Three Wishes for Cinderella are right over the hill! Dresden and the Saxon Elbe Valley are great tourist attractions
Do you long for a vacation abroad, but you'd still like to stay close to the Czech Republic? There's an easy solution: why not visit Dresden and the Saxon Elbe Valley, which is slowly but surely reopening to tourists and offers plenty of culture, beautiful nature with golden vineyards and the very castle from the fairy tale Three Wishes for Cinderella!
It's been a couple of weeks since the borders between the Czech Republic and Saxony reopened. Although in the region of Dresden and the Elbe Valley, much like in our country, a variety of strict hygienic measures such as social distancing and using face masks in certain places still apply, most tourist attractions and accommodation facilities are open to guests. The region is slowly but surely waking up to life. If you've decided to treat yourself to a few pleasant sunny days only a few kilometers beyond the border, Germany might be just the destination you're looking for.
“Staying in and around Dresden is ideal for an active summer holiday for single travelers, couples and families with children alike. A combined stay in the city and in the countryside is an excellent alternative to a holiday by the sea,"
claims Corinne Misseer, senior manager of Dresden's main tourist office, adding that cultural monuments, museums and other tourist attractions have opened the summer season with new attractive programs.
Culture awaits!
Popular Dresden museums, such as the Residential Castle Museum and the Grünes Gewölbe, which has been closed since the robbery at the end of 2019, as well as the Gemäldegalerie with its 17th-century sculpture exhibition are all open. This world-famous exhibition was opened in February 2020 after almost a decade of extensive reconstruction and unexpectedly closed again in mid-March due to coronavirus restrictions. Today, visitors can admire Raphael's Sistine Madonna, Rembrandt's work Ganymede, paintings by Italian painter Bernard Bellott and more. The Semper Opera, the Frauenkirche church, the Transport Museum, the Panometer Dresden, the Volkswagen glass manufactory (Gläserne Manufaktur), the Elbe fleet of paddle steamers, a city tour and more attractiones have reopened, too. It is also possible to visit the zoo and take a small railway that passes through the royal park (Grosser Garten).
Something for sports enthusiasts
Active individuals will also come into their own here, as the region offers countless hiking and cycling options around the Elbe and Saxon ponds. For planning your route, it is a good idea to download the navigation application Komoot. You can take the trail along the Dresden Elbland water canal, but the Royal Route (Königsweg), the cycle path along the Elbe (Elberadweg) or the Saxon Wine Trail (Sächsischer Weinwanderweg) are equally famous. The Saxon Wine Trail will let you discover not only magical vineyards, but also delicious Saxon wine in little cellars. Saxon wine. And if that's not enough, you can end the adventure with a pinch of adrenaline - take a ride on a boat, canoe or surf.
Nothing but relax
At the end of the day, why not settle down comfortably, tune in your senses and set out on a panoramic ride through the region on the narrow-gauge railway Lößnitzgrundbahn, also known under the cute nickname "dachshund"? The road leads from Radebeul through Moritzburg, along the lakes and the castle where the legendary fairy tale Three Wishes for Cinderella was filmed to Radeburg, and offers a truly unique spectacle.
