kenav

Will arrive in in Dresden on Feb 7th (Fri.) at approx. 9:25AM. Figure with getting luggage, ride to hotel, etc., will be at hotel by 11AM. Hopefully room will be ready.

We usually take a 2 hour nap. Found that really helps us. Initially feel like crap when we awaken, say at 1PM, but are good for the rest of our first day in Europe.

So, what would your suggestions be for our 3-day stay in Dresden? Might like to do a day trip outside the city but don't know if there will be enough time. Remember - It will be cold so I doubt we'll be hiking in the Saxony region.

Oh and BTW - we will be going to Prague for 4 days after that.

longhorn55

My suggestion for a 3-day stay in Dresden would be to take the train to Berlin. I didn't find enough in Dresden to interest me for one day, much less three.

MarthaT

You have the Zwinger Palace with the Art Museum and the porcelain museum. The Green Vault and the Treasury has amazing jeweled items. Also the Opera house. they are all within a block of each other and depending how much time you like to spend in museums could take a couple of days.
There is also a great mall if you get cold outside, and a pedestrian shopping street that is full of stores.
The Frauenkirche is a must see church IMHO.

Michael

You might want to take a look at my trip report that includes Dresden; click on my name to find it.

Meissen is worth a visit, and a good deal of it is inside the castle.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4282580063/

PalenQ

Might like to do a day trip outside the city but don't know if there will be enough time.>

Meissen for sure - just a short train trip away and do tour the famous Meissen porcelain factory, one of the first places to produce 'china' except for in China - very famous -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_oJw077UG8

Plus as Michael says it has a sweet castle complex - a nice old town all in all - gussied up from East German days.

kenav

longhorn - Not much help. I'm looking forward to this trip and don't need a "downer" like you.

kenav

Did anyone go to the Neustadt or Hellerau neighborhoods? I've heard that the Neustadt is where the evening action is.

PalenQ

Having been to Dresden several times I also think that Dresden itself has little to occupy three full days but there are lots of nice day trips - like to Saxon Switzerland, a gorgeous stretch of the Elbe River featuring red sandstone cliffs topped by ancient forts and featuring rocky pinnacles - even in winter just taking the train that tracks right thru this gorgeous place could be nice and if not to cold trekking up to the famous Bastei could be a highlight of your trip.

https://www.google.com/search?q=saxo...=1600&bih=1074

kenav

PalenQ - Do you know where we would take the train to?

Christina

I wasn't that fascinated by Dresden, either, I suppose it's a nice place to live, though. I went to a couple of the main museums, of course. Wandered around a bit but it's just modern and built up so not that interesting in many parts.

IN any case, I did a day trip to Liepzig, which I loved. It has so much to see, especially if you are interested in classical music. In fact, I'd like to go back there to spend more time. You can get to Leipzig by train in only one hour (by ICE) or 1:40 by a regional train, and they have trains once or more an hour.

longhorn55

Actually, Kenav, I thought I was providing useful information. Since you were asking for suggestions for a 3-day trip to Dresden, I assumed that you had chosen this city as a destination without doing much, if any, research. Since I thought you knew nothing about Dresden, I felt that I was doing you a service by recommending going to Berlin instead where there is MUCH more to see and do--more than enough for 3 days.

I hope you enjoy your trip, but I am obviously not the only person who doesn't think there's enough to do in Dresden for 3 days.

Ingo

I would rather take the first train out of Berlin to Dresden, but to each their own!

Kenav, it really depends on what you are interested in. Friday afternoon e.g. is perfect for visiting the city museum - it's free every Friday 12 pm - 7 pm (www.museen-dresden.de) Also, it will give you a good overview of the history of the city before you head out to do actual sightseeing. The current special exhibit on Dresden's chocolate manufactures is still on in February. Another branch of the museums of the city Dresden is the Kügelgen museum / museum on the Romantic era - quite small, in pedestrian zone Hauptstrasse in the Neustadt district - in a historic townhouse with nice interior, also free on Fridays 12 pm - 6 pm.

You'll definitely want to see the obvious, famous sights - Zwinger, Opera house, catholic cathedral, mural "procession of Princes", Frauenkirche, Royal Palace. Depending on your interests pick two or three museums - Green Vaults, Picture Gallery Old Masters are *musts*, Mathematical-Physical salon/Scientific instruments collection is unfortunately closed for annual cleaning, but the Porcelain collection and Albertinum (Sculptures and New Masters from 1800 to contemporary) are also worth seeing, not to forget the Folk Art museum. www.skd.museum for more info.

There's a special exhibit (sculptures) in the Royal Palace, opening on 6 February: http://www.skd.museum/en/special-exh...asy/index.html

Other outstanding museums on other things than art: Hygiene Museum (www.dhmd.de - not only about Hygiene!)and Military History Museum (www.mhmbw.de - a must). If you visit Hygiene museum you might add a walk in Großer Garten, a beautiful large park nearby (see the palais in the centre from outside.)

Definitely head over to the Neustadt district - from the riverside promenades you have the best views of the old town silhouette. Stroll along Hauptstrasse with Golden Horseman statue, Church of the Three Kings (viewing tower!), artisans' shops and the Kügelgen museum mentioned above, and Königstrasse, walk beyond Albertplatz to the vibrant "outer" Neustadt - with funny shops, ethnic restaurants, bars, the Kunsthofpassage (more artisans in several backyards with unusual facade decorations), see Pfund's Molkerei (dairy shop) with the stunning tiles of Meissen porcelain ...

