What to see in Dresden...
 

I visited Dresden a couple of years ago but was short on time and energy, so that I didn't see all that I wanted to see.

This time I want to explore the green vault and take a better look at the Zwinger. (I ran out of time and enthusiasm before I actually got inside the Zwinger.) I also want to spend a longer time in the Frauenkirche.

I did visit the Semper Opera House, the Frauenkirche, the Catholic Court Church, the Kreuzkirche, and the Albertinium. I took a bus tour of the city and also another little tour on a stagecoach-like vehicle. I also wandered around a good deal and took a boat to have a look at Saxon Switzerland, though I didn't think much of that because I wasn't able to see much of the rock formations.

So, do you have suggestions for other things I might want to see?

Also, I figured I'd go to Mass at the Catholic Court Church on Sunday and hear that wonderful choir that sings there.

I know there's supposed to be a Stolper Stein nearby the church there. Does anyone know where it is?

Peg, it is an unlucky timing to ask us now - it is Rosenmontag and evening, we Germans are all drunk by now.

For the Stolpersteine, see here (with map):

http://stolpersteine-dresden.de/?lang=en

Otherwise, you have already mentioned the big attractions.

Pfund's Milk Shop might be another attraction. http://www.pfunds.de/index.php?language=en

Ingo?

The "wonderful choir" is the Kreuzchor, which sings in the Kreuzkirche, not the Catholic Court Church, sorry. Saturdays on 5 or 6 pm (depends, and not during school holidays, I think.)

Other things to see and do:

- Hygiene Museum (name misleading, I'd call it Life and Society Museum)

- Military History Museum (an anti-war museum)

- a walk in Grosser Garten, or a ride on the little train through the park, start next to Volkswagen Transparent Factory.

- Volkswagen Transparent Factory (if you're interested in car manufacturing only :-) )

- A walk through the "Äußere" (Outer) Neustadt district beyond Albertplatz. Start at Alaunstraße, see Kunsthofpassage with the art/craftwork shops, ice cream place "Neumann's Tiki", cafes, have a look at the interesting facades. Continue via Görlitzer Straße, turn left into Louisenstraße, then right to Martin Luther church (should be open in summer), see the old Jewish cemetery next to it (tours via Hatikva e.V., office in a townhouse east from the church). Continue to Bautzner Straße, see Pfund's Dairy Shop, walk down to the river. It's a pleasant walk along the river back to the old town (promenade, rose garden with good cafe, shrubs garden, passing the Prime minister's building and the Treasury ...)

- Have you been to Pillnitz? Palace and garden are well worth a half day, even a full day if you go inside the museums.

- Have a walk in the parks of the three castles above the river (tram #11 stop "Wilhelminenstraße" or "Elbschlösser"). Lingnerschloss (in the middle) has a very good restaurant and is also accessible inside - the views from the roof terrace are even better than from the park. The vineyards are open in summer, often wine tastings are possible.

(Half) Day trips:

- Radebeul with vineyards, wine tastings, Schloss Hoflössnitz, Schloss Wackerbarth, the picturesque old village Kötzschenbroda, Karl May museum, narrow-gauge steam train to Moritzburg - could easily be turned into a full day excursion.

- Schloss Moritzburg: Short bus ride (25 minutes) from railway station Dresden-Neustadt. Baroque palace on an island, small Roccoco "Pheasant" palace, lighthouse, horse-drawn carriage rides possible.

- Schloss Weesenstein: Castle with Baroque garden, short train ride (S1) with change in Heidenau (SB 71) (hourly Mon-Fri, every two hours on weekends, 27 minutes).

A half day in nearby Meissen was sweet for me - nice old town with castle/church on a hill in its center and the world-famous Meissen ceramic works to visit with museum. About 30 minutes by train from Dresden I think.

Hi Peg:

We love Dresden and visited it just a few months after you did. We got a lot of good information from your report.

Have you visited the festung Königstein just outside of Dresden? It's an interesting place...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6nigstein_Fortress

Peg -

Leave plenty of time for the Green Vault. We spent hours there and only managed to see the New Green Vault.

Dresden's main square - a huge expanse of concrete and sleek tower blocks to me is the epitome of DDR Scoialist-Realism town planning. Modified to be more humane now but still such an example.

Pal you are probably talking about Prager Straße? Or what else is that supposed to be? I cannot think of any square in Dresden that would fit your description.

Yes - sorry not a huge square but most buildings were then in DDR days when I first visited I think - the old state hotel, etc. and probably Konsum department store, etc.

https://www.google.com/search?q=prag...LRUsbKOwvWM%3A

Probably was a showcase area for the DDR like Unter den Linden and Alexanderplatz in Berlin>

Anyway intrigued me but hazy on details it twas so long ago.