Cycling the River Elbe, Wittenberg to Dresden

Extending your stay in Dresden

You will arrive in Dresden late Friday afternoon, in time to prepare for dinner and possibly a drink at the hotel bar. Hence we recommend extending your stay in Dresden by one or two nights. Here are just a few reasons for doing so:

Listen to the carillon outside the Zwinger (which is the name of Dresden's palace),
Visiting one of the exhibitions at the Zwinger: the Old Masters Gallery (Sistine Madonna, also: Rembrandt, Rubens und Canaletto), the Porcelain Collection or the Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments,
Alternatively, there are The New Masters Gallery (featuring artist from several epochs: Caspar David Friedrich, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin, Gustav Klimt, Otto Dix and many more), the Numismatic Cabinet and the Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs.

Walk along the Procession of Princes on Augustusstraße: The mural displays the ancestral portraits of the 35 margraves, electors, dukes and kings of the House of Wettin between 1127 and 1904. It is the largest porcelain artwork in the world.
Have a walk around the New Town district (the outer new town in particular), famous for its art scene and very vivid night live.
Once you are in the New Town, visit Café Zaffaran where you can buy locally grown saffron. Cultivating saffron was done in the region in the 16th century and has been rediscovered just a few years ago.
Walk across one of the bridges over the Elbe and enjoying the view on Dresden’s old town. Most of its buildings are baroque.
Stroll along the flea market down by the river on Saturday.
Smell the flowers at the Botanical Garden, situated in the north-west corner of the 500 acres large Great Garden.
If you are into classical concerts, check out the program of Dresdner Philharmonie, Semperoper Dresden and Kreuzchor Choir.
Rent a bicycle and cycle up the Elbe towards Meissen. Almost halfway you will come along the quaint village of Altkötzschenbroda. People love to spend the evening at one of the many restaurants with a glass of wine, or two.

Take a commuter train along the Elbe into Saxon Switzerland and visit Königstein Fortress. You may also bring a bicycle and cycle back to Dresden.
Once you are in Saxon Switzerland, change the train and make your way to Sebnitz where they hand-craft artificial flowers from silk, velvet and taffeta since 1834. Try it yourself at the end of the workshop tour. (70 to 90 minutes from Dresden by train)
Grab your hiking boots and get lost on the vast number of trails in Saxon Switzerland.
Visit the Panometer, a panoramic painting inside a former gasometer: The painting changes every couple of months.
Visit Moritzburg Palace, situated a bit outside Dresden.

If none of these convince you, feel invited reading about Dresden and its glorious past on Wikipedia.

It is also worth mentioning that Prague is only 2:30 hrs away by train. Prague International Airport offers several flight connections to UK, Ireland and many other destinations.

And last but not least: We have seen a growing interest in Leipzig from our guests lately. Leipzig is about 1.15 hrs from Dresden by train and works well as stopover for a night or two on your way to Berlin Airport. Learn more about Leipzig <here> and the peaceful revolution in 1989.

Please talk to us if you like to book additional nights in Dresden. We will accommodate you in the same hotel that we use Friday night. So you don't have to move and enjoy Dresden from the first minute Saturday morning.