Free online travel guide to Dresden


Dresden in one day

The literary name of Dresden is “Florence on the Elbe”. And for good reason – Dresden is known for its enormous cultural heritage. The city has many attractions, and its many museums house many artistic treasures. The atmosphere in Dresden is perceived by people as a separate work of art. You only have one day to see the main attractions of the old and new city from the outside. I will offer you one of the routes. Read these and other articles carefully, but do not take them as dogma and, if desired, adjust the route to your taste.






The “Old Town” can also be reached on foot from the Central Railway Station. To do this, you need to leave the main station building, turn left, go under the railway bridge, cross the road from the Glass shopping center, follow St.Petersburger Straße. You can follow this street to the Elbe River, turn left and walk along the beach. I suggest that at the beginning of St.Petersburger Straße turn onto Kreuzstraße. We will approach the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus).



This modern style building was built between 1905 and 1910. Currently, the city council is located here. It is perfectly visible from afar thanks to the five-meter statue of the “Golden Hercules”, the patron saint of Dresden, placed on its dome. Climbing to the observation deck (height 68 meters), you will enjoy magnificent views. The town hall has a wonderful interior.



By the way, the building also has a basement. Entering there, you will see the composition “Bacchus on a drunken donkey.”


Next to the town hall is the Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross):



At first he bore the name of St. Nicholas. But after the Austrian princess Constance von Babenberg gave the church a relic of the Holy Cross (part of the cross on which Jesus Christ was nailed), the church became known as the Church of the Holy Cross, or Kreuzkirche.


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We will pass the Altmarkt square, where the huge shopping center is located, cross the street Wilsdrufferstraße and follow the Schlobstraße. Soon to our left we will see the Taschenberg Palace XVIII century.



Taschenberg Palace is connected to the Dresden castle-residence (Residenzschloss) by an arch.



This is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden. Once upon a time the kings and electors of Saxony lived here, and now here are located the Green Chambers (Grünes Gewölbe) and the Armory Hall (Rüstkammer), a cabinet of engravings and sketches of famous artists (Kupferstich-Kabinett) and a museum of coins and awards (Münzkabinett). This is what the residence castle looks like from different angles:




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If you pass under the arch at the end of Schlobstraße, on the right you will see the world's largest panel called "The Nobles Procession" ("Procession of the Nobles"):



The panel is placed on the outer side of the wall of a long gallery - a former stable yard. Its length is 110 meters, width – 10.5 meters. It consists of the famous Meissen porcelain 20x20 cm. Size 24 thousand tiles. They depict 34 Saxon marquises, dukes, electors (princes in the "Holy Roman Empire" who had the right to choose a king or emperor) and kings of the Wetin line, who ruled the country from 1127-1873. The panel also depicts 59 people: members of the retinue, artisans, warriors, peasants, famous scientists and artists. At the beginning of the procession is Conrad the Great, at the end - Wilhelm Walter, the artist who created the panel.



If we go back a little and walk between the Taschenberg Palace and the castle residence tower, we will come out to Post Square, where the “cholera fountain” was erected. In the second half of the 19th century, a cholera epidemic spread in Saxony, which Dresden narrowly escaped. The fountain was installed as a sign of gratitude. Its height is 18 meters.




Now let's cross Sophienstraße and approach Zwinger Palace. This architectural ensemble of the 18th century is an outstanding Baroque building and the main attraction of the city.



German Baroque combines elements of the Italian school and the Viennese imperial style. It is in the Zwinger Palace that the famous Dresden Art Gallery is located (here you can see Raphael’s “Sistine Madonna”), beautiful pavilions, fountains, symmetrical flower beds, a crowned entrance, a physics and mathematics salon and a porcelain museum. Believe me, all this will give you great pleasure.




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Let's go from the Zwinger Palace to the Theater Square (Theaterplatz).



Your attention will be drawn to the statue of King Johann of Saxony on horseback and the Zemper Opera:



This magnificent Baroque building is one of the most beautiful theaters in the world. It was built in 1841 according to the design of the famous architect Gottfried Semper. Both its appearance and interior are impressive:



More about Semper's opera =>>


If you cross Sophienstraße again, you will end up at the Hofkirche. Hofkirche is the cathedral of Dresden.



