Saxony packs three very different trips into a small area: baroque Dresden with the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger and the Green Vault; musical Leipzig with St. Thomas Church and the Monument to the Battle of the Nations; and the sandstone cliffs of Saxon Switzerland, home to the Bastei and Königstein Fortress. Farther east, Görlitz and Bautzen have two of the finest old towns in the state, and downriver the Albrechtsburg towers over Meissen.
On this page you'll find our top 10 for Saxony, a weekend itinerary combining Dresden and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, tips on getting there and when to go, and below that every Saxon sight in the tripto.de catalog. Hours and prices are listed on each place's page – check with the operator before you go. Note that Moritzburg Castle is closed from November 2 to 19, 2026.
Our picks for a first visit — each with a short reason why.
Churches & monasteries
Dresden
The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden is a magnificent Baroque church on the Neumarkt square and one of Germany's most powerful symbols of reconciliation. Destroyed in the Allied bombing of February 1945, it lay in ruins for alm…
1. It collapsed in 1945 and was rebuilt with donations from around the world. The nave is free; from the dome platform at 67 meters you look out over the old town and the Elbe.
Museums
Dresden
The Green Vault in Dresden (Grünes Gewölbe) is one of the richest treasure chambers in Europe and a highlight of any trip to eastern Germany. Housed in Dresden's Royal Palace, it displays the jewels, gold work, ivory and rock crystal amass…
2. One of Europe's richest treasure chambers, inside the Royal Palace: Augustus the Strong's jewels, goldsmiths' work and rock crystal. Closed on Tuesdays.
Palaces
Dresden
The Zwinger in Dresden is one of the great baroque masterpieces of Europe and the top sight in the capital of Saxony. Built for Augustus the Strong as a stage for lavish court festivals, the palace complex wraps a vast garden courtyard wit…
3. A baroque festival complex with the Crown Gate, the Nymphs' Bath and a porcelain carillon. The newly restored courtyard is open free of charge daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Viewpoints
Lohmen
The Bastei in Saxon Switzerland is the most famous viewpoint in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and one of the top sights in eastern Germany. High above the Elbe River between the villages of Kurort Rathen and Stadt Wehlen, a 19th-century sto…
4. The 1851 Bastei Bridge and a new cantilevered viewing platform opened in 2023. Free, open year-round, and at its best at sunrise.
Fortresses
Königstein (Sächsische Schweiz)
Königstein Fortress in Saxon Switzerland is one of the largest hilltop fortresses in Europe. Perched on a flat-topped sandstone mountain 240 meters (790 ft) above the Elbe River, it combines more than 50 historic buildings, a well cut over…
5. One of Europe's largest hilltop fortresses, 240 meters above the Elbe, with a 1,800-meter rampart walk and a well over 150 meters deep. It was never captured.
Palaces
Moritzburg
Moritzburg Castle near Dresden is one of the most photogenic palaces in Germany: a Baroque hunting lodge with four round, red-domed towers, set on an artificial island in a lake. Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, t…
6. A baroque moated palace near Dresden with the Feather Room, 71 red deer antlers and a winter exhibition on the fairy-tale film “Three Wishes for Cinderella” from November 20, 2026.
Churches & monasteries
Leipzig
St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche) in Leipzig is where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as cantor for the last 27 years of his life, and where he is buried today. Home of the famous St. Thomas Boys Choir (Thomanerchor), founded in 1212, this lat…
7. Where Johann Sebastian Bach worked and is buried. Catch the St. Thomas Boys Choir at a motet service – the choir's history goes back to 1212.
Monuments
Leipzig
The Monument to the Battle of the Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal) in Leipzig is a colossal stone memorial, 91 meters (299 feet) tall, built to mark the centenary of Napoleon's decisive defeat near Leipzig in October 1813. With its brooding…
8. A 91-meter monument to the 1813 battle against Napoleon, with a crypt and a hall of colossal figures. Since August 2026 the base and its new exhibition are open to all visitors.
