Dresden in 1 or 2 days: the best things to see and do in Florence on the Elbe

If there is a city that arouses great tourist interest in the eastern germany, in the regions that were part of the disappeared German Democratic Republic, that is, without a doubt, Dresden.

Until my recent trip to this German city, I knew that Dresden It was a city with a great historical heritage and great beauty, which explains her nickname The Florence on the Elbe.

And above all he was aware of the great drama he experienced Dresden after great bombardment suffered weeks before the end of the Second World War, with a fire that almost completely destroyed its historic center.

Now when making a sightseeing trip to dresden I have discovered a city that is still immersed in the long process of recovering its historical heritage.

This is Dresden, the city of the great bombing in World War II

The best example of this is the completion in 2005 of the Frauenkirche church, which has become the symbol of the reconstruction of the city.

Indeed, currently walking through the historic center of dresden You will be surprised once again by the great strength of the German people, and the works that are being carried out are a clear invitation to visit this city again in the future.

With all that has been said, you can consider the reason why Dresden is not part of the list World Heritage of the Unesco.

As a curiosity, I will tell you that, indeed, it was included in that list in 2005, but due to the construction of a bridge that crosses the elbe river, Unesco He took this recognition away from the city.

Excursions to Dresden

First of all, you should know that, due to its location, the city ​​of dresden It can be an extension of your trip to Berlin o Prague, since it is located halfway between both, so that by car you will arrive in just under two hours.

Due to the ease of getting to this city, you also have the option of signing up for a private tour to Dresden from Prague or a private tour from Berlin.

Curiosities of the history of Dresden

It is in 1206 when the city of Dresden, which during the 15th century became the residence of the king of saxony.

It soon came to be run by the elector princes (members of the electoral college that elected the Emperor of the Holy Roman German Empire).

The relationship of the city ​​of dresden with the great fires is not limited to the drama experienced during the Second World War.

In 1685 the city burned completely, which led to a great subsequent boom under the government of Augustus the Strong.

It was at this time when Dresden much of its architectural heritage was built and it began to gain fame as a cultural city.

Subsequently Dresden He was involved in several wars, specifically, against revolutionary France and Napoleon, but on the other hand he did not suffer the World War I.

Although already during the time of the German Democratic Republic Some of the historic buildings began to be rebuilt, the great Dresden heritage recovery It has been carried out after German reunification…and still continues.

What to see and do in Dresden in one day

Dresden It is a city that is usually visit tourism in one day, but I can tell you that it has areas with enough interest to justify a two or even three-day stay.

If you can only dedicate one day to it, my advice is to focus on the visit of the historic center, which you can do on foot very comfortably, since its most important historical heritage is very concentrated there.

Guided tour of Dresden with guide in Spanish

As we always recommend in city ​​breaks, the best way to start a tourist visit to a city is to sign up for a tour.

Specifically, a guided tour in Spanish It will take you two hours during which you will get to know the most notable corners of the historic center, and it will help you to locate yourself in the city and then go deeper on your own to visit the places of greatest interest.

Climb to the dome of the Frauenkirche

The ideal would be to start your visit climbing to the dome of the Fraunkirche, the great baroque church which was completed rebuilt in 2005, and which you find in the central Neumarkt square.

From the top of its imposing dome you will have the best panoramic views of Dresden and its surroundings, with the elbe river as a great protagonist.

Visit the Royal Palace of Dresden

On this walk through the historic center you must also visit the royal palace, Dresden Residential Palace.

It is a palace complex in which the treasure museumWith its baroque rooms of great artistic wealth, the most prominent corner being known as Green Vault.

On this visit you also have the option of climb the tower of the Royal Palace,

From this viewpoint you will have the opportunity to see panoramic views of the catholic cathedral of dresden, or the Semperoper, headquarters building of the Saxon State Opera, built in 1878.

See the Prince's Procession in Dresden

On your walk you will also see other beautiful corners, such as the Prince Procession (Procession of Princes), a large wall on the street more than 100 meters long built with 24.000 tiles, which shows all the rulers of Saxony from 1123 to 1904.

Or the bridge that unites the Royal Palace to another nearby building, which will remind you of the Venice Bridge of Sighs.

Visit the Zwinger Palaces 

You should also not miss visiting the kennels, a complex of palaces with baroque architecture from the early 18th century, whose best way to appreciate them is from its large landscaped interior patio, and which house various museums.

And you must also walk through the Brühl terrace which runs over a section of the old wall, on the banks of the elbe river.

What to see and do in Dresden in two days

If you are going to dedicate more than one day to visit Dresden, you will have the opportunity to discover other facets of this German city, after which your image of it will be much broader and more diverse than that of a set of baroque monuments.

City Tour in Dresden

The best way to expand your vision of Dresden is to get on the City Tour panoramic bus (20 euros) with which you will not only tour the historic center, but, above all, will allow you to discover the most rural side of the city.

Furthermore, in recent years they have joined the Dresden municipality various towns that extend along the banks of the elbe river, some of which you can see in the tourist bus tour, which lasts for an hour and a half.

Thus, you will travel the Blasewitz neighborhood, with stately villas from the 19th century.

Elbe Palaces in Dresden

Or the Elbe palaces, three palatial buildings that are located successively on the wooded hill that rises next to the river.

From the bus you will also see a suburban suburbs Dresden, whose buildings are older than those in the city center because they did not suffer the bombings of the Second World War.

You can also see an iron bridge from the 19th century or the oldest funicular in Europe, and you will pass through it Great Garden of Dresden, a large landscaped park.

And surely the modern building of the factory will also catch your attention. Volkswagen where the luxurious model is produced Phaeton, with all the glass facades, and where the workers wear white coats and gloves.

