Are you looking for a day trip from Berlin or Dresden? Look no further. Meissen is a charming town to visit on a day trip. Keep reading to find out what you can see and do in this town in Saxony.
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Table of contents
Getting to Meissen
Meissen, (Meißen in German), is a small town around 25 kilometers away from Dresden, in the free state of Saxony, perfect for a city break. It is easily reachable within a 30-minute train ride from most stations in Dresden. The train station is less than 10 minutes away from the old town and everything from there is within walking distance.
As for Dresden, you can easily reach it by bus from many other German cities. I traveled there from Berlin by Flixbus, which took just over two hours and was really affordable. I often use Flixbus for low-cost travel around Europe and I recommend it!
Why visit Meissen, Germany
Meissen’s main landmarks are the Late Gothic castle of Albrechtsburg and the Gothic Meissen Cathedral. It’s a lovely little town, perfect for a day trip away from the busier big cities. Also, it is the home of Meissen porcelain, famous all over the world.
On my weekend trip to Dresden, I decided to opt for a quieter and more characteristic place to spend half a day. It was definitely a great decision as Meissen fits this description perfectly.
It was a summer day so the cobblestone streets were flooded in sunlight, colorful flowers were in bloom everywhere and the sky was blue, with just a few fluffy white clouds. The atmosphere is quite relaxed and in general, I got amazing vibes in this place.
Getting around
Walking from the train station to the city center, the first place to check out is Marktplatz. This is a lovely square with colorful buildings, restaurants, and bars all around. It’s also the place where markets take place and where you can find the Tourist Information office.
The big white building taking one side of the square is Meissen Town Hall. In the south corner of the square, you will find the Church of Our Lady, or Frauenkirche in German. You can climb the church tower for a view of Meissen from above.
From Marktplatz, feel free to wander around the small streets of the old town, check out the shops and cafés, and discover tiny squares and colorful buildings. Check out Kleinmarkt, Heinrichsplatz, and Burgstrasee, the street that leads towards the castle, lined with shops and restaurants.
Keep walking up the street then continue onto Hohlweg and over the bridge (Schlossbrücke) up to Torhaus. This is the gateway to Domplatz, the Cathedral Square. Torhaus also hosts a great collection of porcelain.
As previously mentioned, Meissen is famous for the production of porcelain. The first European porcelain was manufactured here back in 1710. For this reason, the town attracted many artists and artisans back in the 18th century. The logo of Meissen porcelain, two crossed swords, is one of the oldest trademarks in existence, dating back to 1720.
Albrechtsburg and Meissen Cathedral
Now you have reached the historical center of Meissen, with the cathedral and the castle. Meissen Cathedral will rise in front of you as soon as you pass Torhaus, imposing and magnificent. The Gothic cathedral is located right next to the castle and together they make up an iconic view of Meissen from the valley below. Although it was built between 1260 and 1410, the two 81-meter-high Neo-Gothic towers were only built between 1903 and 1909.
The cathedral is no longer in use for church services, except on special occasions, but you can visit it for a fee. There are different options for visiting the church and the towers, having a guided tour, or listening to organ music. You can find all the fees here. As for the opening hours, they may differ depending on the season so make sure to check them here. You can also get a combined ticket for both the cathedral and the castle.
Albrechtsburg is a Late Gothic castle developed from a fortified military camp built on a hill along the Elbe River back in 919 on orders of King Heinrich I. The castle as it appears today was built in 1471. Nowadays Albrechtsburg is a museum and it contains a range of murals from the 19th century illustrating events from the history of Saxony and of the castle as well as a permanent exhibition of Meissen porcelain and medieval Saxon sculpture. In addition, you can at times find temporary exhibitions. Find out more information and admission prices on the Albrechtsburg official website.
If you want to learn more about Meissen, you can join this Guided Walking Tour. An expert guide will take you on a beautiful tour of Meissen and share interesting facts about the main landmarks.
The view from the valley
Going back down from the castle hill, you can cross the bridge (Altstadtbrücke) for a great view of Meissen. You can enjoy a walk along the riverside and check out how Albrechtsburg and Meissen Cathedral dominate the “skyline” of Meissen, with small colorful houses gathering around at the feet of the castle hill. It’s quite an impressive view.
Where to eat
If you have enough time to include a meal on your city break in Meissen, there are several restaurants where you can either have a typical German meal or various other specialties. For a German lunch, consider having a stop either at Winkelkrug, a small restaurant with a nice garden, or Grüner Humpen zu Meissen, situated at the end of Burgstrasse, walking towards the castle.
You can also find Greek specialties at Goldener Ring, Vietnamese at Asia Mekong in Kleinmarkt, and many other places. For an ice cream try Eiscafé Venezia in Heinrichsplatz.
Staying in Meissen
If you choose to spend the night in Meissen, I recommend checking Booking.com for accommodation. I didn’t spend the night there myself, but I always use Booking.com to find hotels and homestays. Check out some options below:
I would say that one full day is enough to visit the main places in Meissen, or even half a day if you are not planning to take the tours of the castle and the Cathedral.
If you are visiting Meissen as part of your trip to Dresden, make sure to check my detailed article on this beautiful baroque city here. You can easily fit these two places in a weekend. Whatever you choose, I hope you’ll enjoy your Meissen day trip!
Happy travels!
