Parks and the outdoors in Dresden

Parks and the outdoors in Dresden

1. Eat

   Ballhaus Watzke

   Late 19th century brewery, ballroom, restaurant and beer garden with a nice view over the Elbe river.

2. Eat

   Brauhaus am Waldschlößchen

   Traditional German cuisine with a taste of beer brewed on site. Located on a hill with a splendid view over Elbe riverside from the garden. The food is recommended if you want to experience what German cuisine should taste like.

3. See

   Brühlsche Terrasse

   Brühl's Terrace

   The "Balcony of Europe" stretches for 500 m along the River Elbe, some 10 m over the water table, and being up to 20 m wide. Freely open to the public since 1814, it provides space shielded from the danger of flooding, as well as from motorized traffic (which runs directly below over the Terassenufer) for walking, relaxing and enjoying a meal or a drink to locals and visitors, with views of the picturesque Elbe and an impressive backdrop of historic buildings at its back.

4. Eat

   Cafe Toscana

   A pleasant café with a pastry shop (Konditorei) and a restaurant. The cakes are gorgeous and will help you understand why the café is famous. The décor is fairly new, given the very long history of the place (it was named after Louise von Toscana, the run-away princess who divorced the King of Saxony). The terrace is beautiful and overlooks the river and the famous "Blaue Wunder" bridge. Generally it's full of locals on Saturday afternoons who come to chat.

   Daily·€8-20

5. Buy

   Centrum Galerie

   Shopping centre built on the site of a "Centrum Warenhaus" (an East German department store chain, from which the present-day shopping centre also takes its name), which was demolished and rebuilt with some exterior elements reminiscent of the original building. Now hosts east Germany's first Primark, which seems to be a huge draw for shoppers. In the summer there is an (artificial) beach on the roof where soccer matches and "Tatort" are shown. There is no cover charge but expect to be searched for beverages as they sell drinks to recoup costs.

6. Drink

   Citybeach Dresden

   Beach bar with electronic music, a nice view over the Elbe river, and the option to play beach volleyball.

7. Eat

   Die Scheune

   "The barn" is a restaurant with a large beer garden in an alternative style - Don't be shocked by the punks in front. On warm summer nights you will have trouble finding a free spot. Good prices. Serves Indian food. Lots of concerts and events.

8. Eat

   Elbegarten Demnitz

   Large beer garden right south of the Blaues Wunder bridge with a fantastic view over the Elbe river and regular live music events.

9. Do

   Elberadweg

   Elbe Cycle Route

   Do a bicycling tour on this popular cycle route along the Elbe river that offers spectacular views. The Elberadweg is a 1220-km-long cycleway, and within Dresden it follows the Elbe river on both sides from the very southeast to Niederwartha in the very northwest.

10. See

    Elbwiesen

    Elbe River Banks

    Go to the (mostly) green river banks, especially on hot summer evenings/nights for a very nice view of the old parts and lot of people playing sports, having barbecues and parties. There are often big concerts and a huge movie screen offers "outdoor cinema."

11. See

    Frauenkirche

    The original Church of Our Lady was completely destroyed during World War II; however, it has been reconstructed. The City of Coventry, which was raided by the Luftwaffe in WWII, donated the golden cross for the dome of the church. Check out some ruins in the basement. For €12 (concessions €7; families €24) you can walk up to the viewing platform on the dome and enjoy a great view of the city. You must have good walking shoes, otherwise you might not be admitted. As well as being a working church (with services once a month in English), there are also regular concerts. Tickets tend to be expensive but sell out quickly, so try to book ahead of time. The seating can be a little hard.

    Free

12. See

    Gohliser Windmühle

    This beautiful old windmill was built in 1828 and is now a museum and tavern. It includes a beer garden; best reached using Elberadweg cycle route south of the Elbe river.

13. See

    Großer Garten

    "Big Garden"

    Recommended for relaxing and sports (rollerblades are very common). It's Dresden's "green lung" and can be reached easily by tram. You can also go on a ride on a seasonal miniature train through the park.

14. Drink

    Katy's Garage

    If you're walking around Neustadt, you can't miss the beer garden at Katy's Garage. It's a great place to have a drink when it's warm outside. When the beer garden closes at around 22:00, you can make your way into their night club, which consists mostly of rock music.

