What to do in Dresden

1. Things to know before arriving in Dresden
2. How to get to Dresden
3. Public transport in Dresden – How to get around Dresden
4. Cost of living in Dresden
5. Saving money in Dresden
6. Accommodation for students in Dresden
7. Neighbourhoods of Dresden - the most important districts of Dresden
8. Nightlife in Dresden - A guide to nightclubs and going out in Dresden
9. Typical Dresden Cuisine
10. What to do in Dresden
11. Places to visit around Dresden
12. Dresden in 3 days - What to see in Dresden in 3 days

Dresden is not only about food and clubbing, there are a lot of interesting cultural places and monuments to visit. As I mentioned before, it is also called the "Florence of Germany". One of the pros is that, as in Neustadt, the main must-see places, such as museums, churches and castles, are all located in Altstadt. For this reason, you won't need any public transport to go from one sightseeing highlight to another.

Top 5 Must see

Frauenkirche

This church is the main landmark of the city and it is full of history. Frauenkirche is a Baroque Protestant-Lutheran church and the most important monument in Neumarkt. During the Second World War, it was heavily damaged during the air raids on Dresden and the reconstruction continued till 2005. A small part of the church remained as a ruin and was left as a memorial for war and destruction, instead of being demolished like other church ruins. Entry starts from €4, depending on what you want to do. There are also concerts and guided tours, which are of course a bit more expensive. With a student card, you can get a 50% discount.

Zwinger

It is a building complex with an amazing garden and one of the most important buildings of the Baroque. It is located close to the Frauenkirche, which is the most famous monument in Dresden. Zwinger is a synthesis of art: from architecture and sculpture to painting... which can be seen within the Semper gallery, the art gallery which opened in 1855, and that is considered one of the most important German museum projects of the 19th century. You can walk through the garden for free, but depending on the building you want to visit, you may pay a small fee. Inside you'll the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon and the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister.

Semperoper

It is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Opera Dresden), which has a long historical tradition as court and state opera of Saxony. The ensemble of the Semperoper is the traditional Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. It is named after its architect Gottfried Semper. The opera house has a long history of premieres, including major works by famous composers like Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Prices for entry runs between €6 to €30, depending on the type of event (concert, opera, ballet) and where you want to sit. Don’t forget your student card!

Fürstenzug

The Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes) of Dresden is a large picture of a cavalcade, applied to around 23,000 tiles from Meissen porcelain. The 102-meter long piece of art, considered to be the largest porcelain mural in the world, represents the ancestral gallery of the 34 margraves, dukes, electors and kings, who ruled between 1127 and 1873 in Saxony. Since Fürstenzug is located on the outer wall of the Stallhof of Dresden Castle, the entrance is free.

Brühlsche Terasse

This terrace is an architectural ensemble and tourist attraction in Dresden. It is located in the city centre, in the old town, and extends for around 500 meters along the river Elbe between the bridges Augustus and Carola. Brühlsche Terrasse is also called the balcony of Europe. Among both tourists and locals, this place is really famous. People love to sit down there, enjoy the view of the river, relax in the sun, have a coffee or just watch other people. And the best: it is free!

Museums and Art Galleries

Panometer Dresden

It is a former gas tank: here, since 2006, various panoramic images of the Austrian artist Yadegar Asisi have been exhibited. The artist's circular paintings are drawn at a height of 27 meters. Two of the famous panoramas represent Dresden in 1756, which shows the capital of Saxony at the time of the Dresden Baroque, and Dresden in 1945, a reflection of the destroyed city during the Second World War. The entrance for adults is €11.50, students pay €10.

Deutsches Hygiene-Museum

It is one of the most visited museums in Dresden. Today, it is considered a public forum for science, culture and society and it hosts a lot of different exhibitions relating to these topics. Entrance is €8, with student card you can get a 50% discount and every Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm there is a free guided tour.

Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon

Of course, today we use smartphones, iPads and laptops, but almost 300 years ago there were telescopes, pocket watches and sky models. Augustus the Strong collected the high-tech of his time and showed it in the Mathematical-Physical Salon. It is really interesting to visit... I swear you'll feel back in time; I would recommend it! Regular entry is €6, with student card €4.

Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister

(Alte Meister (old masters) is used in art to refer to artists of painting from the 14th to the 18th centuries and to their works).

What for Madrid is the Prado and for Paris the Louvre, it’s for Dresden the Alte Meister. One of the most impressive museums I have ever visited. The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden is one of the most renowned collections of paintings all around the world with about 750 exhibited masterpieces from the 15th to 18th centuries. The museum focuses on Italian Renaissance works as well as Dutch and Flemish painters of the 17th century. You can totally lose your mind in between masterpieces of magnificent artists like Raffaello, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Durer, Rembrandt, etc. Entry is €10; for art students is free.

Galerie Neue Meister

(Neue Meister (new masters) is used in art to refer to artists of painting from the 19th to the 20th centuries and to their works).

With approximately 300 exhibited paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, the museum ranks among the most important modern German painting museums. The main focal points of the collection are German Romanticism, Bourgeois realism of the second half of the 19th century and Impressionism. Like in Alte Meister entry is €10, for art students it is free.

Churches and Cathedrals

Residenz schloss

Dresden Castle, or Royal Palace, is one of the oldest buildings in the city and it is historically significant since all styles from Romanesque to historicism have left their mark on it. In the past it was the residence of important electors and kings of Saxony. Nowadays, it’s a museum complex and you can go up the Palace tower to have an amazing view of the whole city. Tickets for adults are €12, students pay €10. With these tickets, you have access to all the museums in the castle. But, if you just want to enjoy the view from the tower it is €5, with discount €4.

