19 Stunning Dresden Landmarks You Cannot Miss

The Frauenkirche was the last piece in the jigsaw, the final element of the beautiful Baroque ‘Florence on the Elbe’ destroyed by Allied bombs in 1945 to be rebuilt.

The Protestant Church of Our Lady, with its distinctive bell-shaped dome, was finally completed in 2005. It’s one of the most beautiful churches in Europe, a light, soaring edifice, the emphasis on height rather than length or width.

The church was originally built by George Bähr, a carpenter-turned -architect, and completed by the 1740s. As well as visiting the church, I also recommend climbing the dome for the outstanding views of the city and River Elbe.

See Also: Frauenkirche Dresden – How To Visit And What To See

The restored Royal Palace – also sometimes called Dresden Castle – has enough within its walls to keep you occupied for the best part of a day.

The fortified Castle dated back to the 13^th century, but it became a royal residence, home to princes, then the powerful Electors of Saxony.  Much of it was built in the Renaissance period (mid-16^th century), and restored in a similar style around the turn of the 20^th century.

This stunning Baroque church is one of the most striking elements of the famous Dresden skyline, its elegant tower soaring above the Elbe next to the tower of the Royal Palace.

It’s known by several different names. It was built as a Court Church (Hofkirche) for the ruling Electors of Saxony. But it was later elevated to Cathedral (Kathedrale) status.It is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, but often referred to by its Latin name, Sanctissimae Trinitatis.

The Dresden Zwinger is a vast palace complex on the edge of Dresden’s historic centre, close to the Semper Opera House and Royal Palace. Originally built for Augustus the Strong, it’s now home to one of the best museums in Dresden, and one of the great art galleries of Europe.

Much of Baroque Dresden was completed in the 20 years or so after the death of Augustus the Strong, so this was one of its great buildings that he got to see and appreciate. The Palace is built around a vast courtyard (under long-term restoration when I visited), with each section elaborately decorated with statues. You can walk along some of the galleries and enjoy them up close.

Dresden’s Semper Opera House is magnificent. Much as you’d expect from a city with such an ensemble of outstanding buildings. It sits close to the Elbe riverfront, on the spacious Theaterplatz square,  very close to the Semper wing of the Zwinger Palace that houses the Old Masters Gallery. The Catholic Cathedral is on the other side of the street.

The bronze statue in front of the Opera House is of King Johann, the penultimate King of Saxony, who reigned from 1854 to 1873. It was during his reign (1871) that Saxony was incorporated into the German Empire.

The Opera House was originally completed in 1841, then rebuilt in 1878 following a fire in 1869. It’s a stunning mixture of Renaissance and Baroque Revival, with some touches reminiscent of Ancient Greece too.

You can visit the Semperoper on a guided tour in English or German – just click on the link to book.

The Dresden State Art Collection’s modern works can be seen in the superb Albertinum Gallery which overlooks the Brühlsche Terrasse. The Renaissance Revival building was completed in the 1880s, and its post-war reconstruction was finished by 1953.

The Albertinum houses the New Masters Gallery, which covers a vast range from Romanticism to Impressionism to contemporary. At the time of writing the Gallery is hoisting a Caspar David Friedrich retrospective. You’ll also find works by the likes of Monet, van Gogh, Gauguin, Picasso and Kokoschka.

The Albertinum is also home to the Collection’s Sculpture Gallery.

Dresden’s Augustusstrasse is one of the most beautiful streets in Europe. It runs from the Neumarkt square (and Frauenkirche) to the Catholic Cathedral, passing part of the Royal Palace along the way.

The views along the street are pretty special, but the main reason to walk this way is the Fürstenzug, or Procession of Princes. It’s a 102-metre long mural depicting the history of the House of Wettin, the rulers of Saxony for centuries.

The original artwork was a sgraffito on the wall, but its condition soon deteriorated due to the weather. So it was re-worked, with around 24,000 Meissen porcelain tiles covering the original artwork. Augustus the Strong, Saxony’s Mr Extravagant, would have been immensely proud.

The Kreuzkirche is one of the most prominent Dresden landmarks, overlooking the Altmarkt square where the popular Striezelmarkt Christmas market is held each year.

The church is the sixth on the site, the building restored (like the rest of the centre of the city) after the destruction of the February 1945 bombings. What you see today is a restoration of the late Baroque church, with some Neoclassical and Art Nouveau elements. The austere interior is striking – it’s just a pity that they don’t allow photographs of it!

