Old Town Sightseeing in Dresden

Dresden’s old town sits on the south bank of the Elbe, and nearly every major sight is within a flat 2.5 km loop. The Baroque buildings were rebuilt after 1945. This page splits the sights into what costs nothing and what needs a ticket, then gives the closing days that decide your order.

Free to see

  • Frauenkirche interior. The Neumarkt church is free to enter, and donations are welcome. Open Church hours are 10:00 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 17:30 from Monday to Friday, with weekend times set around services.
  • Fürstenzug. A 102 m mural of the Wettin rulers in Meissen tiles runs along Augustusstraße. It is outdoors and free.
  • Brühl’s Terrace. A promenade above the river, also free.
  • Katholische Hofkirche. The Baroque cathedral on Schlossplatz is free to enter. Its crypt holds the heart of Augustus the Strong.
  • Zwinger courtyard. The courtyard, the Kronentor gate and the Nymphenbad can be visited without a ticket. The courtyard reopened fully in mid-October 2025 after 4.5 years of works.

With a ticket

Frauenkirche dome. The dome costs 12 EUR (7 EUR reduced, 24 EUR for a family) and opens from 10:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday and from 13:00 on Sunday. From November to February it closes at 16:00, and bad weather can shut the platform. The climb has 174 steps to about 29 m, a spiral ramp, then more stairs to 67 m, and there is no lift. Details are on the Frauenkirche site .

Zwinger museums. Pöppelmann’s festival palace dates from 1709 to 1728. The house ticket is 18 EUR (13.50 EUR reduced) and includes the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, which holds Raphael’s Sistine Madonna. The Porzellansammlung is partly open on a reduced ticket until the end of 2026.

Residenzschloss. The house ticket at Taschenberg 2 is 18 EUR. The Historic Green Vault sells its own timed tickets.

Albertinum. The Tzschirnerplatz museum shows art from the 19th century onwards, including Caspar David Friedrich, for 14 EUR (10.50 EUR reduced).

An SKD one day ticket is 28 EUR and a two day ticket is 32 EUR. They cover every SKD museum except the Historic Green Vault. Pupils pay 2 EUR per visit, and only pre-school children are free.

Closing days

  • Zwinger museums: Monday.
  • Residenzschloss: Tuesday.
  • Deutsches Hygiene-Museum: Monday.

Crossing the river

The Carolabrücke collapsed on 11 September 2024, and the last spans were demolished by September 2025. A design for a new bridge was chosen on 3 September 2026, with building planned to begin around 2028. Trams 3 and 7 no longer cross at that point, so check dvb.de for current routings.

Remembering 1945

On 13 to 15 February 1945 Allied bombing destroyed much of the old town. The Dresden Historians’ Commission put the death toll at about 25,000 in 2010. The Frauenkirche stood as a ruin for 45 years, was rebuilt from 1994 to 2005, and was reconsecrated on 30 October 2005. About 4,000 original stones went back into the walls and show as the dark stones in the facade.

The Heidefriedhof at Moritzburger Landstraße 299 has an Ehrenhain, a memorial grove for the victims. Opening hours run from 07:00 to 20:00 between April and October and from 07:00 to 18:00 between November and March. Visit quietly.

Tips

Read more: Dresden walking tours and the Dresden destination guide .