ACHAT Hotel Dresden Elbufer

The Three Castles on the Elbe

Just 3 km east of the centre of Dresden you will find the three stunning castles on the Elbe. Schloss Albrechtsberg, Lingnerschloss and Schloss Eckberg are known as the three castles on the Elbe and they are a great visit while strolling along the river. If you cross to the other side of the river you can enjoy the castles at their best. All three were built between 1850 and 1861 and are set in fine English-style parkland.

Pillnitz Castle

Schloss Pillnitz, or simply Pillnitz Castle, is a beautifully restored Baroque palace located in the eastern part of Dresden, in the German state of Saxony. The castle served as the summer residence of a number of kings and electors of Saxony, and it was also here that the Pillnitz Declaration was signed in 1791.

The palace consists of three main buildings, the Wasserpalais, which is on the river bank, the Bergpalais, which is on the mountain side and also contains Chinese-inspired architecture, and then there is the Neues Palais, which connects the buildings on the eastern side. The palace's Baroque garden is very famous and is then again surrounded by a large public park.

Pillnitz Castle also houses the Museum of Decorative Arts and the Palace Museum. An exciting trip back in time and an ideal family outing that the whole family will enjoy to the full.

Frauenkirche

The beautiful church was unfortunately destroyed in 1945 as a result of one of the most violent aerial bombardments during WWII. It burnt down in the ensuing firestorm. However, the Frauenkirche was reborn in 2005 after a lengthy restoration, begun in 1994.

According to history, a church should have stood on the same spot since the year 1000, but the original Frauenkirche dates from the 18th century and was completed and ready for use in 1743. The church was designed by the architect George Bähr, who unfortunately never saw it completed as he died in 1738.

The church's huge dome became a landmark for the city and has seen a bit of everything, including being bombed by the Prussian army in 1760 without being damaged, and then the church was also the centre of the May Uprising in 1849.

Kennel

Like about 80% of Dresden, the Zwinger was destroyed by Allied bombing between 13 and 15 February 1945. But the palace was rebuilt in the late 1950s. The Zwinger is probably Germany's most famous Baroque building, filled with beautiful paintings that can be enjoyed in the Zwinger Museum, among other places. The paintings were hidden in the Soviet Union during the war and later returned to the city. One of the main attractions is the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister museum, which houses works by Raphael, Giorgione and Titian. Also visit the Armoury, which has an impressive collection of old weapons and battle armour.

The Zwinger also houses a very famous porcelain exhibition and here the Chinese and Japanese collections are of particular note.

Semperoper

The Semperoper is Dresden's opera house, built in 1841 by architect Gottfried Semper. The opera house has been rebuilt too many times, first after the fire of 1864, then after the Allied bombing campaigns of 1945 and most recently in 2002 after the great and devastating floods of central Europe.

The Opera House has many premieres to its credit, including works by Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. If there are music-loving members of your family, see if there are tickets for sale in the impressive building.

Pirna

The picturesque town of Pirna with its beautiful church towers stands out clearly in the landscape around the vineyards of the Elbe valley. The town has many beautiful houses which have been elaborately restored with artistic gables, and the cobbled streets of the town invite you to take a walk around the very heart of the town where especially the market square and the Marienkirche are visited by many tourists every year.

But also the Prina Museum, Stadtmuseum Prina, and the DDR Museum, which offers curiosities from the DDR era, are worth a visit. Also stop by Sonnenstein Castle and discover its sinister past. There are guided tours around the castle, which are highly recommended as it is here that the spooky stories are told A fun detail is that Christiansborg Castle is built of sandstone from this very area.

Striezel market

Striezelmarkt is the oldest and largest Christmas market in Germany and was first mentioned back in 1434. The Christmas market is named after the local Christmas cake, Strietzel. A huge experience for both children and adults with many highlights such as the Pflaumentoffelhaus, the Knusperhaus, the Christmas bakery and at the same time several music events are held. Especially in the days leading up to Christmas Eve, various celebrations are held and the Stollenfest, on 5 December, is a particular attraction with the giant Stollen Christmas cake being transported from the Zwinger to the Striezelmarkt, in Dresden city centre, by horse-drawn carriage and then cut up and distributed to the many attendees amid great festivity. Enjoy a glass of warm Glühwein, some Christmas cake or fragrant chestnuts, but don't forget to sink your teeth into the famous Christstollen Christmas cake.

Basteiklipperne

Experience Germany on a cheap summer holiday with Risskov. Drive yourself to the east of Germany and visit Dresden and the impressive Basteiklipper which is located just southeast of Dresden in the Saxon Switzerland. From the top there are incredible views and the climb is filled with various hiking trails, stairs and small bridges and inside is Felsenburg Neurathen, the rock castle, which is the largest medieval stone castle in Saxon Switzerland . The castle is first mentioned in 1289 and has been owned by various Bohemian noble families.

Visit the Panorama Restaurant and enjoy the view of the Elbe and Königstein Fortress in the distance. Try an active holiday on a wonderful family holiday in the area around Dresden. Find Denmark's cheapest prices on weekend breaks at Risskov.

Königstein Fortress

The state of Saxony has a lot of castles and fortresses, in fact almost 1,000 beautiful buildings, which offer a lot of interesting history. Find a cheap family holiday in the south at Risskov with child-friendly hotels and plenty of opportunity to set your own pace. Festung Königstein, or Königstein Fortress, certainly belongs in this unique pool of exciting German history and is the largest hilltop fortress in Europe. Built on a 9.5-hectare rocky plateau, 240 metres above the Elbe, this fortress contains over 50 buildings, which are surrounded by an 1,800-metre-long fortress wall, with the wall up to 42 metres high in places. In the centre of the fortress is a 152.5 metre deep well, which is also the second deepest in Europe.

Used as a state prison, the fortress is still intact and today houses one of Saxony's main tourist attractions. Festung Königstein also has a special map to help wheelchair users find their way around. There is also a tactile model, which gives the visually impaired a better opportunity to experience the fortress by touch.

A great experience for the whole family. Go on a self-drive family holiday and enjoy the many beautiful buildings from other centuries with Risskov.

Christmas market in Dresden

Dates.
The Striezelmarkt - 26.11. – 24.12.
Dresden Winter Lights Market - Dates: 26.11. - 23.12.
Augustusmarkt - Dates: 26.11. - 04.01.
The Christmas Market on the Neumarkt - Dates: 26.11. – 04.01.

Opening hours
The Striezelmarkt - 10.00-21.00
Dresden Winter Lights Market - Sun-Thu: 11.00-20.00 Fri-Sat: 10.00-21.00
Augustusmarkt - Mon-Thu: 11.00-21.00 Fri: 11.00-22.00 Sat: 10.00-21.00 Sun: 10.00-21.00
The Christmas Market on the Neumarkt - 11.00-22.00

Please note that dates and opening hours may vary. You can visit the Christmas market's own website with current information.

The smell of mulled wine and gingerbread spreads through the baroque city of Dresden when the city's famous Christmas market opens in November and December.

The Christmas market in Dresden is also called Strizelmarkt, which is derived from the name of the famous local dried fruit Christmas cake, Dresdner Stollen. The Christmas market is one of the oldest in Germany and dates back to 1434.

Here you can find genuine traditional crafts from Christmas pyramids to candlesticks from the Erzebirge mountains, while you can also see glassblowers and bakers in action at the market. Every year you can also have the pleasure of seeing the largest step pyramid from the Erzebirge; a Christmas decoration more than 14 metres high.