beautiful baroque looks like. The Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) , a masterpiece of European architecture. Built between 1726 and 1743, destroyed in the Second World War - and reconstructed after German reunification thanks to an international fundraising campaign - the church, which was reconsecrated in 2005, now stands for peace and reconciliation. Experience Dresden's landmark!

Dresden Zwinger

Augustus the Strong used the central square primarily for pompous celebrations - inside, he presented his art treasures, the basis of the later collections. Built between 1709 and 1728, the Dresden Zwinger is pure late Baroque. The former fortress houses museums such as the Mathematical-Physical Salon, the Porcelain Collection and the Old Masters Picture Gallery. Definitely worth a visit!

With a worldwide reputation: for music lovers, Dresden equals the Semperoper. They are not entirely wrong. See for yourself and experience one of the many top-class performances in one of the most beautiful theatres. And look forward to the typical sound of the Sächsische Staatskapelle, a trademark of Dresden for over 470 years.

Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle

When King Henry I built a wooden fortification on a rock above the Elbe in 929 and resided in the predecessor building of Albrechtsburg Castle, the "cradle of Saxony" was born. Around 500 years later, the ruling Wettin dynasty built the late Gothic Albrechtsburg Meissen. The representative administrative centre and residential castle was completed in 1471 - making it the first castle in German architectural history. Visit this architectural jewel!

Winery Schloss Wackerbarth

Over 1,900 hours of sunshine: Europe's north-easternmost wine-growing region benefits from an almost Mediterranean climate. Here, the Schloss Wackerbarth adventure winery in Radebeul offers wine tastings and insights into the winemaker's craft, such as sparkling wine production in the old French tradition. Great wines, picturesque ambience - here's to you!

Top experiences in Dresden

Raphael's Sistine Madonna in the Old Masters Picture Gallery is an unrivalled art experience - and just one example of the wealth of world-famous art treasures you can experience in Dresden. Art, culture, architecture, celebrities and insider tips: Why don't you browse a little here and go on your first voyage of discovery? We wish you much anticipation!

Dresden Royal Palace

Brühl's Terrace

Old Masters Picture Gallery

Albertinum (New Masters Gallery and Sculpture Collection)

Dresden State Theatre

The Armoury

Kupferstich-Kabinett (Museum of Prints, Drawings and Photographs

Dresden Neustadt

Pillnitz Palace & Park

Top experiences in the Elbland

Almost boundless nature. Wonderful hiking trails. Grandiose views. In between: romantic wineries and inns, castles and fortresses, sweeping valleys and a picture-book landscape. Look forward to marvellously pretty towns and villages - and immerse yourself in Saxony's rich history. The Elbland begins just outside Dresden - and with it an incredibly attractive, diverse region full of discoveries and delights.

Albrechtsburg Meissen

Erlebnisweingut Schloss Wackerbarth

Karl-May-Museum Radebeul

Want some real insider tips? Here you go!

Magical places that even some locals don't know about. Destinations that are not completely overcrowded every day. Favourite places where you won't just meet other tourists. They all exist in Dresden, and we have collected what we consider to be the most beautiful, most exciting and most worth visiting here for you. Completely subjective. Without any claim to completeness. But selected with a lot of love! Have fun browsing and discovering.

Kunsthofpassage - the hidden jewel of the Outer New Town

King Albert Tower

Baroque Quarter Dresden

Gedenkstätte Ehrenhain Zeithain

Die drei Elbschlösser

More top experiences for you

Full steam ahead into the past!

Trendy neighbourhood & nightlife

Bars, pubs & clubs

Fun for the whole family

Tips for indoors and outdoors

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Visit Dresden, Germany

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A symbolic domed church, a riverfront promenade and a world-renowned opera house, all in Dresden, Germany.

As the capital city of the German state of Saxon, Dresden teems with culture by way of art and music. The Saxon State Opera is one of the best-known in Europe and draws many visitors to the city, hoping to catch the latest show. The city is also home to a handful of art museums, including the Albertinum Museum, which exhibits paintings and sculptures from Romanticism to the present.

Located in the eastern central part of Germany, near the Czech and Polish borders, Dresden is about a 2.5-hour drive from Berlin  and a 2.5-hour train ride from Prague .

Things to see and do in Dresden

Frauenkirche.

Perhaps no building in Dresden’s skyline provides as distinctive a silhouette as Frauenkirche, or the Church of Our Lady. In many ways, the church’s history mirrors the city’s. It began as a much more humble building in the 11th century, when it was built as a Romanesque church outside the old city walls. Eventually, the walls came down, and so did the church, which was rebuilt to be bigger and grander. A Baroque church went up in its place, featuring a soaring dome that contended with Michelangelo’s at St Peter’s Basilica.

In 1945, the dome fell and the church collapsed after two days and nights of bombings by Allied forces in World War II. The building sat in blackened rubble for 45 years during communist rule, before being resurrected in 1992. Completed in 2004, the church was rebuilt using the original architect’s plans and as many 18th-century techniques as possible. You can visit the Frauenkirche on our two-hour walking tour of Dresden.

