We invite you to Dresden, often called the pearl of the Baroque or Florence on the Elbe. The city was largely destroyed in bombings during World War II and almost rebuilt anew. Cities that were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and then… they were deleted!
What impression did Dresden make on us? Cities under construction. A city where almost all the buildings were built anew. Every day from the hotel’s windows we saw a not inconsiderable construction site, as these works are still going on in the city. Nevertheless, we can still admire the buildings that have survived or those that have been rebuilt…. Renaissance, Baroque and from the 19th century.
The city’s history is tumultuous. The war was not kind to Dresden, especially since the greatest destruction came almost at the very end. Buildings were completely destroyed in air raids and bombings, and tens of thousands of residents lost their lives. The city, however, was built. It was created anew. Based on the images and photos, restoration of most of the buildings was undertaken, although some had to wait more than half a century to do so!
It paid off… The pearl of the Baroque impresses visitors, and has also delighted the UNESCO commission, which listed the city as a World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, the city could only boast this title for 5 years (2004-2009), because after this period it was removed from the list due to the construction of a bridge over the Elbe River, which heavily interfered with the local landscape and nature. Anyway, the bridge was built and commissioned in accordance with the wishes of 65% of the Germans who voted in the Referendum [source]. .
Moreover, the city has more than 40 museums where we can learn about history, art and technology. There is plenty to do, and the renovations we mentioned do not in any way affect the way you visit the city.
In this post, we’ll show you what we think are the most interesting corners of Dresden worth visiting during a weekend stay in the Saxon capital. Here we will describe only those that are located within the administrative boundaries of the city, but do not be afraid of anything. This is the first part of the report, in the next parts we will show you other interesting places in the area, in the Elbe Valley, which will be the perfect complement to your stay and, of course, there will be no shortage of descriptions of attractions for children.
Our trip lasted from Wednesday evening to Sunday afternoon, so we had three and a half days on site. All days we could have stayed in Dresden and we would have had something to do, but we also decided to drive around the area, which we will write about soon.
At the end of the post, you will also find some practical information, a map with all our recommended places marked, and videos! :)
Table of contents
How many days on site?
At least a weekend! As we mentioned above, we spent more than 2 days in Dresden alone, with rather unhurried :) If you are very stubborn, you can see everything we recommend here in two days, but given that in Dresden there are several noteworthy museums and galleries where 30 minutes is not enough, we recommend, however, to set aside more time.
Of course, it all depends on what you are most interested in. We devoted one day to the Old Town, one to Dresden on the other side of the Elbe, and half to the Grosser Garten, with more museums along the way. As a result, we saw different facets of the city and had time for a leisurely stroll through the streets of both the old, new part of the city and the largest garden.
And let’s not forget that there are a whole host of other attractions in the area, and Dresden can be a good base for a week or even two!
Zwinger Palace
It is perhaps the most recognizable place in Dresden. Although it lies within the old city, it definitely needs to be distinguished from this part.
The Zwinger Palace was built by order of Augustus II the Strong, and the work was completed in 1732. From the outset, it was to be a building of splendor, opulence and grandeur, following the model of Western palaces and complexes. Originally it served mainly representative functions, with lavish balls and receptions held here. Like many other buildings in Dresden, the Zwinger also suffered from bombing, was almost completely destroyed, and reconstruction work was completed in 1963. Currently, the palace premises house: Old Masters Painting Gallery, Porcelain Museum and Mathematics and Physics Salon. Rafael Santi’s “Sistine Madonna” is considered the most valuable work in the Old Masters Gallery, but the interiors also feature works by artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Durer and Titian.
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You can enter the courtyard and the terraces for free, while the entrances to the surrounding buildings where the aforementioned museums are located are chargeable (from 6 to 12 euros per adult).
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Even if you don’t plan to enter the paid parts, the courtyard with its perfectly green, trimmed grass, trees and fountains is worth a look. You can also climb the stairs to the walls and terraces for free, where angel sculptures and a cafe await you in addition to views of the courtyard. Also worth noting at the top is the Crown Gate with the coat of arms of the Republic, eagles and the Polish royal crown.
The Zwinger is a beautiful and majestic place. It’s worth coming here first thing in the morning, when it’s not so crowded yet. Around noon, even in the middle of the week, many tours appear and it gets tighter and louder.
The Zwinger Palace and the Dresden skyline can be viewed from above, from the spinning City Sky Liner platform next to it. Cost: 8 euros per adult.
More photos from the Palace can be found in the gallery at the bottom of this post :)
The old town in Dresden
You can walk and walk around the old town (Altstadt)…. admire the buildings, stop off at one of the much-attended restaurants and cafes, take a carriage ride, or stroll along the Elbe River, the so-called “Elbe River”. Europe’s balcony and admire the coast and the steamers gliding along the river. Ways to the old town are many :) What to pay special attention to?
