Dresden Elbland – perfect for a spring or summer trip

Dresden Elbland - holiday with it all is written by The editorial staff, RejsRejsRejs in cooperation with Visit Dresden Elbland.

Take the family to Dresden Elbland in the heart of Europe's beating heart

The city of Dresden is located approximately midway between Berlin and Prague, and is the capital of the Old Kingdom of Saxony, which is now one of the German Länder. Saxony borders on boats Poland og Czech Republic and is located in the southeast corner of Germany - right in the heart of Europe, and at the same time close to Denmark.

Around Dresden is the area called Elbland, which is named after the river Elbe, which flows through the beautiful landscapes. The Elbe actually flows all the way up to Hamburg, and there is a bike route all the way if that is something that tempts. More on bike routes later.

In Dresden Elbland you will find everything that belongs to a classic holiday in Europe: From historic buildings and monuments in the name of the world wars over beautiful river landscapes flanked by vineyards and castles to countless opportunities for the active traveler. There is enough to get started on.

And then it's all perhaps most important of all within manageable driving distance. You can of course choose to fly to Dresden, but otherwise it is easy to get to Dresden Elbland by car or by train - eg directly from Rostock or via Berlin on the road.

Just take the whole family to the butter hole in the middle of Europe. It can only be cozy and memorable.

Saxony, Dresden and Elbland are in the middle of the story

The Kingdom of Saxony has to a large extent been marked by historical upheavals throughout the Middle Ages in particular, and since Saxony became part of the great German Empire, one would think that there would be calm. It did not quite there. Dresden first became the center of internal German unrest, and later in 1945 the city was virtually razed to the ground in a violent bombardment.

The rebuilding of the city took many decades and the violent history still sits deep in the city. Most of the classic buildings have been rebuilt true to the historical traditions, but you will also find ruins that remind the residents and visitors of our time that something violent once happened here.

Dresden is really a good example of how to live in the middle of history and move on without forgetting the past. A visit to the city leaves its mark, and you can not help but get a little wiser.

In fact, Dresden Elbland has also had a lot of Danish influence over time. One of Saxony's great men, Elector August the Strong, was the son of Frederik the 3rd's daughter and great-grandson of Christian the 4th. And reportedly HC Andersen visited Dresden and Elbland no less than 32 times on his travel. These are great footprints we follow when we travel there today.

Classical culture and art treasures at Zwinger Castle

One of the great classical buildings, which was rebuilt after the bombing of the war, is the castle Zwinger. In addition to the palace and the impressive baroque garden itself being worth a visit, Zwinger also houses a wealth of unique art and cultural treasures in the form of paintings, scientific instruments and porcelain.

I Painting gallery Alte Meister you meet, as the name suggests, all the ancient masters from all over Europe. Rafael, Rembrandt and Rubens are among the most famous classical artists, whose works you will find on the gallery walls.

For the more scientifically interested, it is obvious to visit the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon and the large collection of scientific instruments from all over the world. Here you can explore astronomical and more terrestrial measuring devices and really get trained or refreshed what you have learned in physics lessons. The whole family can probably benefit from this.

In fact, Saxony is also world-famous for porcelain - not least because of the pioneering production in the town of Meißen, which is located in Elbland a little northwest of Dresden. There lies the porcelain factory from 1710 still, and you and the family can explore the whole process from the early years to today, where Meissen porcelain is known worldwide. And of course you can buy some to take home to the dining table.

This centuries-old tradition of making porcelain is the reason why you will find in Dresden and at the Zwinger Castle one of the world's most impressive collections of porcelain from Saxony as well as China and Japan. In particular, it is the Ming and Qing objects from China that draw - and of course also the local masterpieces from Meißen.

In an audience with the royal and high-sounding musical experiences

In addition to Zwinger Castle, you will find a strip of other well-preserved and well-restored buildings around Dresden.

In the middle of the old town lies Dresden Castle, which was the residence of the kings and the royal family members when Saxony was a kingdom.

The castle today houses large collections of what makes the royals royal; here are gold and precious stones in generous quantities along with coin collections, weapons and equipment for the great gold medal and even art treasures by artists from Michelangelo to Picasso. And then the castle itself is also a real medieval castle with lots of guf for the history-loving guest.

Probably the most famous landmark in Dresden is Our Lady's Church or Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Munich) in German. The church has a thousand-year history, and the current version was rebuilt with the help of the people after it was bombed in 1945. For many years the church stood the hole and collapsed as a symbol of the devastation of the war, but in 1990 the people demanded that it be rebuilt.

Today, the church is an important centerpiece for both church and musical events and the 90-meter-high dome has become a symbol of Dresden's restoration.

