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.
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.


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.



Dresden old town

Rated 5.0 out of 5
1 day ago

Nicolau guided us around Dresden old town. He is very knowledgeable and explained history, art, war and from multiple centuries. He also has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour so it makes tu stories funny and I loved it. Grea your

Michael McLoughlin

Nicolau did it well

Rated 5.0 out of 5
2 months ago

Nicolau as a tour guide was definitely a bliss to have. He brought so much different flavors to historical facts that we couldn’t realize where 2 hours went by in chilly n windy day! I would love to come again just to have a longer chat with him on different topics… cheers! 🙂

Gaurab

Fantastic Tour with Nicolo

Rated 5.0 out of 5
2 months ago

We have attended Dresden Old Town Tour which was guided by Nicolo. The way of how he explains the things by including sarcasm and sense of humour made the tour fabulous. Thank you! Highly recommend!

Aykut

Dresden Old Town Free Tour

Rated 5.0 out of 5
3 months ago

I’m a traveler and I have been to many free walking tours and this is my first time doing a review…I mean it is worth a review!! Nicola, you did a stellar job!! Amazing tour and I’m really satisfied. Nicola has vast knowledge about the tour and with a good sense of humor that comes with it, makes it more entertaining. Nicola, you should push through with the Dresden New Town Tour! I’ll come by again and join your tour! Cheers!

Zandy

Free tour of Dresden

Rated 5.0 out of 5
4 months ago

Nicola was a wonderful guide. He had vast knowledge of the city and it’s history abd was vastly entertaining. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Book it!

Margarita Valentin




This tour is also available as
a Private Tour.

Private tour