Zoos
Leipzig
Leipzig Zoo is one of the most highly rated zoos in Europe and one of the best things to do in Leipzig, Saxony. Just a short walk from the main train station, it swaps old-fashioned cages for immersive themed worlds, including the giant tr…
9. The Gondwanaland tropical hall, Pongoland and, since September 1, 2026, the Feuerland water world with an underwater tunnel over 100 meters long. Great with kids.
Old towns & squares
Görlitz
The Görlitz Old Town is one of the best-preserved historic centers in Central Europe and a highlight of any trip to eastern Germany. Its squares and lanes, lined with Late Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Art Nouveau buildings, came throug…
10. Nearly 4,000 listed buildings from late Gothic to Art Nouveau, a favorite movie set nicknamed “Görliwood”, and 165 steps up the Reichenbach Tower for the view.
On weekdays the nave opens at 10 a.m. Then walk along Augustusstraße past the 102-meter porcelain mural of the Procession of Princes to Schlossplatz.
Places: Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), Dresden Procession of Princes
Book a morning time slot for the Historic Green Vault and allow two to three hours. The palace is closed on Tuesdays.
Places: Green Vault Dresden Castle
Cross the Zwinger courtyard to Raphael's Sistine Madonna in the Old Masters Picture Gallery (closed Mondays). The Semperoper stands across the square.
Watch the sunset from the “Balcony of Europe” above the Elbe, then cross the Augustus Bridge to the courtyards of the Kunsthofpassage in the Outer Neustadt.
Places: Brühl's Terrace Kunsthofpassage (Art Courtyard Passage)
Visit the nave and, if you're up for it, climb the dome via stairs and a ramp – there's no elevator.
Treasury, armory and state apartments. Large bags must be checked; lockers take coins.
Places: Green Vault Dresden Castle
Stroll the Zwinger's galleries, then take the 45-minute highlights tour of the opera house if the rehearsal schedule allows.
An evening walk above the Elbe from Schlossplatz to the Albertinum.
Places: Brühl's Terrace
Take the S-Bahn to Kurort Rathen, the ferry across the Elbe and the steep path up to the Bastei Bridge. Early mornings are still quiet.
Places: Bastei Bridge
Continue by S-Bahn to Königstein; from April to October the Festungsexpress shuttle runs up the hill. Allow at least two and a half to three hours.
Places: Königstein Fortress
For less hiking, explore Pirna's old town, painted by Canaletto, and walk up to the free terraces of Sonnenstein Castle.
Swap cliffs for city culture: St. Thomas Church and the Bach Museum in the morning, the Old Town Hall on the market square, then the battle monument or the zoo.
Places: St. Thomas Church, Leipzig Bach Museum Leipzig Monument to the Battle of the Nations
By train: Dresden and Leipzig are both ICE hubs, and both main stations are close to the old towns. In Leipzig, the S-Bahn City Tunnel stops right at the market square.
To Saxon Switzerland: The S1 S-Bahn runs from Dresden via Pirna to Kurort Rathen, Königstein and Bad Schandau. From Bad Schandau, the historic Kirnitzschtal tram takes you to the Lichtenhain Waterfall. Saxon Steamship Company boats call at Pillnitz and Königstein.
To Upper Lusatia: The regional express takes about 46 minutes from Dresden to Bautzen and continues to Görlitz. The S-Bahn runs straight from Dresden to Meissen.
Tickets: The Deutschland-Ticket (€63 a month) covers S-Bahn, regional trains, streetcars and buses, but not ICE or IC trains. A car is more convenient for Moritzburg, the Rakotz Bridge and Muskau Park; alternatively, a narrow-gauge steam train runs to Moritzburg from Radebeul Ost.
Spring and fall are ideal for Saxon Switzerland – the forests turn color in fall and morning mist often fills the Elbe valley. In spring, the rhododendrons bloom in the park around the Rakotz Bridge. The Bastei gets very crowded on weekends, holidays and during summer vacation.