Should it be really loud, then go to the opera performance in Dresden Semperoper. The Opera House is one of the most important in Europe and has provided a house and stage for such large-scale performances as Wagner's Tannhäuser and Strauss' Rosenkavaleren. Larger classic quality stamps are almost not available.

However, not everything in Dresden is old and classic. Dresden is also a modern city with a focus on the future. One of the more interesting places to visit is the 'transparent factory' The glasses manufactory, where Volkswagen builds cars, and where you can follow the whole process. Previously, the Phaeton model was built here, and Bentley has also been on the assembly line. Now, in turn, electric VWs are coming out of the gate at the end of the belt. A must for car geeks of all ages.

On a river trip with the historic wheeled steamers

When you and your family are about to fill their heads with culture, it's time to get a little away from the city and out into the fantastic landscapes that Elbland offers.

A good way to get in the mood and at the same time stay in historical surroundings is by taking with wheel steamer up or down the Elbe. If you take the trip up the Elbe, the old steamers from the 1800th century take you past old romantic castles and beautiful landscapes from the hustle and bustle of the big city to what is rightly called Saxon Switzerland.

Here on the border with the Czech Republic you will find some of Europe's most picturesque mountain landscapes. These are images that attach themselves to the retina, and which of course also provide good motifs for any photographer.

If you sail down the Elbe, you come through Saxony's many vineyards on the slopes down to the river, and again there is idyll in mileage on both sides of the boat. It's just about taking it all in and enjoying the surroundings - preferably with a cup of coffee or a cold drink in hand along the way. It's pure pleasure.

Dresden Elbland is perfect for active family holidays

Of course, looking at nature from the tire of a wheeled steamer is not quite enough; more steam is needed under the boiler. Therefore, it is perfect that Elbland is almost created for cycling and hiking holidays. Along the Elbe there is a well-functioning network of cycle routes, and if you follow the river all the way, you will reach the North Sea in Hamburg - but it also takes about 14 days. Smaller ones can do that too, of course.

Hop on the bike and explore Elbland on two wheels along the marked bike routes. The routes go over meadows and lake landscapes and through deep forests. Make stops in the cozy towns of Radebeul and Meißen on the outskirts of Dresden and visit the castles Moritzburg og Albrechtsburg, when you need a break. Also try the old steam-powered train, which runs between the small towns and makes stops at castles and in villages along the way.

In addition to cycling routes, you will find lots of beautiful hiking routes in Elbland, and if you want to get your arms moving too, rent a kayak and take a trip on the Elbe at water level. Exercise can easily be an experience of a lifetime.

Wine, food and cosiness

One of the most popular activities in Elbland is going on a wine tour. Whether you are on two wheels or more, or you are on foot, there are plenty of places to visit when the taste buds need to be pampered. In addition to the good food, Elbland and Dresden offer really good wines, and they taste the best at the vineyard, where they are made.

The vineyards Castle Wackerbarth og Hoflößnitz in Radebeul both are worth a visit and you can tick off the map in many places along the Saxon Wine Route, which stretches from the town of Pirna southwest of Dresden to Diesbar-Seußlitz to the northwest. The German name of the wine route can be a bit of an ordeal once you have the first few glasses: Saxon Weinstraße.

What news does Dresden Elbland offer in 2024? It gets pretty romantic

You can experience the real romance. Together with Saxon Switzerland, Hamburg, Berlin and Greifswald, Dresden is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Elbland Caspar David Friedrich, who is the most significant artist of early German Romanticism.

Do you want to travel slowly through the rolling landscapes of your own thoughts and just take time for yourself? Then we recommend a very special and romantic one Komoot route, which is full of authentic stops along the way.

In autumn 2024 you can experience special exhibitions on Caspar David Friedrich in Dresden.

You can see much more about what Dresden Elbland has to offer this overview, which you can download, print out or read online.

This is what you should see in Dresden Elbland

• Slottet Zwinger - Painting Gallery Alte Meister, Mathematical-Physical Salon, Dresden Porcelain Collection
• Dresden Castle - Green vault, coin cabinet
• The wheel steamers on the Elbe
• Vor Frue Kirke - Church of Our Lady
• Semperoper - The Opera in Dresden
• The glasses Manufaktur von Volkswagen - VW's transparent car factory
• Schloss Wackerbarth - wine castle in Radebeul
• The Hoflößnitz winery in Radebeul
• Moritzburg Castle
• Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen
• Sächsische Weinstraße - the Saxon wine route
• Pocelænfabrikken in Meißen

Read more about it Dresden Elbland on the official tourist site here.

See much more about traveling in our large neighboring country Germany here