Dresden, Leipzig and Goritz

You mean Görlitz near Dresden at border to Poland, right?

Neither Dresden nor Leipzig can be fully seen in two full days. Reserve for (two) Green Vaults. Set time to go porcelain museum in Meissen, and maybe boat ride to Saxon Switzerland. Consider adding Erfurt. Are you interested in Dessau-Worlitz Gartenreich, UNESCO WHS?

We visited Dresden just before the pandemic, and we absolutely loved the place. It's incredibly beautiful and the museums are simply fabulous.

There's so much to see in the Saxony region too.

If you need a place to stay, we found a great hotel a couple of blocks from everything. PM me.

Try the Motel One. Use their website for reservations. Very short walk to everything.

Where are you going after these 3 cities? For us it made sense to base in Dresden for four nights with a 1.5h train ride to and from Görlitz one day. We were flying out of Frankfurt so we went to Leipzig for 3 more nights on our way to some nights in Frankfurt before our flight home. We had several unfinished things we wanted to see in all of these cities from our previous short stops. It would be good for you to make a list of what you want to see and do in each of these cities but if you decide to base and day trip, Dresden is a good choice. Make some lists of what you really want to see in these cities, I don’t think with your limited time you’ll have time to explore much more but these cities are a wealth of beauty and history, 4 days will just give you a highlight of your priorities.

Of course it is not enough time to do the cities justice - but if you don't have more time you must make the best of it. At least it is enough to scratch the surface, cover the highlights.

If you take an early train from Berlin it makes sense to stay overnight in Görlitz. The old town is amazing - and there are very nice hotels right on the picturesque Untermarkt square (Hotel Börse in a Baroque building, Frenzelhof is a B&B in a fascinating late Gothic townhouse, Emmerich is a stylish hotel in a 19th century building) and then there is the four-star Hotel Tuchmacher next to the city church (make sure to book a historic room with painted wooden ceiling!)

Just wander around and gaze at the medieval/Renaissance/Baroque facades, drop into a church or two, see Kaisertrutz from outside and maybe climb up Reichenbach tower, definitely check out either Silesian Museum or Historic Museum Neißstraße (corner Untermarkt square) or both. Worth a look are also the 19th century buildings between the old town and the railway station.

In Dresden stay in a centrally located hotel in the old town so the distances are short. Visit Frauenkirche and catholic cathedral (Hofkirche) - the latter has free organ recitals on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 11.30 am (famous Baroque organ.) Walk along Brühl's terrace with views of the river and the New Town. Visit the Royal Palace with several courtyards (free) and museums (one ticket for most, Historic Green Vault extra or in combination - with reservation in advance). Climb up Hausmann tower for the best views. See the Zwinger complex (the courtyard is still undergoing reconstruction, sorry) and, if interested, visit the Picture Gallery Old Masters (!) and/or Porcelain collection plus Mathematical-Physical instruments collection. For Semper Opera house I highly recommend attending a performance/concert. Walk at least for a short visit across Augustus bridge to enjoy the view of the old town from the opposite (New Town) bank of the river. A stroll along Hauptstraße and Königstraße is also recommended including some (window) shopping (boutiques, artisans, cafes, art galleries). Farther into the New Town you get to the vibrant nightlife district (beyond Albertplatz) with lots of ethnic restaurants, clubs, quirky shops, street art (but also ugly graffiti) ... If time allows (probably not) you may take a paddle steamer excursion to Pillnitz Palace and gardens.

I visited these three cities in December 2023 and enjoyed each one! I usually prefer staying in a "home base" but I think your plan is a good one that gives you time to explore each city in the evening and early morning. Train travel between each doesn't take very long, making it easy to coordinate check out/transit/check in times. I was especially surprised at how much I enjoyed Leipzig.

Thank you all for your input. I actually have two weeks but once I discovered all the beautiful towns there are in Germany I wanted to see it all. After reading all your comments I should slow down and maybe eliminate cramming in Bamberg, Tier, Koblenz and wine tasting and save it for another trip. Any other towns you would visit near Dresden?

David, how do I PM you about the hotel? I'm new to this

Lifetime travel - Motel One is already booked for the days I was thinking

Tim - what is Dessau-Worlitz Gartenreich, UNESCO WHS? What did you like about Lerfurt. I had it on the list but wasn't sure.

Some other places near Dresden worth seeing: Meißen (old town, castle, cathedral, porcelain manufacture, vineyards/tastings), Pirna (old town, city church) including an excursion to National Park Saxon Switzerland (Bastei cliff viewpoint, fortress Königstein, canyons, flat-top mountains, bizarre sandstone formations), Freiberg (old town, cathedral, terra mineralia museum), Baroque Schloss Moritzburg in spectacular setting on an island in a lake maybe in combination with a ride on the narrow-gauge steam train ... and a lot more.

https://www.gartenreich.de/en/

https://search.ricksteves.com/?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=Erfurt&button=

Also Bad Muskau and Prince Pückler's park on the Polish border (another UNESCO site) and the nearby Rakotzbrücke--the bridge that forms the perfect circle with its reflection. And that area, especially Bautzen, is where the Sorbian minority live, and their culture is worth checking out. And if you aren't seeing Saxon Switzerland (towns like Rathen), you are truly missing out.