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Residenzschloss Review

Read our Saxony with Leipzig and Dresden sights reviews. Or post your own.

Residenzschloss

  • Address: Schlosspl., Dresden
  • Phone: 0351/491-4619

Fodor's Review:

Restoration work is still under way (at this writing, it was scheduled for completion in 2006) behind the Renaissance facade of this former royal palace, much of which was built between 1709 and 1722. Some of the finished rooms in the Georgenbau host historical exhibitions, among them an excellent one on the reconstruction of the palace itself. The palace's main gateway, the Georgentor, has an enormous statue of the fully armed Saxon count George. From April through October, the palace's old Hausmannsturm (Hausmann Tower) offers a wonderful view of the city and the Elbe River.

But the main attraction is the world-famous Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault). Named after a green room in the palace of Augustus the Strong, the collection is divided into two sections.

The Neues Grünes Gewölbe contains an exquisite collection of unique objets d'art fashioned from gold, silver, ivory, amber, and other precious and semiprecious materials. Among the crown jewels is the world's largest "green" diamond, 41 carats in weight, and a dazzling group of tiny gem-studded figures called Hofstaat zu Delhi am Geburtstag des Grossmoguls Aureng-Zeb (the Court at Delhi during the Birthday of the Great Mogul Aureng-Zeb). The unwieldy name gives a false idea of the size of the work, dating from 1708; some parts of the tableau are so small they can be admired only through a magnifying glass. Somewhat larger and less delicate is the drinking bowl of Ivan the Terrible, perhaps the most sensational artifact in this extraordinary museum.

When the Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (Historic Green Vault. 0351/4919-2285 for tours. www.skd-dresden.de. EUR 11.50. By appointment only) opens (at this writing, scheduled for September 2006), it will be Dresden's premiere attraction. The Historic Green Vault is the section of the castle most reflective of August the Strong's obsession with art as a symbol of power. The intricately restored baroque interior is not only a display that highlights the objects in the collection but also an integral part of the of the presentation itself. The last section of the museum houses the Jewel Room, displaying the ceremonial crown jewels of August the Strong and his son. Access to the Historic Green Vault is limited to 100 visitors per hour and is by appointment only. Tickets (which will be worth every cent) can be reserved by phone or online.

The palace also houses the Münzkabinett (Coin Museum) and the Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings), with more than 500,000 pieces of art spanning several centuries. Changing exhibits at the Kupferstichkabinett present masterworks by Albrecht Dürer, Peter Paul Rubens, and Jan van Eyck but also 20th-century art by Otto Dix, Edvard Munch, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner as well as East European art and some Southeast Asian prints.

  • Cost: All museums and collections at palace (except Historic Green Vault) EUR 6. Historic Green Vault EUR 11.50
  • Open: Wed.-Mon. 10-6; Historic Green Vault by appointment only

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