Must-see attractions in Dresden

  • The Zwinger Palace, baroque architecture

    Zwinger

    Dresden

    A collaboration between the architect Matthäus Pöppelmann and the sculptor Balthasar Permoser, the Zwinger was built between 1710 and 1728 on the orders…

  • Residenzschloss

    Dresden

    Dresden's extraordinary Renaissance city palace, home to its Saxon rulers from 1485 to 1918, now shelters multiple precious collections – including the…

  • Militärhistorisches Museum Dresden

    Dresden

    Even devout pacifists will be awed by this engaging museum, housed in a 19th-century arsenal bisected by a bold glass-and-steel wedge designed by Daniel…

  • Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister

    Dresden

    This astounding collection of European art from the 16th to 18th centuries houses an incredible number of masterpieces, including Raphael's famous Sistine…

  • Albertinum

    Dresden

    The Renaissance-era former arsenal is the stunning home of the Galerie Neue Meister (New Masters Gallery), which displays an array of paintings by some of…

  • Historisches Grünes Gewölbe

    Dresden

    The Historic Green Vault displays some 3000 precious items in the same fashion as during the time of August der Starke, namely on shelves and tables…

  • Frauenkirche with Neumarkt market, Saxony, Germany, Europe

    Frauenkirche

    Dresden

    The domed Frauenkirche – Dresden’s most beloved symbol – has literally risen from the city's ashes. The original church graced the skyline for two…

  • Neues Grünes Gewölbe

    Dresden

    The New Green Vault presents some 1000 objects in 10 modern rooms. Key sights include a frigate fashioned from ivory with wafer-thin sails, a cherry pit…

  • Grosser Garten, baroque garden, Dresden, Saxony, Germany

    Grosser Garten

    Dresden

    The aptly named Grosser Garten (Great Garden) is a relaxing refuge during the warmer months. A visitor magnet here is the modernised Zoo Dresden in the…

  • Germany, Saxony State, Dresden, drainpipes on a facade of Kunsthof Passage

    Kunsthofpassage

    Dresden

    Take a web of grimy courtyards, a load of paint and a bunch of visionary Dresden artists and out comes the Kunsthofpassage, one of the most refreshingly…

  • Semperoper

    Dresden

    One of Germany's most famous opera houses, the Semperoper opened in 1841 and has hosted premieres of famous works by Richard Strauss, Carl Maria von Weber…

  • Deutsches Hygiene-Museum

    Dresden

    Not an institution dedicated to the history of cleaning products, the German Hygiene Museum is, in fact, all about human beings. The permanent exhibit…

  • Asisi Panometer

    Dresden

    Like its siblings in Leipzig and elsewhere in Germany, this old gasometer – a huge round-shaped building – has been transformed into a venue for German…

  • Katholische Hofkirche

    Dresden

    The Katholische Hofkirche (also called Dresden Cathedral) makes up an integral part of the baroque ensemble crowning the Altstadt, and is one of Dresden's…

  • Porzellansammlung

    Dresden

    Housed in two gorgeously converted curving galleries, this extraordinary collection ranges from 17th- and 18th-century Chinese porcelain to that produced…

  • Kraftwerk Mitte

    Dresden

    If you are interested in urbanism and the redevelopment of industrial facilities, check out this giant 19th-century red-brick powerplant reborn as a…

  • Pfunds Molkerei

    Dresden

    The Guinness-certified ‘world’s most beautiful dairy shop’, founded in 1880, is a riot of hand-painted tiles and enamelled sculpture, all handmade by…

  • Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon

    Dresden

    This wonderful collection of scientific implements, dating from the early 16th century onwards, will delight anyone interested in the history of science…

  • Gläserne Manufaktur

    Dresden

    The Gläserne Manufaktur is Volkswagen’s stunning transparent car factory. This ambitious, impossibly stylish glass building was a huge prestige project…

  • Yenidze

    Dresden

    The huge mosque-like Yenidze began life in 1909 as a cigarette factory with a chimney disguised as a minaret and a stained-glass dome. Today, it's home to…

  • Zoo Dresden

    Dresden

    The main attraction in Grosser Garten (Great Garden) is this excellent zoo, where crowds gravitate toward the Africa Hall and the lion enclosure.

  • Dreikönigskirche

    Dresden

    Designed by Zwinger architect Mätthaus Pöppelmann, the most eye-catching feature of the Dreikönigskirche is the baroque altar that was ruined in 1945 and…

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