From the fairytale landscapes of Saxon Switzerland to stunning cities like Meissen and Görlitz, there are many amazing day trips from Dresden.
In this article I show you 14 of the best Dresden day trips, beginning with the magnificent Bastei Bridge. I describe what to see at each destination, explain how to get there and suggest tours or boat trips wherever possible.
I begin with 11 suggestions for day trips within Germany, then continue with three more across the border in the Czech Republic.
I hope you find my guide useful. Enjoy!
Best Day Trips From Dresden – Germany
1. Bastei Bridge and Saxon Switzerland National Park
The Bastei Bridge (Basteibrücke) is one of the most popular day trips from Dresden, and one of my favourites.
It’s one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe, a stone bridge crossing sandstone pinnacles on its way to a ruined rock castle, Felsenburg Neurathen. The Bastei (Bastion) is a series of rocks soaring 194 metres above the River Elbe. It’s part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, better known as the Saxon Switzerland National Park.
Entry to the Bastei Bridge is free – you only pay (€2) for entry to the rock castle.
There are a few viewpoints around the Bridge. The new Bastei viewpoint commands a superb view over the cliffs and Elbe Valley below. And the Ferdinandstein viewpoint a short walk from the Bridge offers the best view of the Bridge.
Best Day Tours From Dresden
This coach trip takes you to two of the highlights of the Saxon Switzerland National Park, the Bastei Bridge and Königstein Fortress, a great introduction to the National Park.
This tour from Dresden to Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland is fantastic. It includes Bastei Bridge, and a trip across the border to the landmark the Pravčička brana natural rock arch. This trip includes two hikes, including one along the Kamenice Gorge near the lovely Czech border village of Hřensko.
You could also take the more leisurely route up the Elbe, on a paddle steamer cruise from Dresden to the Königstein Fortress. It’s a fantastic route, taking in the Elbe Castles, Schloss Pillnitz and the Bastei Rocks.,
Getting there: If you plan to hike from the river to Bastei Bridge, take the S1 train to Kurort Rathen, catch the ferry across the river then walk up.
You can also get very close to the top by getting bus 237 from Pirna to Bastei. The bus stop is a gentle undulating 10-minute walk from the Bridge. The bus stop is in the closest car park to the Bastei Bridge. A shuttle bus operates in summer from the second car park, 2 miles (3 km) away.
2. Görlitz
Görlitz is one of the best places to visit in Eastern Germany, a wonderfully preserved town right on the border with Poland.
It managed to avoid the destruction of many neighbouring towns (like Bautzen), so every last detail has survived, from Renaissance-era carvings in doorways to Baroque mansions. Görlitz has been ‘discovered’ as a film location – some trains to the town now advertise ‘Görliwood’.
One of the quirks of visiting is that you can freely country-hop. Walk down the hill to the Neisse River – the border – and you can walk across the bridge to Zgorzelec and Poland. The view back to the twin spires of the imposing Gothic Peterskirche (SS Peter and Paul Church).
You can also visit the Art Nouveau Kaufhaus, the former department store where The Grand Budapest Hotel was filmed in 2014. It’s usually closed – as it’s being renovated – but is open for guided tours a few days each month.
And if you’re visiting Görlitz with kids, take them to Görlitz Zoo. It’s a small zoo in the suburbs of the city, and one of the best we’ve ever visited.
Day Tours From Dresden To Görlitz
This guided walking tour of the Old Town is a great way to learn more about the history of this stunning town.
And this private tour from Dresden also takes you to Bautzen and the nearby town of Pulsnitz – ideal if you want a quick overview of all the main sights.
Getting there: trains from Dresden take between 1 hour 20 minutes and 1 hour 40 minutes.
3. Meissen
Before Dresden became powerful, Meissen held sway over much of Saxony. The small city is famous for its porcelain, which is still made at the Factory near the city centre. If you visit, I suggest also visiting the amazing Porcelain Collection at the Zwinger Palace in Dresden for a greater appreciation of the handiwork and craftsmanship involved.
Meissen is one of the most beautiful places to visit on the river Elbe. The Altstadt – Old Town – is wondrous, with narrow cobbled streets climbing to the mighty Albrechtsburg Castle.
The town is dominated by the Albtrechtsburg and the twin spires of its hugely impressive Cathedral. When I visited on a winter afternoon, I had the whole citadel to myself, an unforgettable experience.
