Dresden & Saxony in 5 days

In my mind, the stately buildings along the banks of the Elbe River are only second to those in Budapest. To imagine they rose from the ashes of WWII bombings and largely after the unification of Germany, makes them even more remarkable. For a visitor to Dresden, the good news is they are all in a very close walking distance.

 Saxony is dotted with small towns usually built around a medieval castle. One of the most famous thanks to its porcelain factory, is Meissen. But before we get there, there are two stops to make. The first one is in Radebeul, today on the outskirts of Dresden, the second a picture-perfect baroque castle of Moritzburg. 

Between Dresden and Czech border stretches a remarkable national park. The distinguishing features of Saxon Switzerland are the sandstone mountains and cliffs that rise on both banks of the Elbe River. The area can be visited by land and water and this itinerary dedicates two days to the region. On Day 1, let’s visit its towns and fortresses.

 Start day 2 of Saxon Switzerland at Bad Schandau. Here, there are plenty of ways to spend a day. The largest of the towns in the region, the spa town is known for its iron-rich waters. It is easy to spend a relaxing day here, or take on of the many scenic hikes to the rocky outcrops with evocative names such as Cowshed, Holy Staircase and Carola Rock. 

 After spending two days surrounded by nature, it is time to spend a day combining the river and the city: exploring Dresden’s castles. Pillnitz is the only one in the collection open to the public, the other four are impressive enough to be impossible to skip: Eckberg, Lingner and Albrechtsberg palaces, and of course the Great Garden of Dresden.