Katholische Hofkirche

It is the cathedral of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen as well as the city parish church. It was built by Gaetano Chiaveri between 1739 and 1755 in Baroque style under the reign of Elector Friedrich August II of Saxony. The Hofkirche is directly connected through a transition over a small alley with Residenzschloss. As it is an open cathedral, visitors are welcomed for free, except during mess.

Palais Großer Garten

The palace in the Great Garden is a baroque pleasure palace in Dresden. It is located in a large garden on the edge of the city centre. The palace is considered as the first important secular building in Saxony, which was built after the Thirty Years' War. It is also one of the earliest Baroque buildings in the German-speaking area and one of the most important art and cultural-historical buildings in Dresden. It is considered a "prelude" to the Dresden Baroque. Entry for adults is €6, while students pay half.

Another places of interest

Kunsthofpassage

As I already mentioned before, one place you really need to visit is Kunsthofpassage in Neustadt, a complex of buildings with wonderful artworks and decorations. This complex consists of five smaller courtyards. Each one has its own design theme and its own name which combines art and architecture: courtyard of elements, courtyard of light, courtyard of animals, courtyard of mythical creatures, and courtyard of metamorphosis. In every courtyard, there is a small jewelry or a second-hand clothing shop. It is really worth a visit, even just to have a coffee and enjoy its unique surroundings.

AdventureRooms Dresden

AdventureRooms is the largest escape room in Saxony. Totally by your own or in team, locked up in a room, you will need to investigate mysterious items, track down hideouts and secret doors, and solve tricky puzzles to regain your freedom and leave the room before the 60-minute countdown ends! It is a lot of fun nerve-racking. Prices depend on how many people you are: 6 (€10/ person) or 2 people (€30/person).

Shopping

Altstadt

Prager Straße; this street is by far the most popular for shopping. From small shops like chemist’s stores or little shoe shops up to the big commercial stores, you will find anything you need. Here, you'll also find two big shopping centres: Altmarktgalerie and Centrum-Galerie. So, if you need new clothes, electronics, sports stuff, gifts, cosmetics or just fast-food, this place will come up to all your wishes and expectations.

Neustadt

If you do not want to put your money in the mouths of major corporations and want to support small and private traders, then Neustadt is the place for you. Alaunstraße, Görlitzer Straße and Louisenstraße are full of cosy shops with a bride range of offers. Of course, it will be more expensive than in the usual shops, but sometimes you can make really good deals.

Cinema and theatre

Schauburg

I can really recommend it, as in my opinion it is the most beautiful cinema. I told you about it in the section about Neustadt neighbourhood, but once again: it is the oldest cinema in the city, as it was built in the Golden Twenties and the atmosphere still hasn’t changed! On Mondays, students can enter for €4.50, so take advantage of it!

Thalia

Back again in Neustadt, here you can also find a small cinema with only 75 sits. It’s a cosy place with a beer garden, which apart from the actual cinema films also shows (local) documentaries or organize discussions on current movies. Entry is between €3.50 and €5.

UFA Kristallpalast and Rundkino

These are the biggest ones in town and really close to each other. Rundkino is on Prager Straße, so if you want a shopping break and just relax with an exciting movie, it’s only a stone’s throw away. Ufa Kristallpalast is quite next to Rundkino. Both have the same prices, depending on the movie, day, hour and students discount or not. Usually, a ticket is between €5 and €8.50.

Hellerau - Europäisches Zentrum der Künste

Hellerau - European Center of the Arts, is one of the most important interdisciplinary centres of contemporary art in Germany. They not only perform theatre, but also contemporary dance, new music, performance, visual arts and new media.

Staatsschauspiel Dresden

The most important and biggest state theatre in town with the most spectacular performances: you need to go at least once! The atmosphere is breathtaking. Prices are running from €6 up to €30, so you better check it before going there.

Yenidze Dresden - "Tabakmoschee"

It is also called “tobacco mosque” because from outside Yenize looks like a mosque. Actually, it’s a tobacco factory and under its dome, it shows really nice acts. You should go there on a Sunday evening since it is “fairytale Sunday”. They project a starry sky onto the inside of the dome and there are a lot of mattresses to lie-down and enjoy the stories in the cosiest way possible: under the “stars”. To join this amazing event you only have to pay €3 if you have a student card.

Festivals

Christopher Street day

It usually takes place on the last weekend of May. During the day there is a big event for the rights of LGBTI people, equality and equal treatment. After the parade starts, the big party on the streets begins... with mostly electronic music in different spots. And all for free!

BRN - Bunte Republik Neustadt

The shrill and quirky district festival in the city's most colourful district thrives on its residents, artists, guests, traders and restaurateurs. The BRN is THE big party of Neustadt and it is characterized by cooperation of commercial and private organizers. It takes place every third weekend of June and it can be the best experience of your trip. There's a lot to see, to do, to listen to, and to dance! Enter the district and just let yourself drift. At night all the bars and clubs offer different events. Enjoy!

Hechtfest

The Hechtviertel celebrates the summer finale on the last weekend of August with all sorts of colorful stands, musically varied stages and international delicacies. The small festival takes place in a more familiar and non-commercial climate compared to BRN. Free entry!

Filmnächte am Elbufer

The movie nights on the banks of the river Elbe are a major summer event in Dresden. Every year a lot of visitors enjoy a big selection of films and concerts on the Königsufer in a fantastic backdrop opposite to the historic old town. Tickets depend on the movie or concert.

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