Getting there: the S1 S-Bahn train to Meissen runs every 30 minutes from Dresden Hbf and Dresden-Neustadt. The Meissen stop is across the river from the Old Town. Meissen-Altstadt is on the edge of the Old Town, a few minutes’ walk from the Markt (main square).
4. Leipzig
Leipzig is the nearest major city to Dresden, and a great destination for a day trip. It’s a bigger city than Dresden and, having recently spent around two weeks there, Leipzig is probably the most ‘western’ of the former East German cities I’ve visited.
This probably isn’t surprising, given that Leipzig played such a big role in bringing down the totalitarian East German state. Cracks had appeared in the façade over the summer of 1989, but the Monday gatherings at the Nikolaikirche (St Nicholas Church) greatly hastened the end of the Communist state.
These gatherings grew over the course of September 1989, with prayers for peace, non-violent protest and demands for freedom of movement and democracy. The largest of these demonstrations were in Leipzig, and the lack of violent response from the authorities encouraged others around the country to follow suit.
The church and Stasi Museum are two of the most intriguing Leipzig sights. But there’s much more to the city. For many years it was home to Johann Sebastian Bach, cantor at the Thomaskirche (St Thomas Church). Composers Robert Schumann and Felix Mendelssohn also made the city their home for some years. Each of the composers has a museum dedicated to them.
Leipzig isn’t widely celebrated for its early 20th-century architecture, but it should be. The Altstadt is full of gorgeous flourishes of Art Nouveau, and the Memorial to the 1813 Battle of the Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal) also bears influences from the late period of this style.
Getting there: Regular trains depart from Dresden Hbf and Dresden-Neustadt.
See Also: Stasi Museum Leipzig – One of The Best Museums On East Germany
5. Moritzburg Castle
Schloss Moritzburg is one of the most beautiful castles in Germany. It’s a short bus ride (5 miles – 8 km) from the centre of Dresden, a lavish 18th-century country seat originally built as a hunting lodge.
Moritzburg Castle’s setting is stunning, on an artificial island in the middle of a lake surrounded by forest. When I visited the lake was frozen, and many locals were skating across the ice.
The exterior – with its four domed towers – is a breathtaking sight. The interior is as extravagant as you would expect from Augustus the Strong, the ruler responsible for the famous Green Vault in Dresden. Several of the rooms are decorated with gilded leather wallpaper. There is also a substantial collection of deer antlers, including the heaviest red deer antler (almost 20 kg) ever recovered.
The Moritzburg estate was later extended to include the Chinese-inspired Little Pheasants’ Castle and a lighthouse on another pond.
There is also a small game reserve 1 km from the castle, with bison, wolves, deer and more.
Getting there: Bus 477 from Dresden Neustadt station.
6. Loschwitz
Loschwitz is a riverside suburb of Dresden, and you could easily spend a day there, or combine it with a visit to Schloss Pillnitz. In the early 20th century it was one of the most expensive city suburbs in the world, and there aren’t many better places in Europe to get an introduction to architecture from the period, with some amazing Art Nouveau villas and a progression towards bare, angular Functionalist homes.
The tram from the centre of Dresden takes around 25 minutes to reach Blasewitz, the suburb across the river from Loschwitz. From there, you can walk the short distance (around 300 metres) across the Blue Wonder (Blaues Wunder) steel bridge to Loschwitz.
The area around the river has some beautiful medieval-style half-timbered houses, and also the lovely Loschwitz Church (Loschwitz Kirche). It’s an early work of the architect George Bähr, who went on to build the famous Frauenkirche Dresden.
Between the bridge and church, don’t miss Loschwitz’s two fantastic hill railways. The one nearest the bridge is the oldest funicular railway in the world, dating from 1895. It’s a wonderful ride, taking you through a tunnel before winding up the hill to some stunning views of Dresden.
The Schwebebahn (suspension railway) was built in 1901, and is also one of the oldest of its kind in the world. It’s basically one of the world’s oldest cable cars, and again takes you to the top of the hill for magical views over the Elbe and Dresden.
Getting there: Buses 61 and 63 from Dresden, or trams 6 and 12 to Blasewitz-Schillerplatz, then a walk across the bridge.