Another advantage of dedicating more than one day to visit Dresden is that you can take a very interesting excursion.

Elbe cruises in Dresden

One of the attractions of a trip to the city ​​of dresden It is the possibility of making a sightseeing cruise on the Elbe River.

In fact, Elbe cruises, one of the great rivers that crosses Central Europe, have become one of the most demanded tourist attractions in Dresden.

Born near Hradec Kralove, west of the Czech Republic, and after passing through the north of Prague, it enters Germany,  to pass through Dresden, Magdeburg and Hamburg before reaching the North Sea.

This large navigable river facilitates long river cruises, so you should not be surprised to see, for example, in Dresden a ship flying the Czech Republic flag.

Now the sightseeing cruises from Dresden on the Elbe They take place on charming steamboats owned by the Saxon Steamboat Society (Saechsische Dampfschiffahrt).

This company currently has a fleet of nine historic wheel steamboats, which is considered the oldest in the world.

Among its offer, you can make simple panoramic cruises around Dresden, or nearby Saxony wine route.

But you can also arrive in Steamboat to more distant areas of the city, such as national park Saxon Switzerland, next to the border with the Czech Republic.

Pillnitz Palace Tour on the Elbe River

However, on my trip I took the opportunity to take the most popular cruise, the Pillnitz baroque palace tour, whose experience I detail to you.

This cruise that has a total duration of five hours takes you through the old towns, now outer districts of Dresden, which lie on both banks of the elbe river.

It was a Sunday in August when I enjoyed this cruise, which was completely full of tourists, so I advise you to book your ticket in advance during this holiday season.

The boat takes off at the pier in front of the Brühl's Terrace, wall area next to the historic center of the city.

Departing at 12 noon, it is advisable to sit at one of the tables that are distributed on the deck (or in the restaurant room if you have booked in advance) in order to take the opportunity to eat during the two hours of the outward journey.

While you are enjoying the beautiful countryside landscapes that you will see throughout the Elba, the waiters will offer you drinks or serve you the food you order.

I can tell you that you can eat a main dish and a drink for about 14 euros.

During this cruise you will be able to see what are known as Elbe palaces, three buildings located successively on the slope of the hill of Loschwitz from the north bank of the river.

Thus, you will see the Albrechtsberg palace, built by the prince Albert of Prussia; the Lingnershloss palace, in which, as a curiosity, the inventor of oral elixir resided; and the Eckberg Palace, which is now a luxury hotel.

You will also pass by the very tall communications tower and under a historic iron bridge from the late nineteenth century.

From the boat you will also see the oldest funicular in the world, from 1898, which goes up to an observation platform from which you have good panoramic views of the valley of the Elba.

Visit to Pillnitz Palace on the banks of the Elbe

Finally the steamboat leaves you next to the Baroque Pillnitz Palace and its gardens.

This palace complex was built during the 18th century by Augustus the Strong as a summer residence, who was known as the “Sun King of Saxony”.

There you will have time to walk around the palace, including his very extensive english gardens, and even for visit the museums which houses the palace in different buildings.

Thus, during my visit I toured the palace museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts, and a curious temporary exhibition of historical bicycles.

In the first of the aforementioned museums you will tour various rooms of the new palace that in 1823 replaced the old Renaissance castle destroyed by a fire, such as the large dining room, the old kitchen and the Catholic chapel.

As a final curiosity, I will tell you that this palace was also chosen as a summer residence by the German composer Richard Wagner.

If you decide to go on your own by car or bus from Dresden, it will be useful to know the Pillnitz Palace visiting hours.

Finally, it is time to return and it is time to sit in the beer garden that is next to the pier to wait for the arrival of the boat.

The return trip will be faster and lasts just over an hour, so you will complete a very pleasant excursion through the elbe river in which, as dessert, you will have beautiful views of the historic Dresden as you approach the city.

Here you have the information for book the Elbe cruise in Dresden.

Street art in Neustadt, Dresden

Stay in Dresden It will also allow you to know the Neustadt neighborhood, which will show you a very different image of the city.

In this alternative neighborhood of young people, with more than 150 bars and restaurants, a kind of micro-republic with many houses occupied after the fall of the Wall.

El street art. It has a great role in the neighborhood, and if you want to delve deeper into its history and idiosyncrasies, you can sign up for the guided night tours of Neustadt that carries out Danilo, a passionate neighborhood resident.

Wine tourism in Radebeul

On the other hand, did you know that Dresden part of the Sächsisches Elbland wine-growing area that extends to both banks of the elbe river?

This allows you to give added guidance to your Dresden visit, beyond visiting its baroque monuments.

Thus, for example, in the nearby town of Radebeul, where you arrive in just 15 minutes by commuter train, you can visit what is known as Wine Street, with several small wineries that follow one another on the slope of a hill covered with vineyards.

In the case of my recent trip to dresden It coincided with the open day.

In this way I was able to spend a the working wine tourism enjoying the pleasant open-air terraces of the wineries, tasting various local wines surrounded by beautiful vineyard landscapes.

Finally, for sleep in Dresden I can recommend the very modern and comfortable one QF Hotel (from 99 euros) located in the historic center, in the aforementioned Neumarkt square.

And if you prefer a lovely hotel in the vineyard area surrounding Dresden, I advise you Villa Sorgenfei, on whose terrace you can enjoy a pleasant signature dinner.

Map: where is Dresden and how to get there

To get to Dresden, currently you do not have direct flights from Spain, so you will have to fly with scale in some other German city like Frankfurt or Munich, which will take you between four or five hours.

Here you have information about transfers from Dresden airport that will allow you to get to the center in the most comfortable way.