Three hours in Dresden
A walk from the Frauenkirche by way of Brühl's Terrace, the Fürstenzug, the Residenzschloss and the Hofkirche to the Semperoper and the Zwinger, with the walking time between stops.
Stops
Frauenkirche
The Frauenkirche is a Protestant church on Dresden's Neumarkt, built between 1726 and 1743 to George Bähr's design and rebuilt between 1993 and 2005. The dome is built entirely of sandstone. It is known as the “Stone Bell” (Steinerne Glocke). The lantern above it holds a viewing platform 67 metres up.
Brühl's Terrace
Brühl's Terrace (Brühlsche Terrasse) is a promenade on the Elbe side of Dresden's old town, standing on part of the city's old fortifications. The terrace is also known as the “Balkon Europas” (Balcony of Europe). The terrace was opened to the public in 1814, and the Great Staircase (Große Freitreppe) from Schlossplatz up to the terrace dates from the same year. Parts of the Renaissance fortress survive beneath the terrace, among them the casemates and the Ziegeltor gate. On 30 November 2019 the fortress was reopened to visitors as the exhibition Festung Xperience.
Fürstenzug
The Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes) is a mural of Meissen porcelain tiles on the outer wall of the Stallhof that shows the history of the Saxon ruling house of Wettin as a procession of riders. The mural shows 35 margraves, electors and kings and a further 59 scientists, artists, craftsmen and farmers. The tiles were made at the Meissen porcelain manufactory between 1904 and 1907.
Residenzschloss
The Residenzschloss (English: Royal Palace) was the residence of the Saxon electors and kings and is now a museum complex of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. The palace holds the Historic and the New Green Vault, the Kupferstich-Kabinett, the Rüstkammer (Armoury) and the Münzkabinett, plus the Royal State Apartments, the Türckische Cammer and the Riesensaal. The core of the Hausmannsturm dates from around 1400. It was raised to its height of 100 metres between 1674 and 1676, to a design by Wolf Caspar Klengel.
Hofkirche
The Hofkirche, also called the Kathedrale Sanctissimae Trinitatis, is the former Catholic court church and the cathedral of the Diocese of Dresden-Meißen, built between 1739 and 1751 to Gaetano Chiaveri's design. The sculptor Lorenzo Mattielli made the 78 stone figures on the balustrades, niches and tower. Under the church is a crypt where the Catholic members of the Wettin ruling house are buried. The heart of Augustus the Strong is kept there.
Semperoper
The Semperoper is the opera house of the Saxon State Opera Dresden (Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden) and the home of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden; the rebuilt house reopened on 13 February 1985, forty years after its destruction. It stands on Theaterplatz in Dresden. The rebuilding followed the house as completed in 1878, with modern stage technology and new annex buildings.
Zwinger
The Zwinger (German: Dresdner Zwinger) is a Baroque ensemble of pavilions and galleries around a courtyard, now home to museums of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Augustus the Strong commissioned the Zwinger in 1709. It was built as an orangery and a festival ground for the court. The buildings were completed in 1728. The Crown Gate (Kronentor) dates from 1714. It stands in the middle of the long gallery and is topped by a crown.