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Dresden Old Town

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Basic Information
Total time
2 h 15 minutes
Meeting point
Martin Luther Statue at the Neumarkt (next to Frauenkirche)
Category
Walking Tour,
This tour is provided by

About

Dresden, beautifully set at the river Elbe, is one of Germany’s most wonderful cities, with the famous porcelain-like, baroque architecture dominating its silhouette. Fittingly, the capital of Saxony hides a grandiose history of princes and kings, but also its fair share of tragedies.


Elbe is often described as the line dividing the Germanic and Slavic civilizations of old – we would argue and claim that it actually connects them, and you can feel that in Dresden. The city was once a small Slavic settlement and so its name sounds very familiar to anyone speaking Czech, Slovak, Polish or Sorbian. A small village turned into a city built around a castle in the 13th century and grew into one of the most important trading centers of the region at the end of the Middle Ages. One of the sources of its prosperity was silver and lead mined in the nearby Rudavy mountains. It was also then, at the end of the 15th century, when Dresden was elevated to become the seat of the Holy Roman Empire’s prince-electors. But it wasn’t until the early 1700s, when it really started to shine. It was then when the Saxon princes of the Wettin dynasty were elected Kings of Poland and Grand Dukes of Lithuania and Dresden gained its almost imperial grandeur. Zwinger Palace, Frauenkirche and the redesigned Dresden Castle are only a few pearls among dozens of baroque structures adorning the panorama.


Yet, it was not to last forever. The events of the 20th century, Nazi domination and subsequent World War 2 left the city famously bombed to the point beyond recognition. However, unlike many of its Western German counterparts, the city centre of Dresden was painstakingly restored using old techniques and design elements and now, together with Warsaw, its stands as the most impressive example of historical reconstructions in Europe. So much so that while walking along its cobbled streets, you might not even notice that it’s all… new.


On our tour, we will present you with the history of the city and its current lively face. We will be sure to make you understand how the Germanic organization merged with Slavic hopeless romanticism to form one of a kind Central European fusion.


On this tour, you will see:



  • Neumarkt & Frauenkurche with the staue of Martin Luter

  • Fürstenzug – the gallery of the prince-electors of Saxony

  • Dresden Castle

  • Altmarkt – Kreuzkirche – palace of culture

  • Brühlsche Terrasse

  • Hofkirche

  • Semperoper

  • Zwinger Palace near the Elbe bridge


Today, Dresden is a leading tourism and educational hub and attracts visitors from Germany and abroad. A short ride from Prague and Berlin helps to plan it as a short weekend trip, but it can also be a base to discover the beauty of Saxony with the nearby Bautzen, the centre of the Sorbian culture or Meisen, famous for its medieval old town and porcelain.


Additional Important Information
Included
  • professional local guide 
Ticket Message
  • Meeting Point: Martin Luter Statue at the Neumarkt (next to Frauenkirche)
  • Start Time: Participants are expected to show up 5 min before the start time.
  • Language: English
  • There is no need to print your booking confirmation.

Thank you for choosing Walkative! If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Requirements

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Meeting Point
Martin Luther Statue at the Neumarkt (next to Frauenkirche)

BOOKING RULES
Booking is obligatory. Our pay as you wish tours are designed for individual travellers and small groups. We don’t accept parties of more than 7 people on them. If you travel in a party of 8 or more (school groups, bigger groups of friends etc.), please choose a paid option, if it's available, or book a Private Tour. For more information on the latter, please contact us.



Great walking tour with James!

Rated 5 out of 5
1 day ago

I highly recommend the walking tour. James was a student from Dresden, spoke perfect English and had a wealth of knowledge about his city. We learned so much! We would have never known that the rebuilding of the Neumarkt was only started in 1990. The city is a wonderful place, and he recommended going to Aussere Neustadt for restaurants and bars, which had an amazing vibe and great prices. Thanks James!

Cindy

Tour with James is a Must Do

Rated 5 out of 5
5 days ago

We did the walking tour of Dresden with James and it was an absolutely incredible experience! James is so knowledgeable and thoughtful and he showed us a ton of places around old town, delivering all the history not in a boring history lesson kind of way, but in a very immersive way. He also had great recommendations for lunch afterwards (along with precise tram directions), and I’m so glad we followed his recommendations to avoid the many tourist traps all along the old town. Doing this tour is highly recommended as it’s the best way to get to know the beautiful city of Dresden.

Ipshita

Definitely worth the time

Rated 5 out of 5
1 week ago

Great tour of the old city with lots of interesting historical information . I highly recommend it!

Tatyana

Interesting old town tour

Rated 4 out of 5
1 week ago

It was a funny guided tour to dresden old town. I would definitely recommend people to do it.

Ana

Dresden old town tour recommended!

Rated 5 out of 5
1 week ago

We did the tour with James. He did a great job. Excellent way to grasp the essence of Dresden in two hours.

Tom


This tour is also available as
a Private Tour.

Private tour