Dresden Historical Guided City Walking Tour

In this rare opportunity, Dr Fraser Macdonald, anthropologist and historian, takes you on a deep journey into the hidden 700 year history of Dresden before, during, and after it became an icon of Baroque splendour. Across visits to a range of crucial sites in the city, you will learn of the prehistoric significance of the Elbe Valley for Paleolithic and Neolithic populations, the ancient origins of Dresden as a small fishing village, its growth from a tiny city to a flourishing centre of the Holy Roman Empire, the enormous impact of Luther's Reformation, as well as the damage and destruction produced by centuries of warfare.

Meeting Point

Golden Rider

Neustädter Markt 14, 01097 Dresden, Germany

Please meet at the large golden statue of August the Strong riding his stallion, you can't miss it. It is an easy walk across the Augustus Bridge from Altstadt, or take one of the many trams that stop there.

What's included:

• Professional Guided Tour

Not included:

• Entrance to Dreikönigskirche (5 Euro to climb the tower)
• Entrance to Residenzschloss (14 Euro entrance fee)
• Entrance to Museum für Sächsische Volkskunst (5 Euro entrance fee)

What to expect:

Duration: 2 hours

Köpckestraße

Köpckestraße, 01097 Neustadt, Germany

Here the tour begins on the banks of the Elbe where Dresden was first permanently settled. We will pause to consider the history, culture, language, and eventual displacement of the people who first lived here.

15 minutes

Museum fur Sachsische Volkskunst mit Puppentheatersammlung

Koepckestr. 1, Jagerhof, Dresden, 01097, Saxony

Here we will explore the fascinating history of this site, beginning in the 15th century as a fabulously wealthy Augustinian monastery before being demolished and turned into a royal hunting lodge in the 16th century after Luther's Reformation. Please note we will not be entering the building and its museums, but participants are free to do so at their own leisure. Ticket prices can be found here: https://volkskunst.skd.museum/besuch/

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Haus der Kirche - Dreikoenigskirche

Hauptstrasse 23, Dresden, 01097, Saxony

At this now beautiful Baroque church we will explore the unseen history of this crucial site in the former Altendresden., beginning in the early 15th century. Please note we will not be entering the building or climbing the tower, but participants are free to do so at their own leisure. Prices to climb the tower can be found here: https://www.hdk-dkk.de/dreikoenigskirche/der-turm/

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Augustus Bridge

Augustusbrucke, , Dresden, Saxony

From Altendresden we then cross the famous Augustus Bridge to enter the Altstadt, to continue our explorations of the deep medieval history of Dresden

Pass by without stopping

Frauenkirche Dresden

Georg-Treu-Platz 3, Eingang G der Frauenkirche, Dresden, 01067, Saxony

Here you will learn of the 700 year history of the Frauenkirche before it was constructed in the Baroque period and the various structural and religious changes it witnessed during this time. Please note we will not be entering the building and its museums, but participants are free to do so at their own leisure.

20 minutes

Holy Cross Church

An der Kreuzkirche 1, Dresden, 01067, Saxony

Listen to the story of how this famous church was originally built in the 13th century, destroyed multiple times in its history, and also bore witness to crucial moments in the Reformation.

15 minutes

Denkraum Sophienkirche

Sophienstrasse 1, Dresden, 01067, Saxony

Listen to the amazing story of the first Franciscan monastery in Dresden, originally constructed in the 13th century, including its demise and later resurrection as the iconic yet sadly lost Sophienkirche. This church, perhaps more than any other in Dresden, is a window on to the changing political and religious currents in the city's history.

20 minutes

Dresden Castle

Taschenberg 2, Dresden, 01067, Saxony

The magnificent Residenzschloss is our final stop on the tour and here we examine how Dresden went from being a small, largely insignificant city to one of the most important in the entire Holy Roman Empire. This royal residence was built to house the Electors and Kings of Saxony, and we will learn about the incredible transformations this palace represents. Please note we will not be entering the building and its museums, but participants are free to do so at their own leisure. Ticket prices can be found here: https://www.skd.museum/en/visit/royal-palace/

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included