Dresden must see?

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Sadly, Dresden is infamous in WW2 history as the site of one of the most controversial bombing assaults, by the US Air Corps and RAF, against German civilians.

I spent a long time in the Green Vault. I didn't have much time in Dresden and it was pouring down rain the whole time. Go to the tourist info and you can book a really reasonably priced walking tour for 12 €. It is with Dresden Walks. Most efficient way to see a city if you don't have a lot of time. I also went to the underground vaults/fortifications. That was pretty interesting, though much was still closed off due the rains last year.

Rick doesn't cover much of Dresden on this web site, but the 46-page chapter in his Germany guidebook has plenty of detail.

A must see are the museums. The historic Green Vault is the most popular, but if you like these kind of things visit the new Green Vault too. The Old Masters are a must if you are into paintings, and the armory is one of the best in Europe. Part of the armory is the Turkish Chamber, which is quite unique too.
When it comes to buildings the Zwinger, the opera (visiting is highly recommended) and the Frauenkirche are the obvious must sees. The part on the left side of the river with the (small, reconstructed) old town is for shopping and tourism only, normal life moved to two other parts of the city after the war (since the old town was completely leveled). On the other side of the river is Neustadt, a 19th century quarter with nightlife, hip bars, quirky shops and so on. The highlight there is Pfunds dairy, called the worlds most beautiful dairy. That's true, but it's also a tourist trap today. The second centre of Dresden is the area around the Blue Wonder bridge, a wonderful posh quarter with old villas, a wine village, castles, a funicular railway, a suspension railway and the beautiful bridge. Around 1930 it was Europes most expensive neighborhood, and today it's probably the best place to get an idea how Dresden was before the destruction. There are two popular bakeries on both ends of the bridge, Wippler and Hüblers, where you could taste Eierschecke, the local specialty.
And you should do a day trip, since there's a lot to see around Dresden. The most obvious choice here is a trip with a nostalgic paddle steamer. Upstream you pass Pillnitz castle, a beautiful Baroque palace with a nice park, Pirna, a small preserved town, Königstein, one of Europes biggest fortresses, and finally Saxony Switzerland, beautiful mountains full of picturesque rock formation. Downstream you can visit Meissen, a beautiful preserved town and home of the famous porcelain. In both cases you can take the paddle steamer to the sight of your choice, and return by train.

As noted, the Neumarkt area of Dresden is stunning, but being completely rebuilt, doesn't feel particularly "lived in". Believe it or not, the best meal I had in town was at a Canadian-themed restaurant.

Most North American tourists don't go to Europe to visit zoos, but if you're an animal lover, Dresden's offers two koalas for your viewing pleasure.

In addition to the Green Vault, the Schloss has one of the most elaborate, if not the largest, collections of armor I've ever seen. I got the impression that the rulers of Saxony were some of Europe's greatest packrats, considering all the stuff on display at the Schloss and Zwinger museums.

I also enjoyed a visit to the magnificent Jagdschloss of Moritzburg. Nearby, you can ride a steam train that ambles pleasently through the Saxon wine country... I never even knew Saxony had a wine region before riding this train.

Kent,

"Sadly, Dresden is infamous in WW2 history as the site of one of the most controversial bombing assaults, by the US Air Corps and RAF, against German civilians."

One other interesting bit of trivia is that Dresden's twin city is Coventry.

Michael,

Lots of good suggestions in the previous replies. A few thoughts....

• the Frauenkirche is magnificent and definitely worth a visit. Be sure to take a look inside (they close for awhile at lunch time and then re-open about 13:00 as I recall). There are lots of restaurants there and some kind of shopping mall directly opposite the entrance to the Church, so you can go for a meal if you're waiting for it to open.
• Festung Dresden (Fortress) - if you're really interested in the history, you could spend a short time there.
• I quite enjoyed my visit to the Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr. The Museum has a rather striking appearance, due to an addition designed by Daniel Libeskind.
• I ran out of time so didn't make it to the Green Vault, but that's apparently a "must see".

The Volkswagen Transparent Factory is well worth a visit. If I remember correctly it cost 7 euros, but you must make arrangements in advance. Also, try to take the tour on a day when they are working.

I enjoyed a self-guided walking tour of Neustadt, but for the life of me, I can't remember where I found it. It included the Martin Luther Church. I took a river cruise - not very interesting, wish I'd skipped it.

The city is beautiful (and lots of photo ops) at sunset and twilight.

Sadly, my only trip to Dresden was 30 years ago and I'm itching to get back. My most vivid memory was a visit of the porcelain collection in the Zwinger. I would love to see that again and include a side trip to the town of Meissen nearby to the world famous manufactory.

Today you can still find the porcelain collection in the Zwinger. For more info click here

For info on the museum in the Meissen manufactory click here

For something a bit off the tourist path but still truly unique, I'd suggest stopping by the Saxon State Library to view the Dresden Codex. It's the best and oldest surviving example of a Mayan language pre-Columbian book (one of only 15 in existence). This something that is a true world treasure and not just a Sächsisch treasure.

DJ