A large, cobbled square anchored by a towering statue of Martin Luther, Neumarkt has long been a central and culturally significant area in Dresden’s old town. The square, which is encompassed by the Frauenkirche and gabled pastel buildings, provides a place for strolling, shopping and dining.

Like much of Dresden, the square was mostly destroyed in the World War II bombings in 1945, but rebuilt after the war in a Socialist Realist style during Soviet occupation. Following German reunification in 1990, the square was again restored, this time to its pre-war look.

Dresden’s modern art museum, the Albertinum is a sandstone Renaissance revival building in the historic central district. The museum is directly across from a park that overlooks the Elbe River, making it a nice place to sit and enjoy the weather on a nice day. As a modern art museum, the Albertinum is home to the New Masters Gallery and Sculpture Collection of the Dresden State Collections.

The exhibits feature both paintings and sculptures from Romanticism to the present, covering a span of about 200 years. We can arrange for you to take a walking tour of the city that includes the Albertinum.

Brühl’s Terrace

If you stroll along Brühl’s Terrace, you’ll see the Elbe River on your left side and Dresden’s stately buildings on your right. Nicknamed the Balcony of Europe, Brühl’s Terrace stretches high above the Elbe and is a popular place for locals and visitors alike to walk or enjoy a cup of coffee.

The terrace was destroyed by the 1945 bombings, but has been restored and is once again one of the city’s biggest landmarks. Its central location near Frauenkirche, Dresden Castle and Theatre Square makes it easy to get to, and a nice place for an afternoon stroll between tours.

Dresden Castle

It's now a museum complex and houses the Dresden State Art Collections. It holds a variety of exhibits and rooms, including the Green Vault, which contains the largest collection of treasures in Europe. The literal crown jewel is the Dresden Green, a massive green diamond from India.

The building was heavily damaged during the World War II bombings, but all the valuable art inside was spared as it had been moved to a safe location. It has since been restored to its former glory.

Meissen Porcelain

Known for the signature soft cornflower blue used as an underglaze, Meissen Porcelain has been produced about 25 km (15 miles) from Dresden since the early 1700s. Because of this proximity, it’s often referred to as Dresden porcelain, and was the first European hard-paste porcelain. The Blue Onion tableware pattern is likely the most identifiable, and its high quality and artistic value make it desirable to collectors and connoisseurs.

You can see the Dresden Porcelain Collection at Zwinger Palace, which is home to about 20,000 porcelain pieces, including Saxon/Meissen porcelain and a collection of traditional Chinese and Japanese porcelain.

One of Dresden’s biggest draws is its opera house, which has been open since the 1800s and has a long history of premieres, including operas by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. The building acts as the opera house for the Saxon State Opera, the concert hall for the Saxon State Orchestra and the home to the Semperoper Ballet. The grand, neo-Renaissance building is located in Theatre Square in central Dresden, on the bank of the Elbe River.

The original building on the site burned down, and was rebuilt and reopened in 1878. That building was then destroyed in the 1945 air raids, but reopened 40 years later in 1985. Its reopening featured Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz , the last opera performed before the building was destroyed. We can arrange for you to see the Semperoper as part of a walking tour of Dresden.

Best time to visit Dresden

Dresden experiences distinct seasons, with a hot summer and cold and snowy winter. The peak season is May through October, when the temperatures are warmest and visitors on summer school breaks flock to the city. Though chilly, December also sees an influx of visitors due to the sparkling Christmas markets.

Start planning your tailor-made trip to Dresden by contacting one of our Germany specialists

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Suggested itinerary featuring Dresden

This sample itinerary will give you an idea of what is possible when you travel in Dresden, and showcases routes we know work particularly well. Treat this as inspiration, because your trip will be created uniquely by one of our specialists.

Berlin & Bavaria highlights

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Map of Dresden

Places & hotels on the map, places near dresden.

• Berlin 102 miles away
• Nuremberg 163 miles away
• Bavaria 185 miles away
• Rothenburg 196 miles away
• Munich 226 miles away
• Frankfurt 229 miles away
• Hamburg 241 miles away
• Heidelberg 251 miles away
• The Rhine Valley 270 miles away
• Oberwesel 270 miles away
• Neuschwanstein 276 miles away
• Cologne 291 miles away
• Baden-Baden 295 miles away

Photos of Dresden

Accommodation choices for Dresden

We’ve selected a range of accommodation options for when you visit Dresden. Our choices usually come recommended for their character, facilities and service or location. Our specialists always aim to suggest properties that match your preferences.

Why Dresden Should Be on Your Bucket List: A Local’s Perspective

Travel author

I have a passion for the English countryside and especially anywhere in Yorkshire. I drink far too much Yorkshire tea on my travels and even take it with me when abroad. My passion is to share travel experiences with my readers which may help them plan their holidays and save money.

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Situated in the east of Germany, Dresden sits on the River Elbe and is known by many as the Florence of Germany.

This city isn’t talked of much, yet it’s one of Germany’s most-visited cities. But is Dresden worth visiting?

Let’s take a look.

