Weekend trip: Dresden in 48 hours

Fancy a city trip? Discover Dresden over the weekend and let yourself be surprised what there is to discover away from the magnificent buildings.

The Saxon capital is best known for its noble buildings, the opera and classical elegance. It is often referred to as the most beautiful city in Germany. But Dresden can also be different and we will show you that here. Discover top sights and hip insider tips in just 48 hours.

DAY 1

🕘 9:00 am: Explore the old town of Dresden

The heart of Dresden with all its well-known sights is clearly the inner city. Since there are also many hotels in and around it, it is the ideal starting point for discovering Dresden and getting to know the traditional part of the city. Stroll along the Elbe along the Terrassenufer and marvel at magnificent buildings such as the Semperoper, the Katholische Hofkirche and the Dresden Fortress with the Brühlsche Garten (in front of which you can also find the Brühlsche Terrasse with its great view). Then leave the banks of the Elbe in the direction of the city center and walk past the famous Frauenkirche on Neumarkt. The large town square also features the Martin Luther statue and the Transport Museum.

🕧 12:30 p.m.: Leisurely lunch break

If you get hungry after all that walking around, then there are a few well-known restaurants in the old town. For example, there is the Alte Meister right next to the gallery of the same name in the Zwinger. Here you can look forward to regional, slightly more upscale cuisine and then gather art and culture impressions. If you want something heartier, you will find it in the Sophienkeller and if you prefer something more modern and a bit cheaper, you should look into the Max. The menu there offers a colorful mixture of modern and classic dishes. In addition, the Max also has lunch menus and a breakfast menu, and if you like it, you can also go to the second branch in the hip Neustadt district.

🕑 2:00 p.m.: Discover Dresden’s old town (part 2)

Well-fortified, you can now discover the rest of the numerous old town sights. There is of course the Zwinger, one of the absolute top attractions in Dresden. Here you may want to spend a little more time to discover the magnificent baroque palace with its garden and exhibitions. Almost opposite is the no less exciting Residenzschloss – for a great view of Dresden and especially the inner city, climb the Hausmannsturm.

🕕 6:00 p.m.: Classic or clubbing?

How you organize the evening is entirely up to you: you can stay in the old town, maybe try one of the restaurants mentioned above and then go to the opera. Even if you don’t feel like opera, you’ll find a rich program of cultural events here with concerts, theater performances and more. But if you’re more after a party or a cozy evening in a bar or a beer garden, then off to Neustadt, the hip district of Dresden.

Club Paula, for example, is located just outside of Neustadt near the industrial area, where not only young local techno DJs play, but also well-known big names. Not far from there is the relatively new club and event location objekt klein a, which impresses with its very own flair. The barn in the middle of Neustadt, on the other hand, is a cultural center that has been around since the 80s. Here you can see and hear everything from Shantel to indie to 60s/70s pop.

DAY 2
🕘 9:00 a.m.: Time for a hearty breakfast

Let’s just assume you had a full evening program and don’t want to start out in the morning. So start your second day in Dresden a little more comfortably with a delicious breakfast or even brunch. The best thing to do is to head back to Neustadt, where there are some nice breakfast options. There is, for example, the Scheunecafe in Äußere Neustadt (part of the cultural center mentioned above). It offers a long breakfast menu, where vegans will also find something. Or take a look at PlanWirtschaft, which offers a small breakfast buffet during the week and a large breakfast buffet on Sundays and public holidays.

🕚 11:00 a.m.: Discover modern Dresden

In Neustadt, the new part of Dresden, as the name suggests, there are many lesser-known attractions to discover. For example, head to the Neustadt market hall (note: mostly closed on Sundays!) and discover souvenirs and delicacies to snack on or for a picnic in spring. Here you can also discover the colorful backyards of Dresden in the Kunsthof-Passage. The project came into being 20 years ago with the idea of ​​artistically designing backyards. Each of the art courtyards also has its own focus and they are simply very beautiful to look at.

🕑 2:00 p.m.: Wonderful coffee break

If you are longing for a short break to explore the Neustadt area, you should definitely go to the Pfund café and restaurant, because there you will not only get something to eat and drink, it is also a top sight in Dresden. Thanks in part to the Wes Anderson film The Grand Budapest Hotel, as it served as the film set for the fictional Mendl’s candy store. It can rightly call itself the most beautiful milk shop in the world, as it looks like something out of a fairy tale. You might also find a few souvenirs in the Pfund Molkerei shop.

🕒 3 p.m.: Dresden from above

End your 48-hour visit to Dresden with a beautiful view of the city and a little excursion. It is best to take the bus to Körnerplatz in the Loschwitz district or get off at the Schillerpark stop (you can also take the tram) and walk to Körnerplatz. You then cross the famous “Blue Wonder”, the Loschwitz Bridge. Then take either the funicular or the suspension railway to the Loschwitz Elbhang. Especially from the suspension railway you have a great view of the Elbe valley and can take a short hike through the residential area of ​​Dresden.

🕖 7:00 p.m.: End the evening comfortably

If you don’t have to go home immediately, you can end the evening comfortably in one of the many beer gardens in Dresden. The Brauhaus am Waldschlösschen in the district of Radeberger Vorstadt is very classic, a little more casual in the Louisen Garten in the Neustadt, where you can get Club Mate in addition to beer and bratwurst as well as salmon with feta, and the atmosphere in the Altmarktkeller in the old town is a little more chic . No matter what you’re feeling, you can grab a bite here and look back on your Dresden weekend in peace.