Dresden

Castles and palaces in Dresden

A curated tour of Dresden’s principal castles and palaces, from compact Baroque court complexes to riverside villas. Highlights include the Zwinger’s ornate Baroque courtyards and galleries, the Residenzschloss’s multi‑period architecture and state collections, the Japanisches Palais housing an ethnology museum, the restored Baroque ensemble at Pillnitz, and the trio of Elbe palaces offering Neoclassical and 19th‑century villa architecture and river views.

Magdalena Valenzuela / CC BY-SA 4.0

Zwinger

Visit the impressive Baroque palace which was originally built as a part of a former Dresden fort.

Kolossos / CC BY-SA 3.0

Dresden Castle

You will find layers upon layers of different architectural styles on this fascinating palace.

SchiDD / CC BY 3.0

Japanese Palace

The Dresden Museum of Ethnology contains an ethnographic collection with more than 90,000 artefacts from all parts of the earth.

Kolossos / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Pillnitz Castle

Pillnitz Palace is a restored Baroque schloss at the eastern end of the city of Dresden in the German state of Saxony.

Kolossos / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Palais im Großen Garten

Baroque garden palace begun in 1679 as a summer or pleasure residence within the Großer Garten; features a compact baroque layout tied to the surrounding formal park.

Derbrauni / CC BY-SA 4.0

Albrechtsberg Palace

Albrechtsberg Palace or Albrechtsberg Castle is a Neoclassical stately home above the Elbe river in the Loschwitz district of Dresden.

adornix / CC BY-SA 3.0

Castle Eckberg

One of the three Elbe castles, situated on the right bank approximately 3 km upstream from central Dresden; historically a riverside villa, today operates as a hotel.