Art Collections, Opening Hours, Admission Prices, and Cheap Passes

The Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (State Art Collections) in Saxony, Germany is magnificent collection of art spread over museums in the Zwinger, Schloss, and Albertinum.

photo credit: dierk schaefer

The eleven museums of the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) are mainly housed in three buildings in Dresden’s old town: the Zwinger, Residenzschloss (Palace), and the Albertinum. The magnificent collections include not only paintings (old masters, impressionist, modern) and sculptures but also a huge collection of porcelain, prints, and coins. Scientific instruments and weaponry on display are as much art as practical instruments. »»»Continue reading…

Best German Weihnachtsmärkte in Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Dresden, Rothenburg

Every German city has a Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt). The best ones include Frankfurt am Main, Nuremberg (Nürnberg), Dresden, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Lübeck, Berlin, and Munich (München).

photo credit: Paleontour

Germany is famous for its romantic Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte) held all over the country in the advent period preceding Christmas. Christmas markets differ from region to region but for the average foreign visitor, these differences are of minor importance. When picking which German Christmas market to visit, more relevant considerations are the costs and time required to get to the market town, hotel accommodation, and what other entertainment are available. Visitors are unlikely to spend a full day, never mind a whole weekend, at the market itself. It is more common to spend most of the day doing shopping or sightseeing and visit the Christmas market in the late afternoon / early evening.  Berlin and Munich may not have the best Christmas markets in Germany but remain by far the most interesting cities in Germany to visit. »»»Continue reading…

German Cultural, Architectural, and Natural Treasures

Quedlinburg Dom & Schloss (Cathedral & Castle)

Germany is a keen participant in UNESCO activities and takes the UNESCO World Heritage List very seriously. Presently, 32 German sites are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. These cultural, architectural, and natural treasures help explain German influence in humanity’s common heritage.

German sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (in order of inclusion on the list) are:

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Low Airfares on Low-Cost Airlines to DRS and Meissen in Saxony

Dresden Airport

photo credit: jillclardy

Low-cost airlines have cheap tickets and low airfares for flights to Dresden Airport (DRS) from German cities and the Mediterranean. No direct flights are currently available from London or other British (UK) airports.

Connecting flights are available from Dresden Airport (DRS) to around 400 destinations in more than 100 countries but the number of non-stop flights and destinations are far more limited. Cheap flights from Flughafen Dresden go mostly south to the larger Mediterranean region where Germans enjoy their holidays. However, numerous flights are available from the capital of Saxony to German airports and other West European cities. Flights from London were recently suspended forcing British travelers to fly via Berlin Airports. Dresden Airport is also very convenient for travelers to Meißen, home of Meissen porcelain. »»»Continue reading…

The Blue Crossed-Swords Meissen Porcelain Manufacturing in Europe

Glockenspieltor and Entrance to the Porcelan Collection (Meissen) at the The Zwinger in Dresden, Germany

The Saxon company Meissen and its blue crossed-swords trademark are synonymous with high-quality porcelain as befits the company that initiated porcelain production in Europe.

It was long the dream of Europeans to produce porcelain similar to the white gold that was imported at great expense into Europe from China. However, the discovery of the production secrets of porcelain came totally by accident. It was in Saxony, under the orders to produce real gold, that porcelain was first produced in Europe.

First Porcelain Produced in Dresden

In the early 18th century, alchemist Johann Friedrich Böttger had to flee for his life from Prussia after failing to perfect the alchemist dream of producing gold. August the Strong, King of Poland and Prince Elector of Saxony, was quick to arrest Böttger, refused to extradite him to the Prussian king, and imprisoned him with the order to produce gold, or else… »»»Continue reading…