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The courtyard of the Zwinger with its fountains, lawns and Baroque pavilions
The gilded Crown Gate of the Zwinger reflected in its moat
The towers and gables of the Residenzschloss under snow
Daniel Libeskind's steel and glass wedge cutting through the old arsenal of the Military History Museum
Pillnitz Palace on the bank of the Elbe, below a wooded hill

Things to do in Dresden: 9 experiences

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Photo: Ingersoll, Public domain

Zwinger and Semperbau

Walk the Baroque Zwinger and see the Old Masters in the Semperbau

Photo: Dirgela, Public domain

Residenzschloss, Taschenberg 2

Explore the Royal Palace and climb the Hausmannsturm

Photo: X-Weinzar, CC BY-SA 2.5

Olbrichtplatz 2

Visit the Military History Museum and Libeskind's wedge

Photo: Bundeswehr-Fotos Wir.Dienen.Deutschland., CC BY 2.0

Schloss Pillnitz, on the Elbe

Stroll the park of Pillnitz, the royal summer palace on the Elbe

Photo: Kolossos, CC BY-SA 3.0

Dresden, the capital of Saxony, lies on the Elbe. Its old town on the south bank holds the Baroque showpieces of August the Strong: the Zwinger, the Royal Palace and its Green Vault, and the Semperoper. Bombed in February 1945, it has been rebuilt piece by piece. Across the river lies the Neustadt, and a few kilometres away the royal summer palace of Pillnitz.

The Frauenkirche is on the Germany page; this page adds the rest of the city.

9 things to do in Dresden

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The Dresden Green Diamond on display in the New Green Vault

See August the Strong's treasury in the Historic Green Vault

Residenzschloss

2 hoursTimed entry

A Baroque treasure chamber built to dazzle, with the Green Diamond, the Grand Mogul's throne and a cherry stone carved with 185 heads.

Tours in Dresden
Been there?
The gilded Crown Gate of the Zwinger reflected in its moat

Walk the Baroque Zwinger and see the Old Masters in the Semperbau

Zwinger and Semperbau

Half a day with the Old MastersNo booking needed

August the Strong's pleasure garden of pavilions, galleries and fountains, with the Old Masters Picture Gallery on its river side.

Been there?
The towers and gables of the Residenzschloss under snow

Explore the Royal Palace and climb the Hausmannsturm

Residenzschloss, Taschenberg 2

2 to 3 hoursNo booking needed

The seat of Saxony's rulers from 1485, with an armoury, state rooms, a Renaissance courtyard and a 327-step tower over the old town.

Been there?
The Semperoper on the Theaterplatz

Tour the auditorium and foyers of the Semperoper

Theaterplatz

1 hourBook ahead

A guided walk through one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world, its glittering auditorium and grand foyers.

Tours in Dresden
Been there?
Daniel Libeskind's steel and glass wedge cutting through the old arsenal of the Military History Museum

Visit the Military History Museum and Libeskind's wedge

Olbrichtplatz 2

2 to 3 hoursNo booking needed

A 19th-century arsenal split by a steel wedge that points to where the bombing of Dresden began in February 1945.

Been there?
The Striezelmarkt lit up at dusk on the Altmarkt

Go striezeln at the Striezelmarkt, Germany's oldest Christmas market

Altmarkt

An eveningFree

The 592nd Striezelmarkt fills the Altmarkt with Saxon crafts, a historic big wheel, Stollen and prune-figure lucky charms.

Been there?
The facade of Pfunds Molkerei on Bautzner Strasse

Step into Pfunds Molkerei, the dairy shop lined with painted tiles

Bautzner Strasse 79, Neustadt

30 minutesFree

A dairy shop of 1892 in the Neustadt, covered in nearly 248 square metres of hand-painted tiles and free to visit.

Been there?
Pillnitz Palace on the bank of the Elbe, below a wooded hill

Stroll the park of Pillnitz, the royal summer palace on the Elbe

Schloss Pillnitz, on the Elbe

Half a dayNo booking needed

The Saxon royal family's summer residence, where Far Eastern-style architecture meets late Baroque, with a palm house of 1859 and an ancient camellia.

Been there?
The sandstone dome of the Frauenkirche over Dresden's Neumarkt

See the rebuilt Frauenkirche and climb its dome

Dresden

No booking needed

Climb the rebuilt Frauenkirche by steps, a spiral ramp round the outer dome and a last steep stair to a platform at 67 m.

Tours in Dresden
Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Dresden yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Getting around

    The old town, from the Zwinger to the Royal Palace and the Altmarkt, is compact and walkable. Trams cross the Elbe to the Neustadt.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, two or three days: one for the Zwinger, the Royal Palace and the Green Vault, one for the Semperoper, the Neustadt and the Military History Museum, and a half day for Pillnitz.

  • When to go

    The Striezelmarkt fills the Altmarkt from 25 November to 24 December 2026. The Hausmannsturm closes after 2 November 2026, and the palace museums close on Tuesdays, so plan around them.

  • Booking

    Book the Historic Green Vault online: it runs on timed tickets with limited capacity.

Questions travellers ask

Do I need to book the Green Vault?

For the Historic Green Vault, yes: it uses timed tickets and capacity is limited, so the museum recommends booking online. The New Green Vault is on the general Royal Palace ticket.

When is the Dresden Striezelmarkt?

From 25 November to 24 December 2026 on the Altmarkt: daily from 10:00 to 21:00, from 16:00 on the opening day and until 14:00 on Christmas Eve.

Which day are the museums closed?

The Royal Palace museums close on Tuesdays and the Military History Museum on Wednesdays.

Is Pfunds Molkerei free to visit?

Yes. Entry costs nothing, and souvenir photos are welcome. It is closed on Sundays except during Advent.

Things to do in Germany

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