Top 8 Things to Do in Dresden, Germany

Dresden is a cool college town that is home to six different institutions of higher education. I hadn’t heard of Dresden until a classmate from BU went there to study abroad. He was offered a full-time job at the university and ended up staying in Germany for over a year! He encouraged me to visit, and so I did. He gave me a tour of the university, and we visited his colleagues at a bar in the students’ dorm. You definitely wouldn’t find a bar in a dorm in the States!

Dresden is a small town, and people were much friendlier here than in Germany’s larger cities, like Berlin. For example, I went to the pharmacy in Dresden and the pharmacist gave me a complimentary package of tissues with my purchase because I sneezed while I was checking out. How kind!

Another thing I liked about Dresden was its (almost comical) law-abiding citizens. For example, I witnessed a German man wait for a crosswalk to turn green before crossing the street even though there were no cars coming for miles. He could have easily crossed the street 10 times during the time he stood there waiting for the light, but instead he chose to stand and wait.

Dresden’s Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) was repeatedly bombed by Allied forces during WWII. Then it laid in ruins in the city center for 45 years under Communist rule. Once Germany reunified, there was a growing movement to rebuild the church. Today, the Frauenkirche is a work of art and its reconstruction symbolizes Dresden’s resilience. If you look closely, you can tell which stones are from the original design and which are from the reconstruction. After studying the outside, go inside and climb to the top of the church to enjoy excellent views of the city and the Elbe River.

Zwinger Gardens

Dresden’s Zwinger Palace is one of the most impressive Baroque buildings in Germany. Here you can explore world-renowned museums and beautiful manicured gardens.

The Fürstenzug, or Procession of Princes, is a giant mural depicting all the rulers of Saxony in chronological order. I recommend researching Saxony’s rulers before you visit Dresden because all the tourist information signs are in German. When you see the mural, test your knowledge and try to identify some of the most iconic rulers!

The Bruhl’s Terrace is a historic promenade that offers scenic views of the Elbe River. I recommend strolling along the terrace on a sunny day.

One of the things I loved most about Dresden was the ampelfrau. Ampelfrau is German for ‘traffic light woman.’ The ampelfrau is the female counterpart to Berlin’s ampelmannchen (traffic light man). You can read more about the ampelmannchen in my Berlin post here. The ampelfrau can be found in Dresden’s pedestrian crosswalks sporting braided hair and a skirt.

Why is there a traffic light woman?

The world’s first traffic lights featured male figures because male is society’s default gender. If male is default, then female is demoted to a gendered afterthought. (If this concept is new to you or interests you, then I recommend reading Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex.)

Men and women react quicker to traffic lights that feature figures of their own gender. If all traffic lights feature men, then there is an implicit bias in favor of male pedestrians and their safety. Thus, the ampelfrau is significant because she corrects these biases and creates pedestrian equity.

However, some feminists have criticized the ampelfrau for reinforcing gender stereotypes (her braids and skirt) and the gender binary (the signs only represent men and women and exclude anyone who does not identify as either).

Nevertheless, I think we can all agree that the ampelfrau is pretty darn adorable! For more information, you can read about similar movements in Switzerland and Australia.

Radlers are my new favorite drink! They’re similar to a Spanish cerveza con limon or an American shandy. It’s a light beer with carbonation and fruit juice. Radlers can come in grapefruit, orange, lemon, or lime flavors. They’re sweet and bubbly and super refreshing.

The Kunsthofpassage is a series of artsy courtyards in Dresden’s Neustadt (New Town). There are tons of cute shops and restaurants, and in one courtyard, you can find drainpipes shaped like musical instruments. It’s a great area to walk around, take pictures, and have fun exploring.

Bastei Bridge

Visiting Bohemian Switzerland was the highlight of my time in Dresden. This international park is located in both Germany and the Czech Republic. It’s less than 2 hours away from Dresden by train and easy to access using public transportation.

I had an amazing time hiking throughout the park. The paths were well-marked and easy enough for beginners. I was absolutely in awe of the Bastei Bridge. This stone bridge is nearly 200 years old and was built without any modern day technology. Wow! Under the dreary gray sky, the bridge looked especially ominous. It felt like something out of Harry Potter or some other supernatural series, and I expected a dragon to fly over me at any moment!

It was an awesome day trip. I’d love to return some day in the early fall to see the leaves change.

How did that statue get on top of the mountain?!

Have you been Dresden? What was your favorite thing to do there? Let me know in the comments below. Thank you for reading!

– Travel Alli