Yes, this is also the "nightlife" district, mostly for the students and -40 generation.

I would give Hellerau a miss, you would need a guided tour to appreciate it, and it's probably not the weather for strolling there for two hours or so anyway.

In case you're interested in more recent history, check out the former Stasi headquarter and jail (www.bautzner-strasse-dresden.de - in German only) and the Memorial Site Münchner Platz (http://en.stsg.de/cms/node/741/).

In case you want to do day trips - Meissen is the obvious choice. Picturesque old town, castle and cathedral are well worth seeing. S1 train twice an hour to/from Dresden.

For scenery head either to Saxon Switzerland (Bastei or Fortress Königstein) or the Erzgebirge mountains (castles Weesenstein or Lauenstein, upscale watch manufactures/museum in Glashütte inbetween).

Freiberg is another obvious choice - cathedral with fantastic interior, interesting city/history museum, the world's largest and most beautiful minerals collection "Terra Mineralia" (and much more).

You find information on all these towns and sights on my Virtualtourist pages. Here's the link to my Dresden page:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/4166c/1091e/

For my other pages go from here:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/m/4166c/

kenav

<u>longhorn</u> - Thought you were being sarcastic so my apologies. We will be going to Prague after our 3 days in Dresden. Don't want to go to another city, especially for just one day. I think Berlin has too much to offer for just a day trip. Berlin will be on another trip.

<u>Ingo</u> - Thank you so much for your information.

I have been looking up Saxon Schweiz. Can do a train ride from Dresden to Kurort Rathen, Konigstein and even Bad Schandau within one day. Would going to all three in one day be worth it? We do like scenery. And if the towns themselves are interesting it might be a good way to spend our day.

Not crazy about porcelain so if that's really what Meissen is all about, we would skip it. Will check out Freiburg.

PalenQ

Meissen is a fine town with a superb castle complex.

<I hope you enjoy your trip, but I am obviously not the only person who doesn't think there's enough to do in Dresden for 3 days.>

no not the city for the average tourist though as Dresdener, I believe, Ingo says there is a lot to see and do - but it is a great place to spend 3 days - Meissen and Saxon Switzerland and several other great day trips.

Bad Schandau is a fmous resort town on the Czech border and has a famous tram that goes into nice countryside but not sure if it is running in winter - kind of a tourist tram - old vintage tram I believe.

Ingo

I didn't mention porcelain at all in my Meissen description, so no, it's not only about porcelain.

I was in the towns along the Elbe river in Saxon Switzerland only a few days ago. All of them were hit pretty hard by the flood earlier this year and most of them are still struggling - many shops, restaurants and hotels are closed and undergoing renovation. I think they will be quite dead, especially in February - which is off season.

So my recommendation is to really just hit the viewing points - Bastei and Fortress Königstein - and that's it. Both involve a hike up from the respective towns (Kurort Rathen, Königstein), bus service is limited in off season (from Pirna, #237 to Bastei and #241 to Festung Königstein - and even from the bus stops it's a hike of 20 minutes to the sites).

Yes, there is a historic tram from Bad Schandau through Kirnitzsch valley to Lichtenhainer Wasserfall, from where you can do a relatively short hike up to Kuhstall, a sandstone arch, with beautiful views. I have descriptions/travelogue on that in both winter and summer on my Bad Schandau page:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/4166c/12ca7/

Remember that daylight hours are not exactly long in early February, so doing all three in one day isn't an option IMO.

WeisserTee

I've been to Dresden a few times now, including a four-week stay in December 2011. I loved it and look forward to going back. Ingo's suggestions are right on the money, of course.

I would also add that if you have any fondness and/or weakness for pastries, avail yourself of the CoselPalais by the Frauenkirche. IMO, their cakes and tortes and other pastries beat Demel's and the rest of the Vienna competition by a mile.

PalenQ

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...en_Saxony.html

Anyone who read Slaughter House 5 may want to take this tour and visit places associated with the book.

kenav

Since the stores in the Saxon towns are mostly closed now, it sounds like Meissen may be a better alternative. Would like to see the countryside, though.

Palen - The link you give for the Kurt Vonnegut tour unfortunately only talks about 2008 tours! I will look further.

Weisser - Will definitely check out the Cosel Palais. We like to do a 4PM or so tea/coffee and dessert stop. So that would be just fine.

swandav2000

Hi kenav,

I'm pretty much the average tourist, and I love Dresden! I've visited twice, once for a few days, and then once for two weeks while attending a language course.

Though I don't much enjoy museums (something that irks Ingo no end . . .!), I love Dresden for its wide open spaces and feeling of spaciousness even in the center of town. One of my favorite things to do was just to sit and enjoy the openness and the beautiful architecture from any one of the cafes lining the large square in front of the Frauenkirche. I also just loved wandering around the streets of the Altmarkt.

Yes, the Neustadt area is just lovely, with much different architecture from the area around the Frauenkirche and lots of wonderful little shops, boutiques, and cafes. And, yes, the vibe is different as well -- I saw more 30-somethings with small children there.

I do think that you'll find 3 days isn't enough!

Have fun as you plan!

s

PalenQ

A thing I found fascinating about Dresden was also its modern socialist architecture in its main modern shopping area - sleek buildings - the epitome of DDR - East German town planning - in the area around the main train station and main shopping mall - vast wide open concrete spaces.

https://www.google.com/search?q=dres...=1600&bih=1074