THE BIG DRESDEN-CITY-TOUR CITY OF BAROQUE AND PRECISION
Wednesday: THE BIG Dresden-CITY-TOUR, XXL
This varied city tour combines modern high-tech, Baroque sights, and Dresden’s unique Elbe charm. Dresden – a city of Baroque beauty and precision.
Dresden is world-famous for its Baroque Old Town, featuring the Frauenkirche, the Zwinger, and the Semper Opera House. Yet the Saxon state capital is much more than a cultural metropolis – for over 150 years, it has been one of Germany’s most important centres of industry, research, and technology. As early as the 19th century, Dresden developed into a centre for photography, cinema technology, and precision engineering. Companies such as Ernemann, Zeiss Ikon, Ihagee, and later Pentacon made the city internationally renowned for its cameras and precision optical instruments. Other Dresden-based companies also played a major role: Seidel & Naumann was among the world’s leading manufacturers of sewing machines and typewriters, Robotron shaped the computer industry of the GDR, and today, with Silicon Saxony, Dresden is Europe’s largest microelectronics hub. Dresden’s success story also includes aviation with the Baade 152, as well as the pharmaceutical and chemical industries with the Lingner Works (Odol), the Sächsisches Serumwerk, and the Gehe pharmaceutical factory.
Dresden uniquely combines Baroque beauty with technological progress, inventiveness, and the highest level of precision – a city where history and innovation have gone hand in hand for centuries.
Start/Finish: Pirnaischer Platz in Dresden city centre
Start time: 9:00 a.m. Duration: approx. 7 hours
After starting at Pirnaischer Platz, we head to the north of Dresden – Silicon Saxony, Europe’s largest microelectronics hub. Passing the facilities of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Bosch, Infineon, JENOPTIK and the new ESMC, you will gain an insight into Dresden’s development as an international centre of the semiconductor industry.
Via Königsbrücker Straße, we continue to Dresden’s Neustadt district, the city’s vibrant creative quarter with restored late-19th-century buildings, small shops, cafés, and the highest concentration of bars and clubs in Dresden.
Along the Elbe hillsides, we make a short stop to enjoy a magnificent view over Dresden. We then continue via the Weißer Hirsch district to Pillnitz, where we cross the Elbe by ferry and enjoy a view of the impressive Pillnitz Palace, the former summer residence of Augustus the Strong, from the water.
Via Kleinzschachwitz and Laubegast, we reach the famous Blue Wonder Bridge. Durch Blasewitz führt die Route weiter am Großen Garten vorbei, mit der Gläsernen Manufaktur von Volkswagen, dem Deutschen Hygiene-Museum und dem Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, Heimstätte von Dynamo Dresden.
In Dresden’s historic Old Town, you will have 1 hours of free time. Around the Frauenkirche, you can explore the Neumarkt, the Altmarkt with the Kreuzkirche, the Kulturpalast, and Brühl’s Terrace with its magnificent views of the Elbe at your own pace.
After the break, we continue past the Semper Opera House, the Zwinger, and the Hofkirche, then via the Golden Rider and along Leipziger Straße to Dresden-Pieschen and on to Altmickten.
The tour concludes with a delightful stop at the traditional Lindenschänke restaurant, located directly on the banks of the Elbe. On the spacious riverside terrace, you can relax and reflect on the day’s experiences while enjoying regional specialities, a cold beer, Saxon wine, or coffee.
We then make our way back to Pirnaischer Platz. This is where our varied city and day tour comes to an end, having impressively combined Dresden’s high-tech industry, culture and history.
Please note: Meals, drinks, and any admission fees are not included in the tour price and must be paid for separately.