Advent is a Saxon classic: Dresden's Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt runs from November 25 to December 24, 2026, and Königstein Fortress holds a Christmas market on Advent weekends. Moritzburg Castle opens its Cinderella winter exhibition on November 20, 2026. Around October 9, Leipzig's Festival of Lights commemorates the 1989 demonstration, and Görlitz holds its old-town festival on the last weekend of August.
Plan your week: On Mondays the Old Masters gallery, the Bach Museum and Leipzig's Old Town Hall are closed; on Tuesdays the Royal Palace, the Green Vault and the Albrechtsburg.
One to two days cover Dresden, and Saxon Switzerland deserves at least one more. If you also want Leipzig and Görlitz, plan on four to five days.
Dresden offers baroque architecture, treasure chambers and easy access to Saxon Switzerland. Leipzig is the city of Bach, the 1989 Peaceful Revolution and a top zoo. The two are well connected by ICE, so it's easy to combine them.
Yes. The Bastei, the bridge and the viewpoints are free and open year-round. The Neurathen rock castle can only be seen from outside for the foreseeable future because of restoration work.
Take the S1 S-Bahn from Dresden to Kurort Rathen for the Bastei, Königstein for the fortress, or Bad Schandau. From Bad Schandau the Kirnitzschtal tram runs up the valley to the Lichtenhain Waterfall. The Deutschland-Ticket is valid.
Top picks are Leipzig Zoo with Gondwanaland, Königstein Fortress with its cannons and well, the Panometer in Leipzig, the park railway in Dresden's Großer Garten and the Lichtenhain Waterfall. Under-18s get into the Bach Museum for free.
From November 25 to December 24, 2026, on the Altmarkt. Admission is free.
Churches & monasteries
Dresden
The Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) in Dresden is a magnificent Baroque church on the Neumarkt square and one of Germany's most powerful symbols of reconciliation. Destroyed in the Allied bombing of February 1945, it lay in ruins for alm…
Palaces
Dresden
The Zwinger in Dresden is one of the great baroque masterpieces of Europe and the top sight in the capital of Saxony. Built for Augustus the Strong as a stage for lavish court festivals, the palace complex wraps a vast garden courtyard wit…
Viewpoints
Lohmen
The Bastei in Saxon Switzerland is the most famous viewpoint in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and one of the top sights in eastern Germany. High above the Elbe River between the villages of Kurort Rathen and Stadt Wehlen, a 19th-century sto…
National parks
Bad Schandau
Saxon Switzerland National Park near Bad Schandau protects one of Germany's most dramatic landscapes: sandstone towers, table mountains, deep gorges, and forests along the Elbe River. Famous sights such as the Bastei Bridge, the Schrammste…
Palaces
Moritzburg
Moritzburg Castle near Dresden is one of the most photogenic palaces in Germany: a Baroque hunting lodge with four round, red-domed towers, set on an artificial island in a lake. Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, t…
Fortresses
Königstein (Sächsische Schweiz)
Königstein Fortress in Saxon Switzerland is one of the largest hilltop fortresses in Europe. Perched on a flat-topped sandstone mountain 240 meters (790 ft) above the Elbe River, it combines more than 50 historic buildings, a well cut over…
Monuments
Leipzig
The Monument to the Battle of the Nations (Völkerschlachtdenkmal) in Leipzig is a colossal stone memorial, 91 meters (299 feet) tall, built to mark the centenary of Napoleon's decisive defeat near Leipzig in October 1813. With its brooding…
Churches & monasteries
Leipzig
St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche) in Leipzig is where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as cantor for the last 27 years of his life, and where he is buried today. Home of the famous St. Thomas Boys Choir (Thomanerchor), founded in 1212, this lat…
Zoos
Leipzig
Leipzig Zoo is one of the most highly rated zoos in Europe and one of the best things to do in Leipzig, Saxony. Just a short walk from the main train station, it swaps old-fashioned cages for immersive themed worlds, including the giant tr…
