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.
Opens partner sites for live prices.
Upcoming events
SEHEN - HÖREN - STAUNEN - Faszination Frauenkirche
🎟️ From 14 €
Monty Python’s "Spamalot"
🎟️ From 23 €
Sommer-Kabarett: 9m² - 800 kalt
🎟️ From 26 €
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 €
Teuflische Göttinnen - (Musikkomödie)
🎟️ From 23 €
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 €
Die Guitarreros - Temperamente
🎟️ From 21 €
Quaster & friends
🎟️ From 38 €
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 €
Sonderkonzert Jazztage Dresden - Forster Family | Summertime - Pop, Soul, Jazz & More
🎟️ From 14 €
Einzeltermine - Klangwogen
🎟️ From 20 €
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 €
Leipziger Pfeffermühle - Urlaub vom Gehirn
🎟️ From 29 €
Cobario meets Vivaldi - Strings on Fire
🎟️ From 40 €
Herzenstrost und Seelenheil - Barocke Kantaten aus Mitteldeutschland
🎟️ From 25 €
Einzeltermine - Julia Lezhneva | Kammerorchester Basel
🎟️ From 22 €
Masud Akbarzadeh - Playlist
🎟️ From 31 €
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