Dresden

From MaxTravelz

Dresden's most famous landmark, the Frauenkirche in winter. By Felix Gottwald.
Enlarge
Dresden's most famous landmark, the Frauenkirche in winter. By Felix Gottwald.

Dresden is the capital of the German federal state of Saxony (Sachsen), population 480,347 (year 2004). Located on the Elbe River, it is an industrial, governmental, and cultural center, worldwide known for the Frauenkirche.

Contents

Understand

Dresden was first mentioned as a city in 1206 and the 800th birthday celebrations will therefore take place in 2006. The city has since then come a long way. It was home to many Saxon kings, the most famous of them being August der Starke (August the Strong), whose kingdom included Poland as well. The historical center of Dresden is now nearly totally restored, after large parts of Dresden were almost completely destroyed in February 1945 by allied bombers. The architecture suffered a bit from the times under socialist rulership and many monotone concrete buildings were erected back during 1950 and 1990. So, besides the old historic center you will find a lot of younger buildings. There have been many major improvements and the city offers a combination of a modern shopping street, a historical centre and a vibrant evening culture.

Get in

By Plane

Dresden-Klotzsche Airport is located north of the city and can be reached by bus (line 77 and 97) and tram line 7 (change for the bus at tram station Karl-Marx-Straße). Even faster is the connection with local train lines (S-Bahn).

Flights leave to nearly all important German cities and few European destinations, like Zurich and Vienna. The emergence of low-frill airlines Germanwings and DBA has lead to reduced fares to Cologne, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Munich. Lufthansa operates to most domestic destinations. Air Berlin also offers flights to and from Rome and Barcelona.

By Train

The main station is within walking distance of the city centre and easily accessible by bus or car. Regular trains leave for the rest of Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich) and to Prague and Budapest. It is currently being refurbished, so check if your train is really leaving/going there and not at the other big station in Dresden-Neustadt.

The main train station is situated at the end of Dresden's main shopping street Prager Straße and in short walking distance from most central attractions. It is very well connected with the local bus and tram network and can be reached very fast from nearly everywhere, also at night time. Trains to nearby towns, such as Meissen and Pirna still run till midnight.

The other big train station called Dresden-Neustadt is located in the northern half of Dresden and also offers very good train connections, as most trains run through here, too. Some trains even terminate here and not at the main train station. Dresden-Neustadt is also easily accessible by tram or car.

By Car

Dresden can be reached without problems by car from the rest of Germany. It is well connected with the German highway system and a new Autobahn to Prague is nearly finished.

Get around

On foot

In the center, especially in the historic part, everything is easy accessible by foot. Note that the city center is not the geographical center of the city.

By bus and tram

There is a combined system of tram, bus and even train, but no subway. It works very well and connects all points of interest, but can be a little busy at peak times. Most lines even run at night time, of course with less capacity at night. This allows you to go out to most places or restaurants without the necessity to use a car. See Dresdner Verkehrsbetriebe for more information.

Best is to get yourself a Day Ticket or for families a Family Day Ticket. It allows you to ride on all trams, buses and trains (except InterCitys and ICEs). It is relatively cheap and valid until the next day 4:00 am. You can also get a ticket limited to an hour and some others, but Day Tickets are good, if you are traveling around, not sure where you will be going and what you will be doing.

By car

The street network is very good and many roads have only been refurbished recently, especially in the city centre. As in all bigger towns it can be a bit crowded during rush hours. There are many parking lots in downtown Dresden and it should not be a problem to find a place to park. A number of automatic sign have been created, showing you the available number of free parking spaces, before entering the parking lots. Shops are open from around 10:00 am to 8:00 pm and you will see a lot of tourists and locals going shopping in the city centre. Please take care of them when driving and note that this is the time with the fewest available parking. Car drivers might seem to be a little more aggressive than in other countries, but are usually more friendly if you don't have a local registration number.

By bicycle

The fastest thing in the rush hour and if going a short to medium distance, if you're under good condition and not afraid of traffic and pedestrians. There are many designated cycle paths (marked red on pavements, or with a blue bike symbol on a white background) and it is most times very easy to find a place to park your bike. But as anywhere else, always use a good lock!

See

The official sightseeing tour:

  • Zwinger Palace .
Zwinger
Enlarge
Zwinger
  • Semper Opera - Make sure to book tickets in advance! Some last-minute tickets are available from the box office shortly before the performance starts. Seats which do not have a good view are very cheap, and you can sit on benches behind the seats, right at the top of the auditorium, for free. When there is no rehearsal or performance, the opera offers an interesting tour behind the scenes.
Semper Opera stage
Enlarge
Semper Opera stage
  • Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady - Completely destroyed during WWII, now reconstructed and reopened. The City of Coventry, which was raided by the Luftwaffe in WWII, donated the golden cross for the dome of the church).
  • Albertinum Museum .
  • Gläserne Manufaktur The transparent factory is the site where Volkswagen builds its luxury sedan Phaeton. There is a very interesting free tour (English language) offered by Volkswagen. However you have to book in advance.
  • Grünes Gewölbe . The Green Vault is Europe's most splendid treasure chamber museum.
  • Staatliche Kunstsammlungen This website provides an comprehensive overview of all important museums in Dresden:
  • Standseilbahn Dresden
  • Schwebebahn Dresden - a unique aerial tramway

