Discover Friedrichstadt

Friedrichstadt combines Dresden’s urban history with distinctive buildings and opportunities to explore the district on foot or by bicycle. Baroque church and garden art sits alongside the unusual architecture of the Yenidze. Families can shape their stay around their own interests: they might focus on historic places, a walk to the Ostragehege, or views along the Elbe Cycle Route.

Baroque history and distinctive buildings

St Matthew’s Church is a Baroque church in Dresden’s Friedrichstadt, built in the 18th century. It was rebuilt after suffering severe war damage. Its history also includes a crypt with the stone sarcophagus of master builder Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. The church thus combines architectural history with a tangible glimpse into the remembrance of an important master builder. You can include this site alongside other traces of Dresden’s past as you explore.

The Neptune Fountain in the park of Dresden Municipal Hospital offers another expression of Baroque design. The fountain complex is 48 metres wide and features a three-tiered cascade. Its scale and tiered structure set it apart from a single fountain basin. The Yenidze also shapes the image of Friedrichstadt with its unusual architectural history: it was completed and opened in 1909 as a tobacco factory in the style of a mosque. In summer, its rooftop terrace offers views of Dresden and its sights.

At Marcolini Palace, historic rooms meet an old park. Together, they form a cultural attraction in Friedrichstadt. The palace ballroom is the only surviving Baroque hall from the Brühl era in Dresden. The garden’s history is also linked to Count Heinrich von Brühl: after the grounds passed to him in 1736, the garden became one of the most magnificent private parks in Saxony. These varied details—the hall, palace and park—give the district’s history more than just an architectural dimension.

Another place with a historic character is the Old Catholic Cemetery on Friedrichstraße. It was established in 1720/24 and contains artistically and historically valuable gravestones from the 18th and 19th centuries. Those interested in tombstone design and older urban history will find a different perspective here than at a church, palace or fountain complex.

Getting around on foot and by bicycle

DVB Walk 4 is a route from Friedrichstadt to the Ostragehege. It starts at the Weißeritzstraße stop, served by tram line 10 and bus line 68. At the end, you can catch tram line 10 back from the MESSE DRESDEN stop. You can take these details into account if you would like to combine a walk with a return journey by public transport.

There is also a specific landmark to look out for on a bike ride: on the grounds of Alberthafen, a 77-metre-long steel truss bridge crosses the harbour entrance along the left-bank Elbe Cycle Route. Its construction and connection to the harbour make this experience different from a walk focused on historic buildings and sites. This lets you choose different interests for your stay without having to combine them into a single tour.

Explore the district in your own way

The “A Quarter of Friedrichstadt” walking tour can be followed using a small town map. It shares interesting facts about the district while leaving room for your own discoveries. Guided district tours also follow historic streets and venerable buildings, offering new perspectives and interesting details. If you like to set your own pace and choose what to focus on, the map-based walk offers a different way to get to know the area than a guided tour. Both approaches draw attention to Friedrichstadt’s history and character.

When choosing your holiday apartment, these experiences can help you decide what kind of trip you want: if you mainly want to discover cultural history, consider the church, palace, cemetery and Yenidze. If you would rather add some activity to your days, you could focus on the walk to the Ostragehege or the Elbe Cycle Route. Consider which of Friedrichstadt’s different sides should shape your trip.

More location pages: Niedersedlitz, Coschütz, Kleinzschachwitz, Klotzsche, Dresden, Schönfeld-Weißig, Hirschstein, Langebrück.

Back to the main travel overview: Dresden.