Known as ‘Florence on the Elbe,’ Dresden is one of Europe’s most beautiful and culturally rich cities. The Wettin dynasty and especially August the Strong in the 18th century brought unparalleled riches to the capital of Saxony. With the invention of European porcelain called ‘white gold,’ he made his fortune and collected gold, jewels, ivory and masterpieces in painting. His financier, the Court Jew Berend Lehmann, is considered the patriarch of the modern Jewish community. An important symbol for this community was the establishment of Saxony’s first Jewish cemetery in 1751; located in Dresden Neustadt, it can still be visited today.
The Semper Opera, the magnificent Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) and the Baroque Zwinger are among the world’s most impressive feats of architecture.
The old Semper Synagogue was destroyed by the Nazis during the Pogrom Night in November 1938. One of the most impressive testimonies detailing the life and persecution of Dresden’s small Jewish community are the diaries of Victor Klemperer.
Virtually destroyed in a massive bombing raid in February 1945, Dresden then mainly lay dormant in former Eastern Germany. Now it has risen like a phoenix out of the ashes and visitors enjoy its Baroque beauty once again. Like the city itself, the Dresden Jewish community has recently experienced a renaissance attested to by the unique New Synagogue with its golden tent-like inner structure suggesting flexibility within stability. The synagogue, which won an architectural prize in 2002, hosted the first ordination of rabbis in Germany since WWII.
Sitting in the kosher Café Shoshana within the community center one can enjoy the welcoming atmosphere of a small but flourishing community. Dresden lies halfway between Prague and Berlin and invites its visitors for a stopover in this jewel of European culture.
Milk and honey tours offers half and full day tours in Dresden. We also offer guided individualized day trips to Dresden from Berlin. Tours include main sights of the city as well as the Jewish sights. A stop-over in Dresden is an attractive solution for customers who continue on to Prague (or come from Prague to Berlin). For porcelain enthusiasts, ask about Meissen!
Tour Options
3 hour walking tour
- New Synagogue, site of old Semper synagogue
- Jewish Community Center and Café Schoschana (kosher)
- Holocaust Memorial, 6-armed menorah
- The Bruehl Terrace, called: "The Balcony of Europe"
- Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) , symbol of Dresden 's post-war reconstruction
- Jew's Square - heart of Dresden 's medieval city
- The Procession of the Princes and the Royal Residence
- Semper Opera House
- The magnificent Zwinger, considered the height of baroque architecture in Europe
- World-class museums of Old Masters, Meissen Porcelain, etc.
- The Green Vault, the most extravagant collection of royal treasures in Europe
Note: Museums inside on request; you can choose to see these museums on your own after the tour, but our guide could give you a good introduction.
5 hour tour, walking & with vehicle could include as well:
- Old Jewish Cemetery (1751)
- Pfunds' Milk shop, the most beautiful milk shop in Europe!
- The Blue Wonder bridge
- Drive along the Elbe & see aristocratic palaces
- Villa Salzburg built by the first Jewish millionaires of Dresden
- New Jewish cemetery with ‘synagogue' used in communist times