Dresden from an other point of view

  • Dresden Neustadt -- Very nice, lively part of the town. From heavy alternative style in the 90s it has become more and more "pseudo-exclusive" and expensive. But still you find some of the older way. Check out the Bunte Republik Neustadt festival in June. But you shouldn't leave your bicycle unattended without a good lock, and there is a serious risk of damage to your bicycle and car also, especially at weekend nights.
  • Elbwiesen (River Banks): Go to the (mostly) green river banks, especially in hot summer evenings/nights - very nice view of the old parts and lot of people doing sports, having barbecues and parties. There are often big concerts and a huge movie screen offers "outdoor cinema".
  • Großer Garten (Great Garden): Recommended for relaxing and sports (rollerblades are very common). It is Dresden's "green lung" and can be reached easily by tram. You can also go on a ride on a miniature train through the park.
  • Erich-Kästner-Museum
  • Military Historic Museum shows you many items and machines regarding military in history. A must for the interested. Easily accessible with tram lines 7 and 8 and bus line 91 at stop "Stauffenbergallee".

Events

Dresden is host to a number of worldwide known events, often unique or the biggest of their kind:

  • The Striezelmarkt is Germany's oldest Christmas market! It takes place from the last days of November till Christmas. Actually located at the Altmarkt, all kinds of shops and Glühwein Buden (mobile cafes selling warm wine - delicious!) now stretch through the whole city centre during this period.
  • The Dixiland Festival is Europe's biggest Jazz Festival! It normally takes place within the second week of May (from May 10-14 in 2006) and attracts bands and visitors from allover Europe, America and the world.
  • The Filmnächte take place from June to August at the banks of the Elbe, just across the castle on the other side of the river. A huge movie screen offers cinema in a beautiful setting and there are also many concerts with popular stars. Again, it is the biggest event of its kind in Europe!

Do

Go on a tour through town or visit one of the many events. An evening out in the Semper Opera is an unforgetable experince, but be sure to book in advance. The city is also home to many good sport clubs. Examples are the Dresden Monarchs (American Football - German Football League) , Dynamo Dresden (Soccer - Second Bundesliga) , Dresdner Eislöwen (Ice Hockey - Second National League) and the Dresdner SC (Volleyball women - First National League) [www.dresdnersportclub.de]

Buy

Snoopy Underwear at H&M. There are three H&M Stores in Prager Strasse and Altmarkgallerie.

Eat

Within the historic centre and especially around the Frauenkirche are a number of fine restaurants, serving many different tastes. On the other side of the Elbe river is the Neustadt, which accounts for most of the trendy pubs, bars and clubs.

When in Germany one should always try a specialty that is not regarded as German at first sight. Today, doner kebab is typically served as a kind of sandwich in pita (flat bread). This type of doner kebab has been available in Istanbul since about 1960. The doner kebab with salad and sauce served in pita, which is predominant in Germany and the rest of the world, was invented in Berlin Kreuzberg in the early 1970s, because the original preparation was not appealing enough to the German taste. Therefore, as the "modern" kebab is very dissimilar to the traditional dish except by name, it can be argued that the kebab as most people know it is a "traditional" German dish. When in Dresden you can probably get the best kebabs at Babos' and at Dürum Kebap Haus (Rothenburger Straße 41 - 01099 Dresden). A typical dish including a large drink should be around 5-6€.

Drink

The Neustadt is a very popular destination, especially for younger people. It boasts a high number of bars and clubs, with many different styles.

The area around the Frauenkirche and Dresden Castle is very popular with tourist. Some fine restaurants are located there.

The Weiße Gasse is just around the corner of the Altmarkt near the shopping centre and the historical town. Good alternative, if you do not want to go to the Neustadt.

Sleep

Hotels:

  • "Kempinski Taschenberg Palais" (http://www.kempinski-dresden.de/; Taschenberg 3; 01067 Dresden; Tel 49-351-4912-0; Fax +49-351-4912-812)
  • "Hilton" (next to the Frauenkirche; An der Frauenkirche 5; 01067 Dresden; Tel 49-351-86420; Fax 49-351-8642725).
  • "Ibis"
  • "Mercure" (http://www.accorhotels.com).

Youth Hostels - IYHF:

Youth Hostels - Private:

Contact

Local telephone code is 0351. There are some Internet Cafés in the city centre. One is at the Altmarkt, next to Subway and another is at the back of the "Altmarktgallerie" shopping centre at the Altmarkt.

Stay safe

Dresden is very safe in general. You can also walk around the city centre and most other parts late at night without having any worries. Simply enjoy the city.

Get out

  • Pillnitz - the old garden and summer castle of the former Saxon kings. Follow the road along the Elbe eastwards or take a bus to get there. Beautiful atmosphere. You might have pay in order to get in (around €2), but this issue is not yet fully resolved, as there are many people against it.
  • Meissen - medieval cathedral and castle and home to the first European porcelain factory.
  • Königstein Fortress One of the largest and best preserved late medeival fortresses in Europe. The fortress is situated about 30 km from Dresden and can be reached by almost all means of transportation. A trip on the river Elbe in one of the historic paddle-steamers of "Sächsische Dampfschifffahrt" is also highly recommended.
  • Sächsische Schweiz (Saxon Switzerland) upstream along the river Elbe is a national park for hiking and rock-climbing ( is available in English while is the official site)
  • Prague is just over two hours away by train
  • Leipzig is little more than one hour away by train
  • Bautzen, beautiful old city in the north (approx. 45 minutes with car via Autobahn)


This is a guide article. It has a variety of good, quality information including hotels, restaurants, attractions, arrival and departure info. Plunge forward and help us make it a star!