Dresden or Leipzig

While I haven't been to Leipzig I can highly recommend Dresden. It's a lovely city, totally reconstructed since the fire bombing in WWII. If you go a must-see is the Green Vault. Get your tickets as far in advance as you can, as it sells out fast. There are rooms and rooms of breathtaking treasure -- amber room, silver room, etc. i've not seen its like anywhere else in Europe.

For a short visit, both have plenty to see. I liked Leipzig better, but of course each has its champions. And they're only 90 minutes or less apart by train, so it's easy enough to stay in one and day trip over to the other.

I personally prefer Leipzig, but it depends on what you want. Dresden has more museums, but outside the relatively small reconstructed Neumarkt and Altmarkt areas (which feels much more "visited" than "lived in"), the city isn't particularly attractive. Leipzig is overall very attractive and very lively, and it vies with Berlin as the classical music capital of Germany. It also has one of the best zoos in Europe. You would probably spend more time strolling and people-watching here, whereas you would spend more time looking at exhibits in Dresden. The area surrounding Dresden is more interesting, however, including Saxon Switzerland, the old town of Meißen and the magnificent Schloss Moritzburg. Leipzig's hinterland consists mostly of just flat agricultural and industrial plains.

Dresden offers a very small reconstructed old town with world-class architecture and world-class museums, surrounded by Commie architecture, surrounded by beautiful 19th century quarters. The city is surrounded by wineyards, wine villages and castles. You can do day trips to beautiful small towns, Saxon Switzerland, the Ore mountains (which includes a village with nothing but Christmas shops), and several castles and palaces. There is also a nostalgic steam train and a fleet of paddle steamers.

Leipzig offers a much better preserved centre with a greater urban feel. It feels like Berlin in small. But architecture and museums aren't on Dresdens level, since Leipzig was a trading town, and merchants are stingy. Sights in the surroundings aren't as diverse as Dresdens.... and they are less known. The nearby Unstrut valley offers wineyards too, but IMHO they are less beautiful than Dresdens. You can do day trips to Naumburg, Torgau, Dessau (Bauhaus), the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm (but late October is not the best time), Erfurt and Weimar. The closest mountains are the Harz mountains, but AFAIK it takes more than 2 hours to get there.

I prefer Dresden, since it offers more options, especially if the weather is bad. And I wouldn't stay in the centre but around the Blue Wonder bridge. On one side of the bridge are posh 19th century living quarters, on the other a wine village, villas and castles. It takes ~15min to get from there to the old town.

I'm not big on cities, but just east of Dresden, on the Elbe near the Czech border, is a German national park called Sächische Schweiz. I spent four days in the park a few years ago, including a day trip to Dresden. Sächische Schweiz has strange rock formations including flat topped "mesas", on one of which was built an imposing fortress, Königstein.

It's really hard to answer without knowing your interests. Dresden probably has slightly more art on the museum walls. Leipzig may have a longer classical music season, but both cities have important music institutions. Leipzig has the Bach family. Dresden has the two Green Vaults. I give a slight edge to Leipzig.

See also:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/leipzig-and-erfurt-the-heart-of-mitteldeutschland

Is "Leipzig vs. Dresden" going to become the new "Brugge vs. Gent vs. Brussles" or "Munich vs. Berlin"? Everyone, stake out your battle positions!

Oh, no, Tom! Let's not. The descriptions above have probably put Jim on the right track. I quite enjoyed Dresden, particularly for the museums, but have yet to visit Leipzig.

Hi,

"...in either Dresden or Leipzig." A very tough call. Ideally, you should visit both cities as they have much to offer, historically and culturally. Both cities have it in the cultural sphere. But if you wan the whole time in one for history only, then Dresden is the choice, esp Dresden-Neustadt, where the biggest war museum is located., accessible by S-Bahn. Also, Dresden has the museum/house of Beethoven's contemporary. Carl Maria von Weber. What is your top priority in both cities?