Things to Do in Dresden 2026: Frauenkirche, Zwinger & the Striezelmarkt
Dresden's Baroque old town earned it the nickname 'Elbflorenz' (Florence on the Elbe) before WWII bombing destroyed most of it — the city's painstaking postwar reconstruction, completed decades later, makes the rebuilt Frauenkirche and Zwinger Palace two of Germany's most striking historic set-pieces today.
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Quick answer
In December, Dresden's Striezelmarkt — first recorded in 1434 — is generally credited as Germany's oldest Christmas market, filling the Altmarkt square with stalls and the city's famous Stollen fruitcake.
Below is what to see in Dresden alongside the events we track — confirm times and ticketing on the official organiser page before you travel.
What to see in Dresden — top sights
- Frauenkirche — the Baroque church destroyed in WWII and rebuilt from surviving stones, reconsecrated in 2005; climb the dome for old-town views.
- Zwinger Palace — a Baroque palace complex housing several museums, including Old Masters paintings and a porcelain collection.
- Semperoper — Dresden's historic opera house on the Theaterplatz, one of Germany's finest opera venues.
- Brühl's Terrace — the elevated promenade along the Elbe known as "the balcony of Europe".
- Fürstenzug — a 101-metre porcelain-tile mural of Saxon rulers on horseback, on the outer wall of the Royal Palace.
- Striezelmarkt — Germany's oldest Christmas market (dating to 1434), held each December in the Altmarkt.
Why visit Dresden
Dresden's rebuilt Baroque core packs an outsized amount of history and architecture into a compact, walkable old town along the Elbe, with a museum and opera scene that rivals much larger German cities — and, in December, the country's oldest Christmas market.
FAQ
- What is there to do in Dresden?
- The Frauenkirche, Zwinger Palace, Semperoper opera house and Brühl's Terrace are Dresden's main year-round draws; December brings the Striezelmarkt Christmas market.
- Was Dresden rebuilt after WWII?
- Yes — most of Dresden's historic centre, including the Frauenkirche, was destroyed by Allied bombing in February 1945. Reconstruction of the Frauenkirche using surviving original stones was completed in 2005, decades after the Zwinger Palace was first rebuilt.
- What is the Striezelmarkt?
- The Striezelmarkt is Dresden's Christmas market, first documented in 1434 and generally credited as Germany's oldest. It runs through December in the Altmarkt square and is known for the city's Dresdner Stollen fruitcake.
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Things to do in Dresden
Tours, activities and skip-the-line options in Dresden from our travel partners.
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Upcoming events
SEHEN - HÖREN - STAUNEN - Faszination Frauenkirche
🎟️ From €14
Monty Python’s "Spamalot"
🎟️ From €23
geführter Kuppelaufstieg
🎟️ From €17
Bares, Rares - und weg war es! - Eine Kriminalkomödie
🎟️ From €23
SEHEN - HÖREN - STAUNEN - Faszination Frauenkirche
🎟️ From €14
Vorhang Auf! - Deutsche Erstaufführung
🎟️ From €23
DAS SONNTAGSKONZERT - IM DIALOG – Zwischen den Stilen
🎟️ From €16
Was ihr wollt (nach Shakespeare) - Komödie von Shakespeare
🎟️ From €23
YOUNG ARTIST - Das Cello als Gesangssolist
🎟️ From €13
Clown meets Cello - Tom Quaas & Ekaterina Gorynina
🎟️ From €23
Thalia Dresden (157135621) - Der Literarische Feierabend
🎟️ From €12
Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray - Tom Quaas - Theaterzirkus
🎟️ From €23
KLANGBRÜCKEN - Deutsch-polnische Dialoge
🎟️ From €14
BOCK OF OSTROCK - Zeugen Amigas
🎟️ From €26
Sonderkonzert Jazztage Dresden - Alpin Drums | Der Berg groovt! Ein alpines Drum-Spektakel
🎟️ From €24
KLANGBRÜCKEN - Orgel – Musik aus dem Augenblick II
🎟️ From €24
Moritzburg Festival 2026 - Orchesterkonzert "Alles im Fluss"
🎟️ From €29
Katrin Weber - Nicht zu fassen!
🎟️ From €41
Quaster & friends
🎟️ From €38
Die Guitarreros - Temperamente
🎟️ From €21
DAS SONNTAGSKONZERT - BAROCKER GLANZ
🎟️ From €16
Eine Benefizveranstaltung für das Römische Bad - "Ach, wenn ich mich doch selbst in dieses Couvert legen könnte ..."
🎟️ From €25
30 JAHRE OHNE WORTE – BEST OF
🎟️ From €30
Thalia Dresden (157135621) - Krankheitsbild Demenz: Demenz-Schulung
Olaf Schubert und seine Freunde – Jetzt oder now! - Open Air
🎟️ From €48
The Birds
🎟️ From €29
Endlich allein - Komödie von Lawrence Roman
🎟️ From €23
The Birds
🎟️ From €29
Vicente Patiz - Konzert
🎟️ From €18
Einzeltermine - Klangwogen
🎟️ From €20
Sonderkonzert Jazztage Dresden - Forster Family | Summertime - Pop, Soul, Jazz & More
🎟️ From €14
The Birds
🎟️ From €29
BLUEWATER Rock'n Blues Band - Konzert
🎟️ From €20
Dresden Bigband - Jazz- & Swingkonzert
🎟️ From €29
Trio Kö66 - Analog ist sexy – ein Konzert aus der Zukunft
🎟️ From €26
Thalia Dresden (157135621) - Healing Fiction aus Korea: Ein Briefladen-Themenabend mit Hörbuchsprecherin Josephine Hochbruck
🎟️ From €18
Schwarze Grütze - Das Besteste
🎟️ From €26
13 Tongues
🎟️ From €29
Herbst 2026 - ŃOKO (pol)
🎟️ From €25
The Sound of Bronkow Music Festival
🎟️ From €33
Cobario meets Vivaldi - Strings on Fire
🎟️ From €40
Herzenstrost und Seelenheil - Barocke Kantaten aus Mitteldeutschland
🎟️ From €25
Einzeltermine - Julia Lezhneva | Kammerorchester Basel
🎟️ From €22
Leipziger Pfeffermühle - Urlaub vom Gehirn
🎟️ From €29
Orgel meets Rock
🎟️ From €29
Jes Holtso & Morten Wittrock - Konzert
🎟️ From €25
13 Tongues
🎟️ From €29
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