Tours

A stroll through the Old Town (Altstadt), which lies in close proximity to the river Elbe, is the best place to catch your first glimpse of Dresden and her many attractions. The main highlights are all located within a radius of less than one kilometer.

The Zwinger, our starting point, and also one of the tour's high points, is arguably the symbol of Dresden. Originally built in the 18th century as the architectural setting for a courtly festival, the ensemble, with its modern sculptures, is still unique today. The Zwinger courtyard was closed in 1855 when a museum building was erected, designed by Gottfried Semper.

The art gallery of the old masters, which is home to the world famous Sistine Madonna by Rafael Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister is especially worth a visit.

Once you leave the Zwinger behind, you come across the Theaterplatz. Without doubt, this is one of Europe's most beautiful squares; the buildings which back onto it are spectacular. Amongst them are the Semper Opera House Semperoper, the Italian miniature village, the Schinkelwache, the Hofkirche (a church) , and the Royal Castle, the Residenzschloss. If you can't manage to get hold of the highly sought after opera tickets, there is always the possibility of embarking on a tour of the magnificent Semper Opera House. After the tour, take the opportunity to put your feet up and have a breather in one of the coffee houses, found in the Schinkelwache and the Italian village. Fully revitalised, you should not knock back the chance to visit the newly renovated castle, which belongs to the Hausmann tower. From the top of the tower's platform, the view over the old town roofs and the neighboring St. Trinitatsis cathedral is quite breathtaking. In the former court church, which is a baroque gem, the heart of Saxony's most famous ruler, August the Great, is stored.

Across the castle square steps lead to a terrace the Brühlschen Terrasse. The terrace, named after Earl Brühl, is often referred to as the Balcony of Europe. From up here you can look out over Dresden, from the paddlesteamer on the Elbe, the Schaufelraddampfer, to the new town and the Japanese palace, the log cabin and the town chambers. A small passage then leads away from the terrace to one of Dresden's most famous buildings, the ladies' Church - Frauenkirche. Until German reunification, the building served as a reminder of the destruction caused in war. This Protestant place of worship is now being rebuilt with extraordinary public sympathy. One should certainly not leave Dresden without visiting this wonderful building.

A wander through the Münzgasse will take you past many restaurants, and for those who aren't too exhausted there is always the option of turning back to the terrace. Follow the tourist route past the Academy of Art, but don't go into the Albertinum. This assortment of museums, galleries, sculpture and coin collections and the Grünen Gewölbe—the legendary treasure chest of August The Great—should be saved for another outing, when you can devote an entire day to being there.

The final stop-off on this tour could be a visit to another architectural delight. Just yards away from the Albertinum and the Brühlish Terrace lies the new Dresden synagogue. Synagoge. This synagogue was built very near to the spot where the original Jewish synagogue once stood; it was destroyed in November 1938 during the era of National Socialism.

Should you have worked through all of Dresden's main attractions: the Semper Opera House, Zwinger and the Ladies' Church, turn your attention to exploring the hidden parts of the Old Town. The castle square leads off to the other side of the Elbe. The August Bridge, which stretches across the river, was built between 1907 and 1910. From the bridge, the panorama of the old town is amazing and not just for those who appreciate fine architecture. On the new town side of the river, you'll stumble across the gold-plated statue of August the Great (the Golden Rider), which was built in 1736. He invites you on a ride-or rather-on a walk through the new town. The Neustädter Markt (Newtown market) in which we now find ourselves, bears no resemblance to the famous Dresden Platz, which stood here before the First World War. The entire substance of the building fell victim to bombing in February 1945.

The Neustädter Markt and the tree-lined street (formerly Liberation Street) leading from the Markt to a boulevard of shops and delicious gastronomic eateries were reconstructed during the 1970's. On the way to Albertplatz you pass the street's only remaining historic town houses. In one of the most beautifully restored buildings, you will find the small but fine museum of the Dresden early-Romantic period. The Three Kings Church, Dreikönigskirche, is just a stone's throw away from this museum. Between 1990 and 1992, the church was rebuilt following its destruction during the war and today it serves not only as a place of worship but also as a multi-functional church. Among other things, the Sachsen parliament met here between 1990 and 1992.

If you have time at this point it really is worth-while taking a look down the neighboring streets, which lead off from the left-hand side. The inner Neustadt has experienced something of a re-birth over the last 10 years, with the likes of Obergraben, Heinrichstrasse and Rähnitzgasse. After decades of dilapidation, the baroque-style buildings have finally been restored and brought back to life by a fresh assortment of shops, galleries and restaurants. The same goes for the Königstrasse, an adjoining street, which has been hailed as the new noble mile of Dresden. Along this street, you will find just about everything that is new and expensive! From designer rags to Meissen china—you will find it all here. If you need a little something to eat at this point, there is a wide choice: from the New California (Wallgässchen), which cooks in Californian style, to the less traditional and thus more ethnic—Wenzel, a Czech restaurant located on the Königstrasse. For those who still have a thirst for culture there is always the Societätstheater, a small and relatively young theatre, situated in the courtyard between Hauptstrasse and Rähnitzgasse. The varied programme offers national and international theatre productions, as well as dance pieces.

From here we go on in the direction of the Albertplatz. Once the home of two luxurious wells, Albertplatz is now, above all, a traffic junction. However, just north of it lies the liveliest area of Dresden, the Äussere Neustadt. The area is named after its native Neustadt and is home to many pubs, which cover an area of around one square kilometre. In order to really discover Neustadt you need hours, if not days. If you do not have this kind of time on your hands, then you should at least take a walk down the Alaunstrasse, or the Loisenstrasse, which crosses Alaunstrasse at a right angle. Stop at one of the many cafes, bars or pubs along the way. In the Alaunstrasse for instance you may like to pay a visit to the Scheunecafe, the La Vie en Rose, or the El Perro, Borracho, which can be found in the wonderfully decorated Kunsthofpassage. Historically speaking, Martin- Luther- Platz, which lies in the east of this town quarter is extremely interesting. At the heart of the Square you will find the Martin-Luther-Church. Very close by to the old Jewish cemetery&mdashand rather a sudden contrast in the programme—is the Pfund's Dairy, which prides itself as being the most beautiful milk shop in the world! After you have had a nosy around the shop and maybe purchased a piece of cheese or two, you can take the tram-line number 11 all the way back into the town centre.