Day 1
An optional tour in Dresden begins with a short drive from your hotel to Radebeul. Here you change to the Lößnitzgrundbahn. The Lößnitzgrundbahn, Saxony's fourth narrow-gauge railroad, began operating in September 1884 and has been puffing along between the towns of Radebeul and Radeburg for over 120 years. The 16.6 km long route takes you through 11 stations and over 19 bridges. The town of Radebeul, the starting point of the picturesque Lößnitzgrundbahn, is just a few kilometers from the Saxon state capital of Dresden.
Once you arrive in Moritzburg, a horse-drawn carriage will pick you up and take you to Moritzburg Castle. A romantic ride through breathtaking scenery awaits you. The road leads directly to Moritzburg Castle, which is situated on an island in the middle of an artificial lake. Between 1723 and 1736, Pöppelmann converted a small Renaissance castle into the impressive residence of Augustus, which was suitable for hunting and other typical amusements of his time. The original interior with the famous leather carpets is well preserved, and the unique feather room made from millions of bird feathers amazes visitors. On the other side of the lake is the Moritzburg stud farm, famous for its horse parades in September.
The coachman will take you to the Fasanenschlösschen, wait for you there while you visit this beautiful building and then take you back to Moritzburg main station. You will then return to Dresden and check into your hotel. You will then have time to explore the city on your own and enjoy your time together.
Day 2
The picturesque drive to Meissen takes you along the Elbe, past numerous castles and vineyards.
Meissen is the center of the Saxon wine region. The cradle of Saxony impresses with its never-destroyed old town beneath the majestic castle hill. In the heart of the town, directly on the market square, lies the Vincenz Richter, a romantic place. It is the restaurant of the winery of the same name, which has been family-owned since 1873, even during communist rule. The restaurant is located in a former half-timbered clothmaker's house dating back to 1523 and is furnished with 500 artifacts from many centuries, making it a history book and an institution far beyond Saxony. Nevertheless, the wine is the focus of the family's attention, and a tasting provides an insight into its distinctive character.
The castle hill still dominates the impressive, never-destroyed old town with its striking houses with red roofs. Your route first takes you to Albrechtsburg Castle, Germany's first representative castle and a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture.
As porcelain production in the small Dresden laboratory was not possible on a large scale, Augustus the Strong had the castle in Meissen, which stood empty for most of its existence, rebuilt as a new production facility. His hopes of keeping the formula secret were quickly dashed, but porcelain continued to be produced there until the 19th century, when a new, purpose-built manufactory was opened in Meissen's Triebischtal valley. The permanent exhibition gives visitors an insight into the history of the castle, including the porcelain years. The oldest trademark in the world, the crossed blue swords, was created at Albrechtsburg Castle and can still be found on every piece of Meissen porcelain today.
A walk down from the castle hill leads through the medieval alleyways of Meissen. The oldest carillon made of Meissen porcelain is located on the tower of the Frauenkirche church on the market square. Just outside the city center is the St. Nicholas Church, which was converted into a memorial for the First World War in the 1920s. The impressive interior features large epitaphs made of Meissen porcelain.
The famous Meissen State Porcelain Manufactory is just a few steps away. An English-language guided tour through the show workshops offers you an insight into Saxon craftsmanship and artistry. Even today, the manufactory is able to reproduce every single piece of porcelain it has ever produced. Unsurprisingly, the museum has the largest collection of Meissen porcelain in the world.
A unique feature - an organ with porcelain pipes. It was commissioned by Augustus the Strong for his planned "Porcelain Palace", but was only completed a few years ago when all the technical hurdles had finally been overcome. The manufactory also runs a store and a factory outlet. There is no better place in the world to buy Meissen porcelain.
After your visit to the Meissen State Porcelain Manufactory, you will have time to explore the town on your own. In the evening, you can enjoy dinner at the Indian restaurant Punjabi Haveli. The small restaurant is located in the romantic old town of Meissen below Albrechtsburg Castle and the cathedral. It serves delicious specialties of Indian cuisine. Restaurant owner and chef Nishan comes from Punjab in northwest India and has made the preparation of his homeland's dishes his passion. The dishes are prepared in the traditional Indian style and are characterized by the variety of different spices.
The trip ends with the return journey to your hotel in Dresden.
Day 3
Sächsische Dampfschifffahrt operates the largest and oldest fleet of historic paddle steamers in the world. The nine authentic side-wheel steamers date from 1879 to 1929 and offer you a unique nostalgic experience.
Pillnitz Palace on the banks of the Elbe is the former summer residence of the Saxon kings. As you approach the grounds, you will see the vineyard church in the vineyards, another Pöppelmann project. The old Renaissance palace of Pillnitz, which later burned down, belonged to Countess Cosel, but was taken from her when she fell out of favor. With the help of Longuelune, Pöppelmann built the moated castle and the mountain castle between 1720 and 1725. These masterpieces have a unique appearance with their pagoda roofs and "Chinese" decorations. Although these were fashionable throughout Europe at the time, nowhere are they as distinctive as in Dresden. In the 19th century, the buildings were connected by the "New Palace".
The park is impressive and consists of various gardens and pavilions. The oldest camellia in Europe is protected in winter by its own retractable glass house. As Pillnitz was close to Dresden at the time of Augustus, he liked to travel there by gondola. A replica of one of these magnificent ships can be found in the baroque garden. Before you leave Pillnitz on a historic steamboat, you will have two hours to enjoy the beautiful gardens.
Day 4
Your day begins in the center of Dresden with a guided walking tour of Dresden. The tour begins at Dresden Castle on Schlossstraße and takes you to the Taschenberg Palace with its many stories about Augustus the Strong, the Zwinger, a masterpiece of late Baroque with a theater hall, the Semper Opera House, the Italian Village, along the Fürstenzug to the heart of Dresden - the Frauenkirche, one of the most important Protestant churches in the world - and to Neumarkt. The guided walk takes you on a journey through Dresden's historical past.
Afterwards, you have the option of taking part in the "Great Discovery Tour" by steamboat, cable car and bus. Enjoy the flair of the Elbe steamers and let yourself be whisked away to a bygone era of travel on the Elbe, along the beautiful city and river landscape. Our destination is Blasewitz. You will leave the ship near the "Blue Wonder" and take a walk along the famous Elbe. Afterwards, the over 100-year-old cable car will take you up into the Elbe valley to Oberloschwitz, where you can enjoy Dresden's most beautiful panoramic view.
This part of the tour continues with the Big Sightseeing Tour buses. The double-decker buses offer you the ideal opportunity to get to know this fascinating city on the Elbe.
If you have a little more time, you can get off at any of the 22 stops, take a closer look at the various sights and continue the tour on one of the next buses. In the summer months, all stops are served every 15 to 30 minutes and you can use them as often as you like.
The tour continues with a visit to the Dresden Residential Palace. Almost eight hundred years of history are reflected in this Saxon royal palace, which was not only a royal seat but also housed one of the most important art collections in Europe: the Dresden State Art Collections.
The Residenzschloss is part of a museum complex of extraordinary European importance, in which the famous Green Vault has found a worthy home. The Green Vault enjoys a worldwide reputation as one of the richest treasure chambers.
