Dresden is the most beautiful city of Saxony, often called Florence of the North and the pearl of the Baroque. Despite the hard years of history and huge damage after World War II, the city recovered from defeat and is now one of the prettiest places in Germany.
The city attracts with its monuments, full of interesting exhibits and works of art museums and parks full of greenery, where you can just relax and the weekend is enough to see and visit the city’s biggest attractions. There is always something interesting going on in Dresden, regardless of the season.
In the spring there are perfect conditions for sightseeing, it is not too cold or too hot, and there are noticeably fewer tourists. In summer, numerous outdoor events are organized in Dresden.
The weather then also favors spending time outdoors and on walks. In turn, autumn is another portion of interesting cultural events, including opera performances. However, in winter in Dresden, in addition to visiting numerous museums, you can go to the famous Christmas market.
So let’s start exploring Dresden with our tourist guide.
Christmas market in Dresden
It is in Dresden that the oldest Christmas market in Germany is organized annually. This is where the tradition of this type of holiday-related events comes from. Christmas markets have been appearing in the city since November in various parts of it.
The largest of them – Striezelmarkt (Strudel Fair) has been organized since the 15th century and is located at the Altmarkt market. You can not only drink mulled wine, but also try local delicacies, e.g. Dresden strudel. Stalls are open from 10 to 21, throughout December, until Christmas Eve. If you want to avoid the crowds, it’s better to come here in the morning.
Christmas market is just the beginning. Let’s look at other tourist attractions in Dresden.
Zwinger
The biggest and most visited attraction of Dresden is undoubtedly Zwinger, i.e. the palace complex, built with a flourish in the Rococo style, at the behest of King Augustus II the Strong.
The buildings together with the beautiful courtyard and fountains used to be mainly a representative function. Sumptuous parties and balls were organized here. However, like most buildings in Dresden, Zwinger also suffered during the bombing during the war. After rebuilding the entire complex, now the Porcelain Museum, Gallery of Old Masters Painting and Mathematical and Physical Salon are located here.
The museum has a collection of porcelain dishes and tableware from around the world, while in the Painting Gallery you can admire the rich collection of Baroque and Renaissance works (including the famous painting of the Sistine Madonna by Rafael Santi).
Entrance to the courtyard and terraces is free.
Near Zwinger there is also a viewing platform – City Skyliner, from which you can admire the entire palace complex, as well as the panorama of the city from above.
See on the map exactly where Zwinger is located:
This is how one of Dresden’s biggest attractions looks:
Wettin Residence
Another must-see point on the city map is Wettin Residence. It is a castle in Dresden, which was inhabited by Saxon princes. Rebuilt many times, it suffered as much as Zwinger during the war.
The reconstruction was not completed until 2004. Currently, you can visit the treasury of Augustus II the Strong, called the Green Vault, where you can admire the royal jewels, jewelry – sculptures and dishes made of gold or amber, decorated with precious stones. In addition, at the Dresden castle you can see the armory with the Turkish chamber and two offices: the Copperplate Cabinet and the Numismatic Cabinet.
Semper Opera House in Dresden
A characteristic and well-known place in Dresden is also the Semper Opera House. Rebuilt three times, it is one of the most beautiful operas in Europe. Currently, the Semper Opera House acts as the stage of the Saxon State Opera and is the seat of the Staatskapelle Dresden Symphony Orchestra.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZwa3H12z0M
See on the map where the Semper Opera House is located:
Sights of Dresden
There are many palaces in Dresden, one of those noteworthy is certainly the Japanese Palace. This is Count Flemming’s property bought by Augustus II and expanded to collect Japanese porcelain collections. The building is definitely distinguished by Japanese-style roofs and a beautiful park that surrounds it. There is now an art museum inside.
Church of the Virgin Mary
However, when it comes to religious buildings in Dresden, one of the better known is the Church of the Virgin Mary (Frauenkirche). This Lutheran temple, as well as many other buildings in the city, have been rebuilt and now its mass is built of light sandstone.
Entry is free, but often due to the orchestra or choir rehearsals, the church of the Virgin Mary is closed to visitors. It is worth going to the observation deck located on the dome of the temple (for a fee).
Dresden Holy Trinity Cathedral
Another recognizable religious building in Dresden is the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The baroque Catholic church impresses with its numerous statues of saints placed on balustrades outside.
