I will be in Dresden for two days the week-end of May27
My cousins and I would like to do a little hiking. Anyone have any info on where we can do it close to the city?
Any restaurants anyone can recommend? We are staying at the Hilton.
I have been reading the info on Dresden, but am open for any further suggestions on what not to miss.
Is the jewelry exhibit reopened?

Haven't been, but Saxon Switzerland is the typical Dresden hiking destination, about an hour south of the city along the Elbe river.
http://www.saechsische-schweiz.org/
Could not find any English version of this page, but if you click on "Wandern" on the left, it gives you a few possibilities with maps and everything.

Oh, hiking in Saxon Switzerland is one of my favourite activities. (I live in Dresden.) As chtiet wrote, it is about an hour by suburban railway from Dresden (running every thirty minutes, S1 direction Schöna). Get off in Kurort Rathen, Königstein, Bad Schandau or Schöna. From there you can do endless hikes. If you give me an idea how long and how challenging you wish the hike I would gladly give you directions.

An honest word about the Hilton: Please make sure you don't have a room on the entrance front. They started construction works vis-a-vis - noisy.

Restaurants ... there are so many. You better avoid those in the Münzgasse adjacent/in the Hilton. The Italian restaurant and the Wettiner Keller in the Hilton are very good, and so is the coffeehouse "Vis-a-Vis" in the Hilton (on Brühl's Terrace).

Perfect Gourmet restaurants are the "Intermezzo" in the nearby Kempinski Taschenberg Hotel, "Canaletto" in the Westin Bellevue on the other bank of the river and the restaurant in the Hotel Schloss Eckberg, 30 min. by tram.

My favourites, recently checked, are to find around the Blue Wonder Bridge on the left bank of the river (district Blasewitz). Villa Marie is an excellent Italian restaurant, Schillergarten reopened a few months ago (beer garden by the river, or winter garden if it's cooler in the evening), Cafe Toscana is an excellent coffeehouse.

There is also a wonderful restaurant in the city garden called "Grosser Garten" - it is called "Carolaschlösschen". Art Deco style, on two floors (upper floor decent Italian food) and a beer garden right by a small lake with fountain (lit up by night).

Need more ideas?

The jewellery exhibit New Green Vault is open Wed - Mon 10 am - 6 pm. Simply breathtaking. They have a temporary exhibit in a special room on stunning pieces of amber at the moment (till July).

2 Days are definitely not enough

Let me know if I can help more.

Ingo

If you must hike then well... However follow the wise advice of Ingo and see the Green Vault. We did In Dec. 2004 and were literally blinded by the stunning collection. Two days in Dresden? Heavens! This city was breathtaking.

Ingo, Is the Villa Marie easy to find. Can we get there on tram or do we need a car? Thanks.

Yes, the Villa is very easy to find. Take the tram No. 42 from the city centre ( e.g. Pirnaischer Platz) to Schillerplatz, from there walk towards the Blue Wonder bridge and there it is on the left side (3-5 min. walk).

There are also buses No. 61, 83, 85 running to Schillerplatz (but not from the city centre). Depends where you start from.