DE
Dresden
The “Florence on the Elbe”, a Baroque city rebuilt from wartime ruins, with world-class art collections
The “Florence on the Elbe”, a Baroque city rebuilt from wartime ruins, with world-class art collections
The great Baroque Lutheran church, left as a ruin after 1945 and rebuilt using many of its original stones, reconsecrated in 2005. You can climb to the dome’s viewing platform.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0
A Baroque palace complex around a courtyard garden, home to the Old Masters Picture Gallery with Raphael’s Sistine Madonna.
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0
A national park of dramatic sandstone rock formations along the Elbe, about 40 minutes by S-Bahn. The Bastei Bridge is the most famous viewpoint.
Photo: Bernd Thaller, CC BY 2.0
Try Sauerbraten, potato soup, Eierschecke (a layered cake) and, at Christmas, Dresden Stollen, with Saxon wines from the Elbe valley.
The Neustadt district across the river has many bars and casual restaurants.
Trains from Berlin take about two hours, and from Prague about two and a half. Dresden Airport is linked to the centre by S-Bahn. Trams cover the city.
Germany is in the EU and the Schengen area and uses the euro. EU citizens need only an ID card; citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, with biometric registration under the EU Entry/Exit System. An ETIAS travel authorisation is also due to be introduced. Check current rules before you travel.
Dresden is good value compared with western German cities.
Baroque city and sandstone cliffs.
Visit the Frauenkirche, walk along Brühl’s Terrace and see the Zwinger and the Old Masters gallery.
See the Historic Green Vault in the Royal Palace (book ahead), the Procession of Princes mural and the Semperoper, then explore the Neustadt.
Take the S-Bahn to Kurort Rathen and hike up to the Bastei Bridge.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Germany is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
The Deutschlandticket (€63 a month in 2026) covers local and regional public transport across Germany, but not long-distance ICE or IC trains.
Cards are now widely accepted, but some small bars, bakeries and market stalls still prefer cash.
Tickets for the Historic Green Vault are timed and limited; book online.
Dresden’s Striezelmarkt is one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets.
Quick answers for planning time in Dresden.
Citizens of the UK, US, Canada, Australia and many other countries can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in 180, with registration under the EU Entry/Exit System.
Yes, it was reconstructed from 1994 to 2005, using many original stones.
About 40 minutes by S-Bahn to Kurort Rathen.
About two hours by train.
The treasure chamber of the Saxon rulers in Dresden’s Royal Palace.
Google Maps works well; the DB Navigator app covers trains and most local transport.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Germany travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.