Inside, however, you can see the main altar made of white marble, the pulpit made by Baltazar Permosen and the old organ from 1755. However, the most interesting for us will be the crypts, where the Wettin dynasty monarchs rest.
Holy Cross Church
Holy Cross Church will be the third sacred point on the map of Dresden’s attractions. This is the largest temple in the city. Like the previous ones, it was rebuilt and destroyed many times during the bombing. Currently, you can admire the 90-meter tower, which is worth climbing to admire the panorama of Dresden and five bronze bells (the second largest in Germany).
Pillnitz Palace
Another monument on the long list of places to see is the Pillnitz Palace, which is a bit further from center of Dresden. Another building rebuilt on the order of Augustus II in the Baroque style. The entire complex currently consists of several buildings: the New Palace, the Upper Palace with oriental decorations and the Water Palace. Inside these buildings are museums. In addition, everything is embedded between gardens, conservatories and pavilions, where, among others, you can admire the oldest camellia in Europe.
See how to get to Pillnitz Palace:
And another short video from this place:
What else is worth seeing and visiting in Dresden?
If we’re on the topic of sightseeing, there are definitely plenty of interesting museums in Dresden. The Transport Museum is probably the most popular, probably because of the great exhibition on the development of the automotive industry – from bicycles and cabs, to electric cars. A great place also for families with children.
In addition, there are separate places dedicated to rail transport (German steam locomotive from 1861 and models with moving trains), water and air.
Hygiene Museum in Dresden
The Hygiene Museum will also be an interesting place to visit. Contrary to appearances, this is not a place dedicated to washing. The exhibitions concern humans, their bodies, diseases that bother them, as well as nutrition. The human body is shown here in various interesting and interactive ways to get to know it better.
The Hygiene Museum also has a special section for kids and very often temporary exhibitions are placed here on very different topics.
Kraszewski Museum
At the Kraszewski Museum, you will see exhibitions about the Polish writer who has lived for some time in Dresden and the history of Polish emigration, as after the numerous 19th century uprisings Polish refugees were looking for shelter in this city. Another recommended place to visit is the Bundeswehr Military History Museum on the history of the military in Germany.
However, if you are more interested in folk art, the Museum of Saxon Folk Art and the Puppet Theater Collections with ethnographic and handicraft exhibits will be a much better object.
Interesting places in Dresden
One of the interesting places is the wall painting at Augustusstrasse – Prince’s Procession. It presents a retinue of representatives of the Wettin dynasty from the first ruler, together with squires and peasants placed between them. Everyone is, of course, styled from the old days.
Interestingly, the work is currently painted on ceramic tiles, which gives it the title of the largest ceramic painting in the world. It happened because of the trivial reason, which are atmospheric conditions that effectively destroyed the painting.
Yenidze
Another interesting object is Yenidze, which resembles a mosque. However, it was only a tobacco factory, built on behalf of the owner, fascinated by Middle Eastern culture. Currently, Yenidze houses offices, and the rebuilt dome itself has a popular restaurant.
Kunsthofpassage
The Kunsthofpassage is also a real sensation among tourists – the Art Passage, which is actually a passage through the backyards between Alaunstrasse and Görlitzer Strasse. These five courtyards are each designed in a different style. The most famous is the blue facade of the building, on which tin trumpets were placed, which supposedly play in the rain.
Another very original place is a dairy store.
However, not any, because the one located on Bautzner Strasse looks more like a palace than a dairy. The whole store is lined with very ornate tiles, and one of the rooms has a fountain from which customers could once drink milk. The dairy founded in 1880 by Mr. Pfund is currently entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the most beautiful dairy store in the world. Attracting crowds of tourists. However, even today, dairy products and other products are sold here.
Grosser Garten
If after a day of sightseeing we want a break, it is worth going to the city park Grosser Garten. It is the largest garden in Dresden, decorated in the Baroque style with flower beds, sculptures and fountains. Its focal point is the palace, which currently hosts concerts and exhibitions. In addition, a small zoo and botanical garden have been arranged in the park. However, the biggest attraction are narrow-gauge railway rides. You can travel around the park by the Dresden Park Railway, stopping at one of five mini stations.
Opinions on attractions in Dresden
Our travel guide showed you around the biggest tourist attractions, interesting places and monuments in Dresden. However, we are interested in your opinions about this city. Drop your reviews and opinions about monuments and attractions in this city. Maybe you’ll add some other interesting places that are worth visiting and seeing in Dresden?