Travel to Saxony, Germany - Episode 995

[ad_1]

Hear about travel to Saxony as the Amateur Traveler talks about a recent press trip to Leipzig, Dresden, Meissen, and more in this southeast corner of Germany.

Recommended Saxony Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Leipzig

Start in Leipzig. Base yourself in the compact historic center, ideally near the Old Town Hall. Chris stayed at the Steigenberger Icon Grand Hotel, close to the market square and the old town.

Spend your first afternoon exploring central Leipzig:

Old Town Hall
Naschmarkt
Leipzig’s historic passageways, built for trade
Explore the passageways
Auerbachs Keller, connected with Goethe and the story of Faust

Start with some of the industrial and creative sides of the city:

Spinnerei, the former textile-spinning industrial district now associated with artists and creative spaces
The Oscar Niemeyer Sphere, an unusual modern event space attached visually to an old brick industrial building
A canal boat tour, especially worthwhile in warmer weather

In the evening, have dinner in the old town, such as at Weinstock Restaurant, which Chris describes as a higher-end spot for traditional German dishes.

Day 2: Leipzig History, Music, Canals, and Museums

Spend a full day in Leipzig, which Chris presents as a city of trade, music, publishing, coffee, and peaceful revolution.

Chris recommends the Porsche factory and the Porsche Experience Center. The factory tour is especially good if you enjoy engineering, automation, or car manufacturing. Visitors can also do track experiences or off-road driving experiences.

Then focus on Leipzig’s historic and musical center:

St. Thomas Church, where Johann Sebastian Bach is buried
St. Nicholas Church, connected with the peaceful revolution of 1989
Bach Museum, which Chris strongly recommends even for people who are not classical music specialists
Mendelssohn House, especially if you want more music history

Optional Leipzig additions from the other travelers:

Zoo Leipzig, recommended by Sarah Milner as a historic zoo
Monument to the Battle of the Nations, recommended by Kelly Stillwell as an impressive monument from 1913
The Panometer, where Kelly saw the Antarctica panorama inside a former gasometer

Day 3: Colditz Castle, then Görlitz

Then head east toward Görlitz, stopping at:

Colditz Castle

Chris recommends Colditz Castle as one of the most memorable stops. It was once a hunting lodge, later an asylum, and during World War II a POW camp for captured Allied officers. The museum focuses heavily on escape attempts, including disguises, tunnels, and even a glider built in the attic. Chris especially liked the augmented-reality iPad experience that shows the castle in different periods.

Continue to Görlitz.

Spend the afternoon in Görlitz, right on the Polish border. Chris describes it as one of the best-preserved towns in Germany, with more than 4,000 protected buildings.

Recommended Görlitz stops:

Walk the historic center
See the synagogue, one of the few in Germany to survive Kristallnacht
Visit the Silesian Museum
Look for film locations, since Görlitz has stood in for other places in movies such as The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Reader, and Inglourious Basterds
Chris notes that the second Sunday in September, Monuments Day, is an especially good time for architecture fans because many protected buildings are open.

Day 4: Herrnhut and Meissen

Continue to Herrnhut, a UNESCO World Heritage site connected with the Moravian Church. Chris recommends seeing:

The restored Moravian church
The cemetery, laid out by the community’s religious traditions
The Moravian Star factory, where the 25-point stars are still made

On the way to Dresden, stop in Meissen, historically important as an early center of the House of Wettin and famous for porcelain.

Chris and the group visited the Meissen Porcelain Factory, where they saw the labor-intensive process of making and hand-painting porcelain. This stop also ties into the story of Johann Friedrich Böttger, Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, and the reinvention of porcelain-making in Europe.

With more time in Meissen, Chris suggests adding:

Albrechtsburg Castle
Meissen Cathedral
The historic old town

Then continue to Dresden.

Day 5: Dresden Palace, Old Town, and the Zwinger

Chris recommends giving Dresden more time than his group had. A good day in Dresden would include both a walking tour and several hours for the palace museums.

Key Dresden stops:

Dresden Royal Palace
The New Green Vault and Old Green Vault
The palace treasury, armor, clothing, and decorative arts collections
The palace courtyard with its restored sgraffito decoration
Frauenkirche, rebuilt after World War II
Neumarkt
Zwinger, especially the courtyard and museums
- Old Masters Picture Gallery
- Porcelain Collection
- Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments
Semperoper (Opera House)
Dresden Catholic Cathedral

Sarah Milner also recommends Pillnitz Palace, located outside Dresden’s center, followed by a boat ride back into the city along the Elbe. She describes the palace grounds as large, landscaped, and very pleasant for strolling.

Optional Add-ons

Chris says he would add these on a future trip:

Saxon Switzerland, south of Dresden, for the sandstone landscapes
The wine country along the Elbe outside Dresden
Bautzen, known for its medieval old town, towers, Sorbian culture, mustard museum, and mustard-related events