Table of Contents

Reasons why you should visit Dresden

There are so many reasons for visiting Dresden and many say that it’s a real hidden gem – it’s even been nicknamed “Jewel Box.”

Here are some of the great things about this city.

The architecture

As the capital of Saxony, this was a former location of the royals. If you’re an architecture enthusiast, there’s so much to see here.

The Old Town is awash with ornate buildings from the Baroque era. One such example is the Semper Opera House which was built in the late 19 th century and is situated in Altmarkt Square.

Arguably the most famous landmark is Dresden’s Church of Our Lady, the FrauenKirche.

This was destroyed completely during the Second World War and then rebuilt from its remains – the darkest stones are originals.

The reconstruction cost around €100,000 but most of this came from donations.

History museums and art galleries

The National Gallery is housed in the stunningly beautiful Zwinger Palace.

This has a huge collection of paintings from Europe that date back to the 15 th century.

There are also collections of silverware and porcelain. The Museum of Decorative Arts – The Kunstgewerbemuseum – is also located in the Zwinger Palace.

Dresden has many other museums to explore too – and lots are free.

There is the Cathedral – the Frauenkirche, the Albertinum, the Käthe Kollwitz Museum, the Neue Meister Gallery, the Staftmuseum, the Leipziger Platz, and the Albertinum Art Museum to name a few.

Some museums close on Mondays so it’s worth checking out their websites before turning up. Some will also close at 8 pm, though the public ones tend to close at 5 pm.

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Dresden at Christmas time

Dresden is a wonderful city around Christmas time. It is beautifully decorated and lit and its Christmas Market is fantastic.

The evolution of Dresden

Another reason to visit Dresden is to admire how much the city has changed within the last one hundred years.

During the Second World War, Dresden saw 85% of the historic center bombed. When you look at photos of this time, it’s hard to imagine that such a wonderful city ever looked so devastating.

Nowadays – It’s a vibrant hub of education and culture. It’s a wonderful example of what people can achieve with determination.

Its surroundings

If you like combining city trips with countryside, Dresden lends itself very nicely to this.

Within an hour or two from the center, you have over 15 castles to explore.

As well as this, there is the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the Dresden Basin. This is one of Germany’s national parks.

It’s largely undiscovered

Dresden does get a considerable number of tourists but the majority of them are from Germany itself.

Besides local tourists, you’re likely to see a few Russians and Italians. Otherwise, it’s a largely undiscovered city, which makes it even more appealing.

Disadvantages of Dresden

It would be unfair to suggest everything about Dresden is perfect.

Visitors generally want to know what to expect, including any negatives.

So, here are some of Dresden’s disadvantages.

It had its UNESCO World Heritage status revoked

It’s rare for UNESCO to revoke a place’s World Heritage status.

In fact, it has only happened twice. Dresden Elbe Valley was first designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 because of its architectural values and scenery.

This included the slopes, riverbanks, and urban area.

In 2006 – It became listed as a World Heritage Site in Danger. This ‘in Danger’ list is meant to increase awareness internationally about threats to sites with the hope of encouraging counteractive measures to restore the sites.

Dresden was delisted in 2009 due to the Waldschlösschen Bridge construction.

This bridge across the river Elbe was built to ease congestion in the city center.

Its construction was deemed highly controversial and the city was warned about being delisted by UNESCO should it go ahead.

However, the construction did go ahead, and it meant that the Dresden Elbe Valley became the second UNESCO World Heritage Site to be de-listed. The first site was the Oryx Sanctuary in Oman.

The 20km-long Waldschlösschen Bridge opened to the public officially in 2013.

It gets cold in winter

If you’re not someone who copes well with cold weather, you might want to avoid coming to Dresden in the winter months.

The highest temperature in Dresden in December can be around 2 °C (35 °F) but it is frequently sub-zero.

January is even colder.

In summer, however, you can get pleasant temperatures, but these are also the wettest months of the year.

Lots of people smoke tobacco

Around 28% of people in Germany smoke tobacco, which is slightly higher than the United States (25.1%) and much higher than other English-speaking countries like Australia (11.6%), New Zealand (14.8%), Canada (17.5%), and the United Kingdom (14.1%).

It’s expensive

Depending on where you live, Dresden can seem expensive.

You can expect to pay around €50 for a meal at a restaurant and a beer will cost you around €3.50.

The pros and cons of Dresden

To help you to decide if Dresden is worth visiting, here is our list of pros and cons.

What we like

• It’s very safe
• The air quality is good
• It is not too crowded
• The roads are safe
• Loads of people speak English
• It’s family-friendly
• It’s very LGBTQ+-friendly

What we don’t like

• It gets very cold in winter
• Lots of people smoke
• It can be expensive

Final thoughts

Despite losing its UNESCO World Heritage status, Dresden is still a beautiful city with lots to offer tourists.

It’s a great city to visit any time of year (as long as you don’t mind the cool weather). What’s more, it’s only 90 miles from Prague and so can be visited from here in one day.

It’s also only 70 miles from the Polish border too, which makes it an interesting location for travel. So, is Dresden worth visiting? We think so!

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