Museums
Dresden
The Green Vault in Dresden (Grünes Gewölbe) is one of the richest treasure chambers in Europe and a highlight of any trip to eastern Germany. Housed in Dresden's Royal Palace, it displays the jewels, gold work, ivory and rock crystal amass…
Landmarks
Dresden
The Semperoper in Dresden is one of the world's great opera houses and the centerpiece of Dresden's Theaterplatz. Home to the Saxon State Opera and the Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra, it saw the world premieres of operas by Richard Wagner…
Landmarks
Gablenz
The Rakotzbrücke in Kromlau, often called the Devil's Bridge, is one of the most photographed sights in Germany. Its slender stone arch is reflected so perfectly in the still waters of the Rakotzsee lake that bridge and reflection form an…
Palaces
Dresden
Dresden Castle, known locally as the Residenzschloss, was the seat of Saxony's electors and kings for some four centuries and is now one of the richest museum complexes in Europe. Behind its Renaissance towers in the heart of Dresden's Old…
Viewpoints
Dresden
Brühl's Terrace (Brühlsche Terrasse) is Dresden's grand riverside promenade, raised high above the Elbe and nicknamed the "Balcony of Europe" since the early 19th century. Stretching for about half a kilometer between the palace square and…
Gardens & parks
Bad Muskau
Muskau Park (Fürst-Pückler-Park Bad Muskau) in eastern Saxony is one of Europe's great English-style landscape gardens, and one of the few that spans two countries. Its roughly 830 hectares (2,050 acres) stretch across both banks of the Ne…
Landmarks
Dresden
The Procession of Princes (Fürstenzug) in Dresden is a porcelain mural about 102 meters (335 feet) long, made of some 23,000 Meissen tiles and widely described as the largest porcelain artwork in the world. It shows the rulers of Saxony's…
Palaces
Dresden
Pillnitz Palace (Schloss Pillnitz) is the former summer residence of Saxony's electors and kings, set right on the Elbe River on the eastern edge of Dresden. Its three palaces, with curving Chinese-style roofs, are surrounded by about 25 h…
Industrial heritage
Dresden
The Blue Wonder (Blaues Wunder), officially the Loschwitz Bridge, is a steel bridge across the Elbe River in eastern Dresden, opened in 1893 and now one of the city's best-loved landmarks. It links the elegant villa districts of Blasewitz…
Gardens & parks
Dresden
The Großer Garten (Great Garden) is Dresden's largest park, a Baroque landscape stretching almost 2 km (1.2 miles) just east of the Old Town. At its heart stands the Palais im Großen Garten, one of the city's earliest Baroque buildings, su…
Landmarks
Dresden
The Kunsthofpassage (Art Courtyard Passage) is a chain of five whimsically designed courtyards in Dresden's Outer Neustadt district and one of the city's most photographed spots. Its star is a sky-blue facade covered in funnels and drainpi…
Museums
Dresden
The Old Masters Picture Gallery (Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister) in Dresden is one of the great art museums of the world. Housed in the Semper Building at the Zwinger palace complex, it displays around 700 masterpieces from the 15th to the 18…
Churches & monasteries
Leipzig
St. Nicholas Church (Nikolaikirche) in Leipzig is where the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 began. Weekly prayers for peace held inside this church grew into the Monday Demonstrations that helped bring down the East German regime and, ultimate…
Landmarks
Leipzig
The Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus) in Leipzig is the city's most photographed building and one of the finest Renaissance town halls in Germany. Its long facade, decorative gables, arcades and off-center tower dominate the Markt, Leipzig's m…
Museums
Leipzig
The Bach Museum Leipzig occupies the Baroque Bose House on St. Thomas Churchyard, right across from the church where Johann Sebastian Bach served as cantor for 27 years. Original manuscripts, a historic organ console and interactive media…