Dresden Old Town

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Basic Information
Short Description
A tour of the main sights of Dresden, giving an overview of the history, culture and daily life of the city
Total time
2 h 15 minutes
Language
English, German (check the booking calendar for availability)
Price
"Pay what you wish” tours do not have a fixed price. It is up to you to evaluate your guide’s work and reward it. Some people give 10€, others 50€ depending on their satisfaction and abilities
Meeting point
Martin Luther Statue at the Neumarkt (next to Frauenkirche) - look for the guide with the yellow umbrellaGo to map
Ending point
Near the Dresden Zwinger
Additional info
♿️Suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Our tours run no matter the weather. High or low temperatures, rain or snow is not a reason for us to cancel our tours. We are always here for you. The only reason for cancellations are extreme weather conditions (like heavy storms…), guide's sudden sickness or no minimum number of people (5) to run the tour, but we will always let you know using the data you provided during registration for the tour.

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.


Meeting Point
Martin Luther Statue at the Neumarkt (next to Frauenkirche) - look for the guide with the yellow umbrella

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 tour!

Rated 5.0 out of 5
4 days ago

This was a really great tour! Our guide was super knowledgeable and made it very interesting. We highly recommend it!

Zac

Amazing tour

Rated 5.0 out of 5
5 days ago

Great time in Dresden old town with our guide Niccolò, highly recommended to get to know the city!

Federico

Great walking tour!

Rated 4.0 out of 5
1 week ago

I did this tour with my 11 year old son and we both liked it a lot. Nicolas was interesting, funny and very knowledgeable. It was the perfect way to start our vacation in Dresden and I would highly recommend it. Thank you Nicolas!

Maude

Super informative

Rated 5.0 out of 5
1 month ago

Domenica was funny, droll, totally knowledgeable and we spent an engrossing 2+ hours seeing Old Town Dresden and learning all about it. Very engaging, don’t miss it.

Janice Hickey

Excellent tour

Rated 5.0 out of 5
1 month ago

Excellent tour, very knowledgeable. Gave us lots of facts and with a great senses of humor. Thanks you Nicolas

Gaetan




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This tour is also available as
a Private Tour.

Private tour