7. Boat Trip To Schloss Pillnitz
Dresden and the River Elbe landscape, with its Baroque palaces, was a UNESCO World Heritage Site until 2009. It was delisted because of the construction of a new bridge 2 miles (3 km) upstream from the city centre. However, apart from the new bridge, the beauty of the Elbe landscape hasn’t diminished at all. And this boat cruise from Dresden is a wonderful way to experience it.
The boat leaves the centre of Dresden, heading upstream past the new Waldschlosschen Bridge. Around a mile beyond this, you see the magnificent three Elbschlösser (Elbe Castles). Schloss Albrechtsberg, Lingnerschloss and Schloss Eckberg.
It then continues below the Blue Wonder bridge to Loschwitz (see above) before continuing to Schloss Pillnitz. This was a summer residence of Augustus the Strong, and includes three palaces, two museums (Decorative Arts and Castle) and stunning gardens.
Getting there: You can also get to Pillnitz by bus 63 from Dresden.
8. Pirna
Pirna is one of the easiest day trips from Dresden, and one of the gateways to the Saxon Switzerland National Park.
The beautiful historic centre is a real hidden gem. The main square was famously painted by Bernardo Bellotto, Saxon court painter and nephew of Venetian painter Canaletto. Most of the buildings still survive, including the distinctive house to the right of the painting above. This is now the local tourist office, and called the Canaletto Haus. The original painting can be seen in the Zwinger Palace in Dresden.
Just behind the main square, don’t miss the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), an amazing Gothic church that deserves far more attention than it gets. I rate it among the most beautiful churches in Germany – the stone vault is breathtaking.
Also take time to walk up to Sonnenstein Castle to enjoy the views over the town. There’s also a small DDR Museum showing life in the old East Germany.
And if you’re interested in the composer Richard Wagner, there are two sites associated with him in Graupa. Wagner spent three months there in 1846, and there are exhibitions devoted to him at the Hunting Lodge (Jagdschloss) and Lonhengrin House.
Getting there: S1 or S2 S-Bahn trains from Dresden main station take 22 minutes to reach Pirna.
9. Bautzen
Bautzen Germany is one of the most beautiful medieval towns you’ve (probably) never heard of. The view as you approach from Dresden is unforgettable, with a skyline of medieval and church towers. And the cobbled streets of the Altstadt (Old Town) live up to the promise.
The capital of the Upper Lusatia region is an hour east of Dresden by train. It’s also the cultural capital of the Sorbs, a Western Slavic minority that history left within the borders of Germany. You see bilingual German and Sorbian signs all around the town, and you can learn more about them at the informative Sorbian Museum in the town.
I visited on a glorious (but bone-chilling) winter day with sun in the sky and snow on the ground. The town is magical year-round, with wall walks and some gorgeous streets to explore, like Schlossstrasse, which leads to the Ortenburg Castle complex. You can also climb some of the towers, including the Alte Wasserkunst, a restored waterworks originally opened in 1558.
During the GDR (Communist East Germany) years the name ‘Bautzen’ had fearsome connotations. It was home to the dreaded Bautzen I, the ‘Yellow Misery’ prison. This institution is still in use, unlike Bautzen II, now known as the Bautzen Memorial. This grim prison complex was operated by the Stasi, the East German secret police, and it was used to hold political prisoners. A fascinating glimpse into life behind the Iron Curtain.
10. Hohnstein
Hohnstein is one of the least-known day trips from Dresden. It’s a classic fairytale medieval village with half-timbered houses, a mighty castle and a mustard-yellow Baroque church.
Hohnstein – the name is derived from hohen stein, meaning ‘high rock’ – is located on the edge of the Saxon Switzerland National Park. It’s 12 km (8 miles) east of Pirna, and on the same bus route (237) as the Bastei Bridge. You could easily combine the two as a day trip.
The formidable castle probably dates from the 13th century, built by the Margravate of Meissen. It also came under the control of a Bohemian nobleman, Hynek Berka of Duba, and ceded to the Electorate of Saxony in 1443. It was later used as a prison by the Nazis, who incarcerated Polish and later French and Belgian officers there in 1940 -41.
The main things to do in Hohnstein are visiting the castle and hiking. If you’re contemplating staying close to some of the best Saxon Switzerland hikes, Hohnstein may make a suitable base for you.
