8 things to do in Dresden

This month Dresden reigns as the undisputed Christmas capital of Germany. Its Striezelmarkt, a cosy, timeless treat of seasonality, is the oldest of all Christkindl markets.
 
Countless decorated huts offer glühwein, eggnog punch and steins of beer, bratwurst and deer burgers, gingerbread and traditional Stollen cake. Others feature Nativity tableaux, candle-powered table carousels, wood carvings from the nearby mountains, beautiful glass balls for the tree, incense burners in the shape of jolly old peasants with puffs of smoke billowing from their pipes and, not forgetting, Pflaumentoffel – a chimney sweep made from dried prunes! Open until Christmas Eve, the Striezelmarkt, which seems barely changed over the last 580 years, is the perfect prelude to Christmas at home. And it’s just one of a dozen that occupy Dresden’s city centre.

Further information visit Dresden Striezelmarkt

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Such has been the incredible post-war reconstruction that the historic core of Dresden has again become a place of incomparable beauty. Located on the banks of the River Elbe, its baroque masterpieces include the Staatsoper house, two cathedrals and two palaces, the enormous Zwingler – part open-air ballroom, part cluster of museums – and the Royal Palace. All have been so faithfully replicated that what you see today closely resembles the city scenes painted by Canaletto.

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Dresden has long been known as ‘Florence on the Elbe’, and for good reason. It has one of the most important collections of art in Europe. The number of Renaissance paintings assembled by August The Strong – Saxony’s rather unpleasant 17th-century despot/sexpot (and later King of Poland) who is said to have fathered a child for every day of the year. Among his acquisitions are works by El Greco, Rembrandt, Tintoretto, Titian, Veronese and, most famously, Raphael’s Sistine Madonna, with its two grumpy, iconic cherubs that grace many a Stollen tin.
 
Don’t miss the amazing treasure house in the Castle Museum, where priceless objects (priceless at the time of their creation, let alone now), include a cherry stone with 185 different faces carved into the surface (seen through a magnifying glass case), a fully rigged and billowing galleon made entirely of ivory, pearl figurines, an enormous green diamond that gets an entire room all to itself and an exquisite diamond, emerald and ruby-encrusted gold model of India’s Court of Delhi, which took seven craftsmen 18 years to make.

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Dresden was the birthplace of Germany’s most famous Christmas export, a festive heavyweight cake made with butter, rum-soaked raisins, almond, marzipan, candied orange and lemon and other secret ingredients closely guarded by individual bakers. Look for the ‘gold seal’ of authenticity only awarded to top bakers such as Tino Gierig, the Stollen maestro at the fifth generation family-owned Dresdner Bakhaus, who will ship their handmade produce to the UK. Or just try a slice at the Kreutzkamm café on the Altmarkt.
 
Make your own stollen at home

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William, in the main Staatsschauspiel theatre (and named after our very own Bard), serves traditional Saxon dishes with a modern twist created by local celebrity chef Stefan Hermann
 
Pulverturm, found beneath a palace in the 16th-century cellars where they once stored gunpowder, offers spit-roasted suckling pig served with marjoram mustard sauce, sauerkraut and a ‘king size’ potato dumpling, all for around £12. 

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Dresden is a city of kurze wege, short ways, with most things you’ll want to see within easy strolling radius. But it’s worth going to the Neustadt, crossing one of the bridges across the Elbe, and walking down Hauptstrasse (which also hosts one of the Dresden’s dozen Christmas markets). The area is more residential than the old town, with lots of smaller shops, cafés and restaurants and is especially lively in the evening along Alaunstrasse.

Further information visit dresden.de

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The Swissotel Dresden Am Schloss is the newest five-star hotel in the city, it is very central and created with contemporary Swiss flair within a facade of historic houses. It’s currently TripAdvisor’s number one hotel in Germany, yet rooms – all spacious – start from around £100 a night for two.

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CityJet flies nonstop from London City Airport, with fares from £127 return.
 
Check if your visit coincides with an opera (surprisingly affordable tickets from €10 to €120) online at semperoper.de. 

For further information, visit dresden.de

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