Camping in Dresden

Dresden is full of contrasts worth discovering. In the Saxon state capital, baroque splendour meets modern architecture, high culture meets street art, urban scenery meets a picturesque natural landscape. Dresden's attitude to life is largely determined by the Elbe and can be wonderfully absorbed on a camping holiday, whether on a paddle steamer tour, a hike along the Saxon Wine Route or a picnic on the riverbank. Museum lovers can expect a wealth of outstanding exhibition venues and a multitude of sights, especially in the historic city centre.

Special features of camping in Dresden

The campsites in Dresden are ideal for combining a classic city break with a nature holiday. Close to the River Elbe, near an outdoor pool or at a naturist bathing lake - campsites near the city of Dresden offer a wealth of leisure activities close to nature. From there, Dresden's historic city centre can be reached by public transport in around 30 minutes. The Wostra campsite, the Mockritz campsite, the motorhome site at Blüherpark, the Badesee Coswig-Kötitz campsite and the Luxoase Camping-Freizeitpark are recommended starting points for campers. A little further afield, Camping Königstein am Elbufer in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in Saxon Switzerland and the Bad Sonnenland holiday park and campsite in Moritzburg are worthwhile alternatives. There are idyllic pitches for motorhomes and caravans everywhere. Holidaymakers with tents are just as welcome as campers with dogs. It is advisable to enquire about taking your dog with you before booking.

How to get there

Nestled in the unmistakable landscape of the Elbe Valley with the Central Saxon hills in the west and the Elbe Sandstone Mountains characterised by bizarre rocks, gorges and valleys in the south-east, Dresden is easy to reach by motorhome and caravan. Various motorways and federal roads lead to the Saxon metropolis. From the north, take the A13 motorway to Dresden. The route runs from the Schönefelder Kreuz motorway junction on the southern Berliner Ring for around 151 km to the Dresden-Nord junction. Travellers pass the densely wooded Krausnick Hills and the Ruhlander Heath. The Freienhufener Eck service station is recommended for a final refuelling stop.

Camping holidaymakers can reach Dresden from both the west and the east via the A4 motorway. The route runs from Aachen via Cologne, Eisenach, Weimar and Chemnitz to Dresden and on to Görlitz on the Polish border. Near Gotha, the medieval Drei Gleichen castle ensemble invites you to make a stop. On the edge of Saxon Switzerland, the A17 motorway also leads to Dresden from the south via Pirna and Heidenau. The route crosses the Osterzgebirge mountains and is characterised by several bridges and tunnels. Those travelling from Magdeburg/Leipzig use the A14 and A4 motorways.

Top 5 sights

• Frauenkirche: The monumental sacred building on Neumarkt was a symbolic ruin for a long time and has shone since its reconstruction with a dome known as the Stone Bell.
• Brühl's Terrace: The "Balcony of Europe" offers picturesque views of Dresden Neustadt and the River Elbe.
• Pfunds Molkerei: Thanks to hand-painted majolica tiles with animal motifs, mythical creatures and floral patterns, this delicatessen is considered the "most beautiful dairy shop in the world".
• Zwinger: Commissioned by the Saxon Elector Augustus the Strong, this Baroque-style ensemble of buildings forms a magnificent backdrop for all kinds of art treasures.
• Sistine Madonna in the Old Masters Picture Gallery: The secret stars of this famous work by Renaissance painter Raphael are two little angels.

Top 2 insider tips

• Nightwalk Dresden: Away from all the high culture and baroque splendour, this alternative city tour focuses on Dresden's street art. The Friedrichstadt neighbourhood alone is home to one of Germany's largest urban galleries in public spaces, with 15 spray-painted murals by graffiti artists. The tour provides interesting insights into the work of local and international muralists.
• 1,001 fairy tales: Under the colourful glass dome of the Yenidze, a former cigarette factory built in the style of a mosque, young and old lovers of myths, legends and fairy tales are whisked away into a magical world. Reading, dancing and music are performed here. The stories come from all over the world.

