Hello Everyone!
We're going to stop for a few hours (7) in between Berlin and Prague. It seems like a good portion of Dresden is pretty easy to cover by foot, so just wondering, besides the obvious highlights that I can find on google, what other kinds of fun things have you done there in the past? Favorite bar? Restaurant? Beer hall? Coffee? Park? etc..
(We're coffee and beer fanatics)
Thanks
The reconstructed historic center is, indeed, fairly small. The tourist office runs English-language walking tours that provide good historical background. I'm afraid I don't remember when they start, but I believe it's not super-early.
Other than the walking tour, I basically just OD'd on the museums in Dresden. You can easily obtain info on the collections in each museum. I particularly recommend the Historic Green Vault, which requires a timed-entry ticket.
I doubt that I spent 7 hours in Dresden. I came in from Bad Schandau on the S-Bahn (about 45 min). The place was packed. The town square was so packed with tourist, I left on the streetcar and went out into the suburbs for lunch. I was never so glad to be leaving a place.
Sounds as if Dresden's been discovered. It's about time.
We have relatives from there--and they got out 11/1939 on the last American ship leaving Hamburg for New York.
Dresden was probably Europe's most beautiful city--prior to Allied bombing at the end of WWII. And the museums were absolutely incredible--and they're now getting back many of their original treasures. It's a place well worth visiting.
BTW... beer halls are almost exclusively a Munich institution.
For something kind of similar (meaning, the Saxon version of a large restaurant featuring lots of pork and beer), look for Freiberger Schenkhaus, or... I can neither remember the name nor find it on Google maps, but it's a rather large Keller-type restaurant on the Altmarkt. Or maybe it closed...
Oddly enough, the best restaurant I experienced in Dresden features food from the exotic land of... Canada.
I always enjoy a walk along the river if it's warm out but a walking tour of downtown is probably your best bet. For beer halls, there is a Bavarian one, Augustiner an der Frauenkirche, if you really need a beer hall experience. I've spent a lot of time working in Dresden and I can't say that I ever found the city center crowded like Lee says outside of the Christmas season.
DJ
I was in Dresden a year ago in July and it certainly wasn't crowded. Got into the Green Vault without any waiting at all and spent several hours there being wowed by the amazing craftmanship that is on display here. Then I got a touch burnt out with all the gold, silver, diamonds, and ivory, and went over to the underground vaults which was rather interesting. Strolling around the town is nice. Didn't have time to do the Zwinger and I ended up canceling my walking tour as it was pouring rain. Sad to have missed that as it would have added a special touch to my short visit there.
Beer halls and pork knuckles aren't typical Saxon. Saxons have a sweet tooth and like their "coffee and cake" in the afternoon. In the small old town I can recommend the Grand Cafe und Restaurant im Coselpalais, which is right beside the Frauenkirche, and a very small place called Dresdner Kaffeestübchen, where you must try a Eierschecke, the local specialty.
If you are looking for a restaurant with local cuisine try the Altmarktkeller, which offers the typical mix of Saxon, Thuringian and Bohemian/Czech dishes. IMHO a Soljanka is a must in Eastern Germany, apart from that try something with dumplings or Knödel/knedlik.
I don't think that you will have the time to see more than the obvious highlights. If you are into museums the ones in the old town can already keep you busy for two days, and even with limited interest I would recommend to see at least one of the museums, which are quite unique.
And if you are looking for something completely different you can do a short tour with a paddle steamer:
https://www.saechsische-dampfschiffahrt.de/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files_mf/1445439165TarifePreise2016.pdf
The short "Stadttour zu Wasser" crosses several castles and end at Blasewitz, a posh suburb with beer gardens, wine villages, villas and so on, the longer "Schlösserfahrt" goes a little further and ends at Pillnitz castle, a Chinoiserie palace with a wonderful garden.
If you are looking for a restaurant with local cuisine try the Altmarktkeller,
Thanks, Martin, that's the one I referenced but couldn't remember the name.
