Dresden: Insider Advice

PHOTO: Francesco Lagnese

When calling the telephone numbers below from the United States, except for those that are toll-free, first dial 011-49-351.

When to Go

Dresden is most popular in the mild months, May through September. The city comes alive with holiday spirit in December, when it’s home to Germany’s oldest continuously running Christmas market.

Getting Around

In the center of the city, taxis are readily available, particularly near the train station. Streetcars are inexpensive and cover much of Dresden. Navigating town without an automobile is easy, therefore, but to see the Elbe valley or Meissen (highly recommended), rent a car through Avis, Europcar or the German company Sixt.

Where to Stay

The Kempinski Hotel Taschenbergpalais Dresden is in a rebuilt palace created for Augustus the Strong’s mistress, the countess Anna Constanze van Cosel. The location, opposite the Residenzschloss, is unbeatable, but the lobby leans toward corporate blandness. Still, the 216 wood-veneered guest rooms have the finest linens, and the view from the front-facing windows is spectacular. Double rooms from $409. 3 Taschenberg; 800-426-3135; kempinski.com.

The Hotel Bülow Residenz Dresden, in the Neustadt, is an intimate inn hidden away on a quiet side street. Ralf Kutzner has been managing director here since 1993 and played a big part in reinventing this old aristocratic mansion. Real and faux antique furnishings upholstered in rich fabrics decorate the thirty generous accommodations. Double rooms from $318, suites from $428. 19 Rähnitzgasse; 80-030; buelow-residenz.de.

A ten-minute streetcar ride out of town is the Schloss Eckberg, a renovated castle built in 1861 for a wealthy merchant. Though hardly minimalist, the Schloss’s expanses of empty space and white walls free of frippery can be refreshing after a few days of Baroque overload. Double rooms from $338, suites from $421. 134 Bautzner Strasse; 80-990; schloss-eckberg.de

Located in the same complex as the Quartier an der Frauenkirche shopping center, the Hotel QF has been reconstructed in a palette of beige and brown. From the large windows, guests look out on the heart of the Altstadt. Double rooms from $233. 1 Neumarkt; 563-309-910; qf-hotel.de.

Where to Eat

Caroussel, in the Bülow Residenz, is Dresden’s only Michelin-starred restaurant. Dirk Schröer creates modern interpretations of Saxon dishes, such as venison with semolina dumplings and cabbage. Portions are small and prepared with maximum attention. 19 Rähnitzgasse; 80-030.

The Schloss Eckberg restaurant has an extensive wine list and a sweeping view of the Elbe valley. Expect Continental cuisine influenced by French classics, like seared foie gras with poached pears. 134 Bautzner Strasse; 80-990.

At Villandry, in the Inner Neustadt, the Haufe brothers preside over a spare room and a casually dressed staff. The emphasis is on fresh ingredients and simple, innovative Mediterranean cuisine. Try the ravioli with truffles, Parmesan and Schwarzwürzl (a root vegetable). 8 Jordanstrasse; 899-6724.

Pattis, in the hotel of the same name, is in a somewhat dreary industrial neighborhood west of the Altstadt, but the restaurant does its utmost to compensate with elaborate tasting menus inspired by 17th-century royal banquets. Chef Mario Pattis is clearly shooting for a Michelin star; at the moment the restaurant has Bib Gourmand status (the next best thing). 53 Merbitzer Strasse; 42-550.

Machinery hums behind transparent walls while diners tuck into high-modernist cuisine at the Lesage restaurant, in the Grosser Garten’s Glass Factory. 1 Lennéstrasse; 420-4250.

The menu at Alte Meister, near the Semper Opera House, is especially cheery in winter. Wild-boar piglet in a rye crust and lentil soup with liverwurst croutons are sophisticated twists on comfort food. 1A Theaterplatz; 481-0426.

What to Do

For the Royal Porcelain Collection, at the Zwinger Palace, New York architect Peter Marino designed a silk-paneled space in which to admire the more than 20,000 examples of Japanese, Chinese and locally produced Meissen pieces. Closed Monday. Glockenspiel Pavilion, Sophienstrasse; 4914-2000.

The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery) is in a Gottfried Semper–designed building that connects to the Zwinger Palace through a courtyard. Its holdings of works by Van Eyck, Tintoretto, Raphael, Rembrandt and others are some of the most significant in Europe. Closed Monday. Semper Building, 1 Theaterplatz; 4914-2000.

