Dresden tour: Historic Old Town

Let’s start our discovery tour in the Historic Old Town!

Starting on Theaterplatz (Theatre Square), the grand square in front of the world-famous Semperoper
(Semper Opera House), our two-hour city tour takes us to the city’s Baroque symbol, the Zwinger.
Including the Kronentor (Crown Gate), galleries and fountains, it began as a festival ground
and is now a museum complex holding paintings, porcelain and technical treasures.

Just a few steps from the Zwinger we have the opportunity to walk through the imposing Residenzschloss
(Royal Palace) with its beautiful inner courtyards and to look at it as the residence and
seat of government of the House of Wettin. As you stand in front of the neighbouring Taschenbergpalais,
the amusing story of our prince-elector, Augustus the Strong, and his mistress,
Countess Cosel, is bound to amuse you.

On Altmarkt (Old Market) we get closer to the origins of the city’s 800-year history. It is the place
where Germany’s oldest Christmas market, better known as Striezelmarkt, is held every year,
drawing countless guests from Germany and abroad who are delighted by the local traditions
and culinary specialities. To give you an idea of the Wettin dynasty, we walk along the Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes),
a mural made of Meissen porcelain. It begins near Saxony’s largest church, Katholische Hofkirche
(Catholic Court Church), and leads towards Neumarkt (New Market), a square rebuilt to resemble
the historic model, and the rebuilt Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) with its prominent
bell-shaped stone dome.

Brühlsche Terrasse (Brühl’s Terrace) provides a sweeping view from the striking cupola of the art academy,
nicknamed the “lemon squeezer”, down to the Elbe river valley and into the Neustadt (New Town).