Right next to the aforementioned Zwinger is the impressive Semper Opera House (German: Semperoper) – built in 1841 by Gottfried Semper, destroyed first during a fire and then during a bombing in 1945. The grand opening of the opera house came exactly 40 years after its destruction.
On the other side of Theater Square, you can admire another building – the The Cathedral of St. Trinity, built in the mid-18th century. Inside is an urn containing the heart of Augustus II the Strong, and it was placed here in accordance with his request.
Just turn the other way and you’re already looking at another monument, the castle – the Wettin Res idence (Residenzschloss), which dates back to the 12th century, although it has been expanded many times over the years. Like many other buildings in Dresden, it was destroyed in air raids in 1945, and it took until 2004 to rebuild it. Currently, it houses several exhibitions, including the so-called “The World’s Fair”. The Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe) – an art gallery with the richest collection of jewels in Europe. In addition, the Armory and the Numismatic and Copperplate Cabinets can be viewed.
Be sure to look out for the mural The Prince’s Orchard (Fürstenzug), located on Augustusstraße. The phrase mural is used, but it is an image painted on 25,000 ceramic tiles from Meissen (and how could it be!), although it was originally painted on the wall. Nowadays, one can admire a painting more than 100 meters long that was just made on tiles. It is remarkable that the wall from Fürstenzug survived air raids during the war!
Our hotel was next to the New Market (Neumarkt) and the famous Frauenkirche (St. Mary’s Lutheran Church), so every time we left or returned to the hotel we could stand for a moment and admire how it looked, whether in the morning or in the evening.
Both the church and the square are good examples of reconstructed sites in the Old City. The church, whose walls show darker blocks, was, built between 1726 and 1743 from sandstone. The square, surrounding buildings and the ruins of the church were left almost untouched after World War II, for 50 years. It was only in the 1990s that reconstruction work began, the results of which we can now admire.
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Visiting the Frauenkirche is free, while ascending the dome costs €8.
Our next steps were to the Albertinum, the Art Gallery, which houses the New Masters Gallery, with collections from Romanticism to the present, and then we went to the Brühl Garden (Brühlschen Garten).
Take a walk on the aforementioned Balcony of Europe, or Brühl Terraces – built in the first half of the 18th century as private gardens, now open to walkers, offering views of the Elbe River and its coastline.
The other bank of the Elbe is the perfect place to relax after an active day in Dresden. A lot of people come here to walk and bike, and we just sat enjoying the view of the old city.
The Verkehrsmuseum, or Transportation Museum, is a worthwhile place to visit, including for families with children. There are special rooms for the little ones here, but about that there will be another time, because it is a super cool place for both young and old :)
At the Transportation Museum you can enjoy the history of automobiles from bicycles and horse-drawn carriages to electric cars. There are also halls dedicated to water, air and rail transportation.
And it’s probably the latter that impresses most, for two reasons: first, there’s a collection of miniature railroads here, along with a huge 325-square-meter mock-up with tracks. Unfortunately, it is not available at all times when the museum is open, only activated at specific times, and only then can you get closer to the model itself.
Second, it was a huge surprise to find both real train cars and locomotives in a building in the center of the city. Entire depots can be admired on the first floor of the museum, and some can even be accessed inside.
Admission with RegioCard costs 8 Euros, without discount – 9 Euros (per adult).
New town
On the other side of the Elbe is Neustadt, with its famous statue of the Golden Horseman, or King Augustus II the Strong of Poland. The monument was erected here in 1734. It is interesting to note that one foot points to the New Town in Dresden and one to Poland.
This part of the city is completely different, more alternative, artistic. We are talking about Äußere Neustadt – a popular place where you will find unconventional pubs, original installations and murals. Particularly noteworthy is the Art Passage(Kunsthofpassage), a passageway through the courtyards between the two streets Alaunstrasse and Görlitzer Strasse, but not just any courtyards. Each is designed with an individual theme, and there are cafes, handicraft stores and small galleries.
On the other side of Görlitzer Strasse is a fantastic place for children – a kind of mini zoo in the center of the city. There are rabbits, goats, horses, and all in a very friendly and peaceful atmosphere for animals – there will be more about this place in the post about attractions for children :)
On this side of the Elbe, we also arrived at a place hailed as “the most beautiful dairy in the world” – founded by the Pfund brothers in 1880. The interior is truly amazing – the walls, floor and even the counter are covered with hand-decorated tiles full of floral motifs, characters and elements related to the dairy industry. And it’s hard to believe that so much effort and work went into a place that sells milk and cheese! Nowadays, it is mainly a tourist attraction where you can not only purchase dairy products, but also taste them on site.
For those interested in museums, there are also many places of interest on this side of the Elbe, such as. Japanese Palace, the Bundeswehr Military-Historical Museum or the Kraszewski Museum (it was to Dresden that writer Joseph Ignacy Kraszewski emigrated).
Dresden Hygiene Museum
Don’t let the name fool you – this is not a museum about washing hands and teeth! This is an interesting museum about man – the body, development, diseases, civilization, nutrition, culture, science, life, death, etc. Here you can learn about the human body in an interesting and interactive way, because in addition to the traditional exhibits, visitors can find multimedia stations and interactive elements to encourage experimentation, exploration and learning….
