Dresden is a fairytale city, not so far from the Polish and Czech border. It has Renaissance architecture but also neighbourhoods that give you the feel of Berlin's ruggedness. The city was almost completely bombed during the Second World War, but has been rebuilt in a beautiful way. There is also a lot to do and plenty to do in the area around Dresden. Read on and discover the best sights and our favourite addresses!
Contents: Mini guide to Dresden
The top eight sights in Dresden
1. Visit and climb the Frauenkirche
2. Admire the porcelain artwork the Fürstenzug
3. The Brühlsche Terrace
4. Visit the palace gardens of Zwinger Palace
5. Visit Neustadt district
6. Visit the vineyards near Schloss Wackerbarth
7. Discover the pearls of the Residenzschloss
8. Go to the Panometer in Dresden
Practical tips for planning your city break to Dresden
- Transport to Dresden
- Transport in Dresden
- How many days do you need
- Accommodations in Dresden
The top eight sights in Dresden
Do you love art, fairy-tale architecture and street art? Then you've come to the right place. Dresden is the capital of Saxony and not yet known to mass tourism like other European cities. This really makes it an undiscovered gem in Europe. Ideal as a city trip! Curious about what the city has to offer? Discover the most beautiful and fascinating places and sights with these eight tips.
1. Visit and climb the Frauenkirche
Frauenkirche is located on Neumarkt and offers the perfect panoramic view! Only reopened in its original state in 2005, this church is considered one of the most iconic brews in Altstadt, Dresden's historic city centre. You can even climb the new dome, which offers a perfect panorama view.
2. Admire the porcelain artwork the Fürstenzug
The porcelain and life-size artwork the Fürstenzug is on display in the old town of Dresden. It is a long outer wall of the palace depicting the Parade of Princes.
3. The Brühlsche Terrace
A lovely romantic ‘balcony’ to stroll on and look out over river Elbe. Known as the balcony of Europe, the terrace is the ideal place to take a break.
4. Visit the palace gardens of Zwinger Palace
The magnificent Zwinger palace complex is located on the edge of the city centre. You can have a lovely wander around in one of the palace gardens or enjoy the historical museum complex here. This is truly a sight not to be missed!
5. Visit Neustadt district
Neustadt is a hip district full of students, young professionals and artists. Perfect for a chai latte in the morning, a vegan Buddha Bowl in the afternoon and a beer in the evening! Multicultural, modern and vibrant with Berlin vibes.
You will find the Äußere district in Neustadt me the art court. This is an architectural experiment which absolutely succeeded. The art court consists of five different courtyards with houses, restaurants, cafés, art studios and shops. Each courtyard has its own theme, making it impossible to get bored.
Getyourguide.co.uk
Would you like to know more about the city? Then check out the various tours on offer at getyourguide.co.uk.
You can also easily pre-order your book tickets for the various museums.
Read more | Top 5 things to do in Saxon Switzerland.
Read more | What you need to know for a city break to Cologne
6. Visit the vineyards near Schloss Wackerbarth
You might not immediately think of it, but if you're in Dresden, we recommend going to the Schloss Wackerbarth vineyard. This vineyard is located in the Elbe valley. You can enjoy hiking there and especially in summer and autumn there are many activities.
7. Discover the pearls of the royal palace Residenzschloss
Dresden's royal palace is as impressive on the outside as it is on the inside. Inside, the palace is a museum and you can see the former royal treasury, the Grüne Gewölbe. This is the largest collection of treasures in Europe and definitely worth a look.
8. Go to the Panometer in Dresden
Finally, we recommend going to the Panometer. This cool attraction takes you into the history of Desden. You will find a special multimedia exhibition about the bombing of Dresden with a 360-degree panorama of the city before-and-after the bombing
Practical tips for planning your city break
Transport to Dresden
Dresden is easy to reach by car, plane and public transport. The fastest way is by plane. From Schiphol Airport, the flight takes just 1 hour and 20 minutes. If you choose to travel by car, you will get there in 7 hours and by train in around 9 hours.
Transport in Dresden
You can easily combine these cool sights as there are several transport options available. For example, opt for the bus, metro or explore the city on one of the scooters.
Scooters: You may have heard of these or seen them riding. We think this is one of the most fun ways to explore a city. Rent an electric scooter from Lime and cruise the streets from hotspot-to-hotspot.
Tip: Hire Lime scooters for a day. A day ticket is 10,- and booking a ride is easy via the mobile app. After downloading the app and activating your account; you will be taken step-by-step through the instructions. Note: make sure your battery is well charged when using the scooters so that you can check out and log off after use.
Bus: Another way to explore the city is with a city tour by bus. Red double-decker buses drive through the city, offering tours for tourists. You can ride on these buses according to the hop on, hop off principle. Buy a day ticket and you can hop on and off as you please.
Tram: In addition, Dresden has an extensive transport network. Trams are modern and offer reliable service. You can buy special visitor tickets anywhere in the city.
Accommodations in Dresden
We stayed just outside Dresden in a lovely country house. We had just come from the hustle and bustle of Berlin and were looking for an idyllic, quiet spot outside the city, where a swimming pool was a must-have given the heatwave. Landhotel Gut Wildberg is the perfect place to recharge. They also have a spa, you can rent bikes and go horse riding. And... that's 20 minutes away from the heart of Dresden.
Is this not for you or would you prefer inner-city accommodation? Check out all the options on booking.com.
How many days do you need
As we mentioned earlier, Dresden is the perfect city for a city trip. Even though the city is relatively large and there is an awful lot to see, you can easily combine sights. We recommend at least two full days for your city trip.
Want to spend a longer time in this area? Then check out our blog The Malerweg, one of the top 10 most beautiful hikes in Europe.
Want to travel around Europe this summer and combine Dresden with Berlin? Then read Fulltimetravels' blog about The 4 highlights in Berlin during summer.
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