Activities and excursions

Cultural enjoyment and nature experiences can be perfectly combined on a camping holiday in Dresden.

On a castle tour

Saxony is a land of castles. One of the most famous is the Dresden Residential Palace, which began as a medieval castle and later served as the ancestral seat of the Wettin electors and kings. The neo-Renaissance architecture and the sgraffito paintings in the large castle courtyard are remarkable. The five museums housed in the palace, including the Historical Green Vault and the Kupferstich-Kabinett, are veritable treasure troves. A tour on a ship from the world's largest and oldest paddle steamer fleet takes you from the terraced banks of Dresden's Old Town past three Elbe palaces to the chinoiserie Pillnitz Palace with its magnificent park.

Off to the museum!

Around 50 museums and 60 other exhibition venues and galleries reflect the many facets that characterise Dresden as a Saxon cultural metropolis. There is the Albertinum, for example, which exhibits works of art from the Romantic period to the present day. Historical clocks and scientific instruments can be discovered in the Mathematical-Physical Salon. The interactively designed German Hygiene Museum is dedicated to the human adventure, while the Botanical Garden of the TU Dresden presents thousands of plant species from five continents. Exciting insights into the history of the GDR are provided by the original Stasi remand prison at the Bautzner Straße Dresden Memorial.

Events

Dresden's calendar of events is full to bursting all year round. Whether it's the International Dixieland Festival in May, Dresden Castle Night, the big city festival in August or the Christmas Striezelmarkt in Advent: there is always something for camping holidaymakers to experience. The following events are also worth a visit:

January - February

• Semper Opera Ball: The glittering ball night in the Semper Opera House with all kinds of celebrities, diverse musical performances and the dance of the debutantes is even broadcast live on television. If you can't get tickets for the grand spectacle, you can enjoy a full programme outside at the open-air ball on Dresden's Theaterplatz.

May - June

• Dresden Music Festival: Since its beginnings in 1978, the classical music festival has developed into one of the most renowned and largest of its kind in Europe. Over a period of around four weeks, important voices and outstanding orchestras from the international music scene present their skills at various venues.

June

• Bunte Republik Neustadt: During the three-day festival, the trendy Äußere Neustadt district is transformed into one big party mile. Live music is played on numerous stages. But sporting competitions, dance classes and pony rides also ensure a great atmosphere. Of course, there will also be stalls selling international delicacies.

Gastronomy

Dresden's cuisine is traditionally hearty and known for dishes such as potato soup with marjoram and sauerbraten with red cabbage, dumplings and a sauce refined with Pulsnitz gingerbread. If you want to eat something typically Saxon at the campsite without much effort, make yourself a Fettbemme. This is bread with lard, pickled gherkins and a little salt. A cool regional beer, brewed in Meißen or Radeberg, goes well with it. Along the Elbe, a wide variety of grape varieties thrive on terraced steep slopes, including Goldriesling, Müller-Thurgau and Pinot Gris. In addition to wine lovers, those with a sweet tooth will also get their money's worth when camping in Dresden. The city's most famous speciality is the Dresden Stollen, which is baked all year round. A yeast cake with pudding, known as Eierschecke, is also a cult speciality.

Best time to visit

Dresden is a popular holiday destination at any time of year. The fourth largest city in Germany in terms of area is sheltered in the Elbe valley and therefore has a milder climate than its nearer and more continental Saxon surroundings. From spring with the start of the low season through summer (high season) to autumn, it is possible to sit outside, canoe and boat on the waterways or cycle stages of the Elbe cycle path, for example from Dresden via the garden city of Radebeul to Meissen. In midsummer, i.e. in July and August, the average temperature reaches a warm 24 degrees Celsius. This is the perfect time for camping holidaymakers to go swimming in one of the city's natural outdoor pools or attend one of Dresden's numerous open-air events. Autumn is characterised by wine festivals, while in December various Christmas markets lend the city an incomparable magic.