The temple was built in 1739-1755. On its tower is written in gold letters: D.O.M. This is a shortened form of the Latin phrase "Deo optimo maximo", which means: "To the greatest and best God." The painting above the altar depicts the Ascension of Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity.



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If you cross the Elbe River from the Hofkirche using the Augustus Bridge (Augustusbrücke) - this is where the Brühl Terrace begins - and walk on foot, you will see "Golden Horseman" is the famous statue of King Augustus the Strong on horseback.



Now let's return to Bruhl's terrace.



Brühl's Terrace is an architectural ensemble located between the Augustus and Carola bridges. Its length is 500 meters. Previously, fortification buildings were located here. Later this place came into the possession of Count von Bruhl. The Count built a gallery, library, belvedere, palace and park and turned it into a promenade for the king, the Saxon elite and noble guests. Goethe was so impressed by this magnificent complex that he called it “the balcony of Europe.”


In the XIX century, all these buildings were demolished and new ones were built in their place. Today the Brühl Terrace is a favorite vacation spot for Dresden residents and tourists.


Among the attractions of the Brühl Terrace, we highlight the staircase with 4 statues.



The two lower statues symbolize night and evening. On the left is a woman with a crescent moon on her forehead. She leans towards the sleeping young man. Next to him is Morpheus, the winged god of dreams. This composition is night. On the right is a statue of a man with a star on his forehead. Next to him stand his two daughters - music and dance. At the top left is a statue of a woman with a star on her forehead, surrounded by two daughters. One waking up. The second is morning dew. On the right is a handsome young man and two boys - hard work and determination.


In the Middle Ages, an artillery battery was located on the site of the current Brühl terrace. Its underground halls, at a depth of 20 meters, currently house the Dresden Castle Museum.



All that remains of Bruhl's old terrace is a small triangular garden, two Sphinx statues and the Dolphin fountain.




Between the staircase and the previously mentioned panel is the House of the Saxon Officials and a statue of the Saxon king Frederick AugustusI. Currently, the building houses the Department for the Protection of Architectural Monuments and the German Photo Library.



Next is the two-story Palace of Secundogenitour, built on the site of a former library for the prince of the junior branch of the ruling dynasty. This is where its name comes from, which means “second generation” in Latin.



Previously there was a library there, and now there is a restaurant. In front of the palace there is a bust of the German sculptor Ernst Riethel. The three statues symbolize religion, poetry and history.


Behind the palace you can see the sculpture “Bastions of the Seven Planets”. Until the XVIII century, each bastion of the defensive wall of Dresden bore the name of the planet. Cracked earth is placed in the middle of the composition, indicating the threat of destruction of our planet.



Another building is the Academy of Arts. It is a mixture of neo-baroque and French mannerism.



The building is decorated with an almost five-meter figure of Fama, the goddess of legends, whose weight is 1.7 tons. The goddess holds a laurel wreath.


The last point of Bruhl's terrace is Albertinum:



This elegant neo-Renaissance building was named after King Albert. There are two museums located here at the same time: sculptures and other works of art from antiquity to modern times (including “The Thinker” by Rodin and “The Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer” by Degas) and the Gallery of New Masters (about 2,500 paintings XIX-XX< /font>centuries. Among the artists we highlight Richter, Liebermann, Monet and Dix.)


The statue of the famous architect Gottfried Semper on the Brühl terrace is worthy of attention. The creator of the Dresden Opera holds in his hands the project of this theater. The statue stands near the Academy of Arts.



In Bruhl's garden you will see an original sculpture by the famous German artist Caspar David Friedrich: an easel and a studio window. There you can see Friedrich’s words that an artist should paint not what he sees around him, but what he sees in himself.



From the Albertinum we will walk along the Rampischestraße or Augustusstraße and arrive at the Frauenkirche, also known as the Church Virgin Mary.



The 95-meter temple was built in the XVIII century. Its exquisite Baroque architecture has made the Frauenkirche Dresden's most popular attraction. The altar, decorated with gilded details, makes a wonderful impression. Magnificent organ music is constantly heard in the church. There is an observation area above the dome, from where a beautiful panorama of the old city opens up.



More about Frauenkirche =>>


This concludes the “Dresden in 1 day” tour. For better orientation in Dresden, I offer a map of the city with attractions:










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