Despite these multiple destructions, the church choir (Dresdner Kreuzchor) has been flourishing since 1371. There’s a wonderful group of statues outside the church, including one modern choirboy in modern dress.

You can see this world-famous choir sing twice a week at the church – at the 5.00 pm Vespers service on Saturdays, and at the 9.30 Sunday morning service. Check the Kreuzchor website for performance dates and concerts elsewhere.

I also recommend climbing the tower of the Kreuzkirche as the views of Dresden – especially the Frauenkirche, a few streets to the north – are fantastic.

This excellent museum (also sometimes called the Museum of the German Armed Forces) is in the Albertstadt district of Dresden, to the north of the Neustadt.

It’s housed in a former arsenal built in the 19^th century. The modern arrowhead structure was added by Daniel Libeskind (architect of the superb Jewish Museum in Berlin) in 2011.

The Museum has an enormous collection of military memorabilia and vehicles. But its main focus is on the impact of war on people, whether soldiers or civilians, perpetrators or victims.

Note that the Museum is open every day except Wednesday.

Getting there: Tram 7 or 8 to Stauffenbergallee

For a very different side to Dresden from its Baroque splendours and museums, head across the river to this network of courtyards in Dresden Neustadt.

You can enter the Kunsthof Passage (the name means ‘art courtyards’) via either Alaunstrasse or Görlitzer Strasse. Each of the courtyards has a theme – one is Nature, with monkeys and a giraffe sculpture adorning the wall.

Another theme is Metamorphosis – this is the much-photographed blue wall (see above) with its collection of pipes. Go there when it rains, when the pipes become musical instruments.

Other than that, there are numerous cafes, restaurants, bars and boutique shops within the courtyards. And the surrounding area is also well worth a look too.

Getting there: trams 7 and 8 stop at nearby Louisenstrasse, and tram 13 stops at Alaunplatz – both are within a 5-minute walk of the courtyards.

The three Elbe Castles, on a hill overlooking the river, are a fine sight, especially from the other side. They sit in a row together, and make a seriously impressive introduction to the city if you approach on a cruise along the river.

As you view them from across the river, the first castle on the left is Schloss Albrechtsberg. This Neoclassical pile was built in 1854 above vineyards already planted for Prince Albrecht of Prussia. It’s now home to a high-end gastronomy school and is also used as an events venue.

Next door, Lingnerschloss was originally known as Villa Stockhausen, and was also built by Albrecht of Prussia. It was later taken over by Karl August Lingner, who made his fortune from the Odol mouthwash and founded the Dresden Hygiene Museum. It’s now a popular restaurant with outstanding terrace views.

The third of the Elbe Palaces is the Gothic Revival Schloss Eckberg.  It was built for the businessman Johann Daniel Souchay between 1859 and 1861. It’s now a Hotel with a restaurant.

See Also: 15 Best Castles Near Dresden To Visit

This popular bridge – linking the suburbs of Blasewitz and Loschwitz – is widely known as the Blue Wonder.  

The cantilever bridge doesn’t just connect two suburbs, it also takes you back over a hundred years. In the early 20^th century Loschwitz Dresden was one of the most exclusive city suburbs in Europe. It’s full of amazing neo-Gothic, Art Nouveau and Functionalist villas from the mid-19^th century to the 1930s.

It also has two superb funicular railways which take you to the top of the hill for awesome views over the Bridge, river and city.  One of them, the Suspension Railway, is one of the oldest of its kind left in the world.

I decided to include Dresden’s main station as one of the city’s major landmarks as I saw more of it than any other. I stayed at a hotel across the tram tracks from the station, with a view of it from the lounge. It’s especially impressive when subtly lit at night.

The station was originally built in 1898, after which it was known as Böhmischer Bahnhof. Trains ran from there to, as its name suggests, Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic) – indeed they still run to Prague to this day.

It had to be rebuilt after the destruction of 1945, and this reconstruction ran on into the new millennium. The station has some beautiful high-roofed halls, and a triple-section Teflon roof over the platforms designed by Lord Foster (of Gherkin and Millennium Bridge fame). It makes a very impressive entrance to the city.

See Also: Prague To Dresden – 5 Easy Ways To Get There