15. See

    Lingnerschloss

    Villa Stockhausen

    The castle above the Elbe River was built from 1850 tom 1853 by Prince Albert of Prussia. The castle houses a restaurant and an outdoor terrace with beer garden that offers a fantastic view over the Elbe River and Dresden.

16. Drink

    Louisengarten

    Located a few meters from Katy's Garage, this beer garden is only open when it's warm outside. You can come here and relax with a Lenin's Hanf, a delicious beer brewed in the Neustadt.

17. Do

    Ostrale

    One of Germany's biggest expositions of contemporary art, the Ostrale was begun in 2007 on the Ostragehege, a former abattoir. The area is located on a peninsula created by the river Elbe, and is in the heart of the former world heritage site. The buildings are in strong need of restauration, which means that it is unclear whether the next exposition can return to these original grounds. This is amongst the reasons the organizers have decided to change it into a biennial starting with the 2017 exposition. In the years without an exposition in Dresden, the Ostrale will be guest in foreign cities.

18. Eat

    Pizzastube

    Best pizza at the edge of the Neustadt. Some people say it's actually in the Hecht district, but you can walk there and it's worth it!

19. Eat

    Raskolnikoff

    Once a very alternative restaurant, it now features sand on the floors, a red lamp in front of the door and a very nice garden with a fountain. In summer it is difficult to get in. Food and prices are good.

20. Eat

    Rosengarten

    A café bordering one of the public rose gardens of Dresden's riverside park, with plenty of outside seating in nice weather. The food is acceptable, but nothing special. The view is gorgeous. Worth a stop for a hot chocolate or an ice cream.

21. See

    Schloss Albrechtsberg

    Albrechtsberg Palace

    The neoclassical castle above the Elbe river in Dresden's Loschwitz district was erected in 1854 and can be viewed best from the south side of the Elbe river.

22. See

    Schloß Pillnitz

    Pillnitz Castle

    Pillnitz is the old garden residence of the Saxon kings, built at the end of the 18th century in a Japanese but also English style outside of what was then-Dresden, as the closest out-of-town residence of the kings. Pillnitz was the summer residence of the Saxon kings till 1918, today it hosts concerts and cultural events. The site consists of the English garden, a Chinese garden and Chinese pavilion (with Chinese style buildings) and the Orangerie. During summer you will also see all kinds of tropical plants in pots standing in the gardens, but in winter they are all transferred into the Orangerie. There are however, many other indigenous and foreign plants to be discovered. A big attraction is the camellia. Imported at the end of the 18th century from Japan is it now the oldest in Europe. It flowers beautifully in spring. It stands in the open during summer, but is put in a mobile glass house for winter. The castle became known worldwide for the Declaration of Pillnitz by Emperor Leopold II and Frederick William II of Prussia. Calling on European powers to intervene, this declaration was intended to serve as a warning to the French revolutionaries not to infringe further on the rights of Louis XVI, and to allow his restoration to power. It helped begin the French Revolutionary Wars.

    Park from 06:00 till dusk·There are no entry fees, although there still is a debate about a small fee

23. Do

    Stauseebad Cossebaude

    Stausee Niederwartha

    On hot summer days, go swimming or windsurfing at this public bathing pool at the Stausee Niederwartha reservoir. Also includes a long waterslide and beach volleyball courts.

    Adults €4.00, children €2.20

24. Eat

    Villa Marie

    Excellent food, excellent ambiance. Italian food done really well. Reservations strongly recommended. Try to get it on the first floor with its views of the Elbe and the Blaues Wunder, or out on their garden.

25. Eat

    Volkshaus Laubegast

    A simple local eatery and café right on the river. The food tends to be stereotypically German (schnitzel, sausages, and the like) and is generally good. Their fried potatoes are excellent, though their green vegetables are overcooked. Has a nice view of the Elbe and outside seating.

    €10-20 (Jan 2017)

26. Do Not mapped

    Audio tour: Jewish life in Dresden 1933-1945

    Download the free map and audio tracks (in English) and take yourself on a walk covering the history of Jewish life in Dresden from 1933 to 1945. You will need several hours.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Dresden (CC BY-SA 4.0).