Please note, some exhibits or graphics may not be suitable for particularly sensitive people (e.g., the exhibition of artificial faces with various diseases, various deformations of human bones, etc.). It can be shocking, but the end shows how advances in science and medicine have revolutionized our lives.
Unfortunately, there are few descriptions of individual exhibits in English.
There is also a special section for the youngest, where kids can learn about the human senses. Ostensibly for children aged 4-12, but our two-year-old was already quite savvy :)
Temporary exhibitions are also held here, we just happened to come across an exhibition on… racism. About the origin of different races, history, differences, similarities.
A ticket to the museum costs 9 euros per adult. It is more economical to take a family ticket, which costs 14 euros.
Großer Garten
It is the largest park in Dresden. This baroque park, is a place where residents spend active time and families go for walks among the greenery. Everything is done almost to the line: every flower, every hedge and bush immaculately cared for. The focal point is the palace, which is considered one of the earlier Baroque buildings in Germany (built in 1680). It looked completely closed during our visit, but concerts and exhibitions are held here.
One of the park’s most interesting attractions is the mini narrow-gauge train that runs here – the Dresden Park Railway. Or rather, a mini-coaster, because we haven’t seen such narrow tracks yet :) It looks like a toy train, yet it does its best and bravely carries visitors between different parts of the park. Apparently, it is run by children, but we must have just hit some grown-up change ;-).
In addition, there is a zoo, a botanical garden, and right next door a real treat for car fans – the Gläserne Manufaktur, the place where Volkswagen cars (e-Golf) are manufactured and there is a museum/exhibition here.
Practical information
As you can see, there are a huge number of places to see in Dresden. How then is it best to get around the city? How to cut expenses and see as much as possible? Where to spend the night?
Accommodation
Dresden has a very wide range of accommodations. We stayed at the Vienna House QF Dresden hotel in the very center of the city, and the only thing we had to worry about was car parking (we literally parked under the hotel, i.e. in the underground parking lot ;) ). As we mentioned it is located at the New Market, so we were close to everywhere.
The hotel is not one of the cheapest, but if you are looking for good conditions, with a great location and a delicious breakfast, it will definitely meet your expectations! In addition, our room was fully equipped for families with children, and there was even a baby bathtub at our disposal.
You can find a full range of hotels in Dresden here.
Public transport
We recommend you to explore Dresden on foot! The Old Town is definitely walkable, and if you want to see Neustadt or Grosser Garten as well, you should think about day tickets for public transportation.
Pose sample prices if you decide to travel with the tourist Dresden City Card, which also includes interesting discounts on attractions:
1-day: 12 euros/person or 15 euros for a family ticket (2 adults plus up to 4 children under 14)
2-day: 17 euros/person or 25 euros for a family ticket
3-day: 25 euros/person or 33 euros for a family ticket
The Dresden Regio Card, which also covers the immediate Dresden area (VVO), is also in operation:
1-day: 20 euros/person or 30 euros for a family ticket
2-day: 35 Euro/person or 47 Euro for a family ticket.
3-day: 45 Euro/person or 65 Euro for a family ticket.
Current prices and differences between the cards can be found here.
Of course, this is an option for visitors, and it is also possible to purchase timed or full-day tickets – in which case prices start at 6 euros for a full day within a single zonation, or 2.4 euros for a ticket valid for one hour.
Does it pay off? Everything really depends on what your plans are for your stay in Dresden. You will see many interesting places by moving on foot, but if you are short on time and want to see as much as possible it is worth taking a bus or streetcar.
Tickets to attractions
If you’re setting your sights on museums and galleries then it may be worth your while to buy the Dresden Museums Card or the Dresden Museums Card Plus. They cost 22 euros and 29 euros, respectively. In the case of the former, we have free entry to 14 museums and galleries valid for two days, and in the case of the latter, 27 museums and galleries, valid for as many as four days (but note! not all museums have four days). Details and a list of facilities are available here.
Map of attractions in Dresden
Below you will find a map highlighting all the attractions in Dresden that we wrote about above:
Video from Dresden
And almost at the end our short video on YouTube :)
Any comments on the video welcome in the comments, here or on YouTube under our video What to see in Dresden?
Summary
Dresden is a beautiful and incredibly interesting city. Heavily affected by history, but as you can see, it is possible to recover from this and prepare a city full of architectural gems filled to the brim with rich art collections.
Even if you are not interested in galleries and history, there are interesting interactive museums, beautiful parks and gardens, and opportunities for active recreation. And let’s not forget that from Dresden the whole of Saxony is open to us!
...having traveled almost all over Europe in her youth, she inherited her love of travel from her parents. Despite this, together we discover many places anew. She doesn't like to sit still and tries to get the maximum out of each trip. She is responsible for finding the places we go to and making ... More about us >>.
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