Even if you don’t have opera or concert tickets, it’s worth touring the Semper Opera House during the day, when marble, stucco, and gold and silver leaf in the public rooms will compete for your attention. But you’ll have to see a performance to appreciate the world-famous acoustics. Rare discounted tickets are available on a standby basis. 2 Theaterplatz; 491-1705; Semperoper.de

The Green Vault, in the Residenzschloss, is Dresden’s latest hit and sells out months in advance. The new Green Vault, which debuted in 2004, is somewhat less impressive than the historic Green Vault (which reopened in 2006), but it showcases the Dresden Green Diamond, a 40.7-carat marvel set in an ornate brooch with blinding white diamonds. Only 100 visitors are allowed into the historic Green Vault at a time; tickets must be ordered well ahead of time. Closed Tuesday. Residenzschloss, 2 Taschenberg; 4914-2000; skd-dresden.de.

There are daily organ performances at noon and additional ones in the evening at the Frauenkirche, the crowning achievement of Dresden’s rebuilding. Check for closings. Coselpalais, 12 An der Frauenkirche; 6560-6100; frauenkirche-dresden.de.

Several museums face the Brühl Terrace, which overlooks the river Elbe. The Galerie Neue Meister, part of the Albertinum Palace, specializes in 19th- and 20th-century art, featuring early German Expressionists, like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, as well as a large collection of the works of Dresden native Gerhard Richter. Closed until 2009. Brühl Terrace; 4914-2000.

The restored Kreuzkirche, near the Altmarkt, offers fabulous views from its 177-foot-high platform. At Christmastime, be sure to get tickets for the church’s renowned boy’s choir. 6 An der Kreuzkirche; 496-5807; dresdnerkreuzkirche.de.

One exception to the cult of the Baroque in Dresden is the Stadtmuseum. The top floor has interactive displays on 20th-century history, covering both world wars and reconstruction. Don’t miss the films on the third floor. Closed Monday. 2 Wilsdruffer Strasse; 6564-8611.

Where to Shop

The Neustadt is chockablock with small, interesting boutiques; many are located between Königstrasse and Hauptstrasse. For art lovers, Galerie Sybille Nütt (10 Obergraben; 252-9593) stocks 21st-century works. Timepiece aficionados will want to visit Uhrenatelier Kathke (12 Rähnitzgasse; 272-1290) for its vintage and contemporary watches and for European clocks, among them a grand exposed-gear Italian clock ($7,000). For luxury menswear, Prüssing & Kohl (5 Heinrichstrasse; 810-4646) sells British and German clothing. Mode de Vie, with a branch on either side of the Elbe (2 Neumarkt and 10 Obergraben; 456-8717), carries furs and other garments by such high-end German designers as Rena Lange. In the Hilton Dresden Hotel (5 An der Frauenkirche; 86-420), there’s a topflight Meissen boutique with fine-china tea sets selling for $1,120 and up.

When you’re in the Outer Neustadt, you must save time for the Kunsthofpassage, a series of interlocking courtyards between Alaunstrasse and Görlitzer Strasse. It contains stores like Blue Child (25 Görlitzer Strasse; 802-9068), an elegant stationer; Ultramaringelb(23 Görlitzer Strasse; 802-5445), an avant-garde jeweler; and Weinkult (25 Görlitzer Strasse; 646-5355), which carries fine German sparkling wines.

No shopping spree is complete without a stop at Pfunds Molkerei (79 Bautzner Strasse; 808-080) — adorned floor to ceiling with Villeroy & Boch tiles and gilded stucco — where you can choose from among 120 cheeses. A restaurant upstairs serves simple dairy-focused fare.

Holiday Markets

From November 28 through Christmas Eve, Dresden’s markets revive a tradition dating back several centuries. There are eight to choose from (most are open until 8 p.m.); start at the sprawling Striezelmarkt (in the Altmarkt), named for the stollen that hails from Dresden. More than 240 vendors sell handicrafts, including glass art and pottery. A slightly more upscale market occupies the Stallhof (in the Altstadt, on the Augustusstrasse just north of the Frauenkirche), the gorgeous old stables of the Wettin palace. The theme is medieval, but the market manages to stay free of kitsch. The ubiquitous stollen and mulled wine are here, as well as gingerbread, marzipan and roasted almonds and chestnuts. You’ll also find unique holiday gifts, like painted wooden toys that look as if they were made a few hundred years ago.