11. Berlin
The German capital, Berlin, is a two-hour fast train ride north of Dresden. It’s a far bigger city than Dresden, and a day trip there is, like Prague, dipping your toes in the water.
The minimum I would suggest seeing is the main Berlin landmarks – Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, and the Berlin Wall top of the list. The most you are going to get in one day is an overview, and there are some great ways to do so.
Berlin Tours
Berlin is a big city with its sights spread out, so an easy way to see it is on a hop-on-hop-off sightseeing tour. This tour also includes the option of some sightseeing by boat.
You can b urn up more calories on this 3-hour Berlin bike tour, which takes you from the Alexanderplatz to the Reichstag, via all the main sights in between.
And you could also drive around central Berlin in the classic Trabant car that was made in Communist East Germany. The Trabi has become a popular cult car since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and this Trabant Safari is a great way to step back in time.
Best Day Trips From Dresden – Into The Czech Republic
Dresden is only an hour’s train ride or drive from the border with the Czech Republic. You’ll need to carry your passport with you, but I’ve made this border crossing numerous times and never been asked to show my document.
1. Bohemian Switzerland National Park
Bohemian Switzerland is the Czech part of the Elbe Sandstone Mountains. The landscape is similar to Saxon Switzerland, with some amazing rock formations and also some beautiful riverside hikes.
The Dresden to Prague train calls at Děčín, the Czech town on the edge of the National Park. But it’s easier to take the S1 S-Bahn train to Bad Schandau and catch the local train towards Děčín instead. Alight at Schöna, cross the street and catch the boat across the Elbe (and the border) to Hřensko.
From there it’s a 4-mile hike to the most famous landmark in Bohemian Switzerland, the Pravčička brana natural rock arch. Alternatively, the local buses 434 and 438 stop near the arch en route to Děčín.
2. Prague
The 100-mile trip from Dresden to the Czech capital Prague takes around three hours. Prague is a considerably larger city than Dresden but you can still see a few of the main sights on a day trip from Dresden.
If you’re travelling independently, my advice is to catch Metro line C two stops from the main station to IP Pavlova, then the scenic Prague tram 22 across the river and up the hill to Prague Castle (Pražský hrad). Then work your way back via the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square, including the magnificent Gothic Tyn Church.
Take a look at my guide to the best Things To Do In Prague for more inspiration.
Alternatively, you could take a guided trip by coach to Prague from Dresden.
3. Terezin Concentration Camp
The Terezin Memorial – also known by its German name, the Theresienstadt Ghetto – is one of the less obvious day trips from Dresden. But if you’re driving, it can easily be done. If you’re planning on a road trip, it’s a possible stop on your journey between Dresden and Prague.
The B172 road follows the Elbe from Pirna to the border. Once in the Czech Republic, the number road changes to 62. At Děčín, follow the 261 south along the river to Litoměřice, and follow signs across the river to Terezin from there.
When visiting Terezin concentration camp, I suggest beginning at the Small Fortress, the site of the original prison and Ghetto, before heading back towards the town of Terezin. The Ghetto Museum and several other sites are spread around the former garrison town.
If you have time, I also suggest spending an hour looking around the lovely town of Litoměřice. It’s full of gorgeous Baroque churches, and there are some great wine trails to the west of the town around Velke Zernoseky.
Best Day Trips From Dresden – Final Thoughts
I hope you have found my day trips from Dresden guide helpful.
If you’re visiting Dresden, don’t miss my guide to the Frauenkirche Dresden, one of the most beautiful churches in Europe. There are several outstanding museums in Dresden to visit, including the Zwinger Palace and Historic Green Vault. Two less-known but fascinating Dresden museums are the Military History Museum and the Stasi Museum Dresden.
If you’re staying in the Dresden area for a while, or travelling more widely in the region, take a look at my guide to the best places to visit in Eastern Germany, which extends north to the Harz Mountains and Baltic Sea.
I have also written articles on some of the individual places mentioned in this guide. Don’t miss my guide to the Bastei Bridge, which includes detailed information on the best vantage points, visiting in winter, and how to get there by bus.
Finally, if you’re travelling more widely around Germany, check out my guide to the best places to visit in Germany. This article gives you a whole host of ideas. And there are even more articles on the country to explore via my Germany Travel Guide.
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.