The best travel tips for Dresden

Dresden is more than just the Frauenkirche and the Semperoper. Although large parts of the city were destroyed in World War II, the city on the Elbe retained its historic center.

Dresden Neustadt is actually the old town of Dresden. At least until the 18th century, today’s Neustadt was called “Altdresden”. The district on the right bank of the Elbe always remained in the shadow of the magnificent residence on the other side of the Elbe. A city fire completely destroyed the area and ensured that the new town was rebuilt as planned under Augustus the Strong.

The baroque reconstruction created attractive street and square ensembles that can still be seen in the area around Königstrasse. One should begin the walk through the Dresden Neustadt with the Neustädter Markt, where the equestrian monument of the Saxon Elector and Polish King Friedrich August I stands. The “Goldener Reiter” borders the main street of the historic district. Upstream of the Elbe we see the government district on the Königsufer, which connects to the so-called Inner Neustadt in Dresden. The buildings of the Saxon Ministry of Finance and the State Chancellery with their magnificent historicist facades and roof constructions can be seen from afar.

It’s worth turning left or right off Königstrasse and immersing yourself in the cozy courtyards of Dresden Neustadt. There are so many surprises there. There is the Romantic Museum in the Kügelgen House, the Dreikönigskirche and the historic market hall to discover.

The Frauenkirche in Dresden

The Frauenkirche in Dresden is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city on the Elbe. In 2005 the reconstruction of the magnificent baroque sacred building from the first half of the 18th century was celebrated. Since then, more than two million visitors a year have been counted in the cathedral on Dresden’s Neumarkt.
In GDR times, the ruins were considered a memorial against war and destruction. In 1991, the reconstruction began with the help of donations from all over the world and the “Foundation for the Reconstruction of the Frauenkirche”.

The visitor center of the Frauenkirche Dresden is a few minutes’ walk from the church, at Weiße Gasse 8. It is open Monday to Saturday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets for concerts in the church are sold on the ground floor. The employees also distribute extensive information material about history, reconstruction and events. The documentary film “Fascination Frauenkirche” is shown on the first floor.

The Frauenkirche can look back on more than a thousand years of history, and yet on October 30, 2005 a whole new era began for the famous landmark of the Saxon state capital. With the festive consecration, the residents of the city – but also the countless supporters all over the world – were able to celebrate the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche.

This high point in the history of Dresden was preceded by the eleven-year restoration of the sacred building. In 1994 the piecemeal construction of the church, which was almost completely destroyed in the Second World War, began. 182.6 million euros flowed into this ambitious project, which was only made possible thanks to the impressive initiative of the citizens. The public sector provided 70 million euros for this, 102.8 million euros came from donations, grants or the like. Visitors to Dresden can marvel at the result of the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche, which was carried out with enormous effort, at a church service, at various concerts, readings and lectures as well as during visits and guided tours.

Address: Neumarkt, 01067 Dresden

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m

Further information: Frauenkirche-dresden.de

Semper Opera, Albertinum and Blue Wonder

The sights in Dresden are lined up like a string of pearls. Like the Albertinum, the Semperoper is a magnet for visitors. The Transport Museum in the Johannbau is one of the few museums in the world that is quite extensively devoted to different aspects of transport.
Also important is the Kreuzkirche, home of the world-famous Kreuzchor. The same applies to the New Town Hall, crowned by the five-meter-high so-called Golden Man, and Prager Strasse. This extends as a pedestrian zone from the main station to the Altmarkt and is lined with fountains, flower beds and high-rise buildings from the GDR era.

The unique bridge construction Blaues Wunder can be experienced most impressively during a trip with the Sächsische Dampfschifffahrt. And if you want to experience Dresden and the charming Elbe valley with the villa colony Weißer Hirsch from an exclusive side, drive up the 252 meter high television tower, which is on the Wachwitzerhöhe in the south-east of the city.

Outer Neustadt in Dresden

Via Albertplatz, where a visit to the Erich Kästner Museum is worthwhile, you reach the so-called “Äußere Neustadt”. The writer Erich Kästner was born on February 23, 1899 in Dresden Neustadt. In his childhood memoirs “When I was a little boy”, published in 1957, Kästner describes his childhood experiences. The people of Dresden refer to the district to the north as Äußere Neustadt, a residential area whose historicizing architecture from the turn of the century has been preserved. In recent years, a diverse cultural scene has developed in the narrow streets. The district is now regarded as Dresden’s trendy district. Today, the Äußere Neustadt between Königs Brücker Strasse and Lutherplatz has rich gastronomy, diverse shopping and cultural offerings. The Kunsthofpassage on Görlitzer Straße is a complex of houses whose five inner courtyards have been artistically designed. The passage contains small shops such as studios and bookstores as well as pubs and cafes.

Despite or perhaps because of the closed Gründerzeit development, which is now a listed building, more than 250 pubs, restaurants, hostels and a few hotels have settled in high density in the Outer Neustadt; the nightlife (without curfew, on weekends selling alcohol on the street until 10 p.m.) is one of the liveliest in all of Germany.