Welcome to Saxony
Discover a German region like no other
Saxony is a place where 1,000 years of cultural history meet scenic beauty. Discover top-class art and culture, world-famous traditional handicraft and a unique musical landscape. The region's historic towns and cities are charming destinations full of character and stunning castles, palaces and gardens delight with their splendour and beauty. Saxony is also home to historical steam trains and has a long and fascinating history of automobile manufacturing which makes for special visitor experiences.
For travellers looking to relax, unwind and support their well-being, Saxony's famous health and spa resorts offer high-quality wellness and health holidays, and the region's varied nature provides ample grounds for active breaks and fun-filled family holidays. Saxony also features a wide range of accessible travel options. In other words: #VisitSaxony!
2024: 250th anniversary of Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) spent most of his life in Dresden. He travelled extensively in Saxony, preparing sketches and watercolours in his Dresden studio that became masterpieces. In total, he created 150 paintings. Always out and about on foot, he was a kind of early "slow traveller", with a keen eye for nature that his imagination translated into great works of art. Often misunderstood during his lifetime, Caspar David Friedrich is today regarded as the most important German painter of the Romantic period. His most famous painting is probably "Wanderer above the Sea of Fog" (Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer), which was inspired by the wildly romantic landscape of Saxon Switzerland. Saxony will host two big exhibitions starting in August in Dresden but it is definitely worthwile to explore Saxony on his tracks all year!
Summer highlight 2024:
Football fever in Leipzig
Leipzig is one of the ten German cities hosting the UEFA EURO 2024™. The 17th edition of the European Football Championship will be held from 14 June to 14 July 2024 under the motto “United by football. United in the heart of Europe“, with a total of three preliminary round matches and one round of 16 match played in Leipzig. The Augustusplatz fan zone in the heart of the city centre promises unforgettable moments for fans from around the world with open-air live broadcasts.
Chemnitz European Capital of Culture 2025
Once the richest city in Germany, then for decades not really making an appearance and only remembered by many as the "former Karl Marx City" - Chemnitz has set out to represent Germany as the "European Capital of Culture" in 2025. In the Capital of Culture 2025, undiscovered places will be brought to life and the invisible made visible in projects in line with the motto "C the Unseen". The focus will be on Europe's movers and shakers, weaving the thread of history into the future. Around 100 projects and around 1,000 events are planned for 2025. The good news: Visitors don't have to wait until 2025 to explore the undiscovered in Chemnitz and the Cultural Region.
„Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Spring in Saxony:
Read our top tips for things to do and see
Saxony is known for its unique Christmas traditions but Easter time is no less special. Head to Upper Lusatia in eastern Saxony where festive customs of the Sorbs, a Slavic minority, are kept alive. This includes Easter processions on horseback, artistically decorated Sorbian Easter eggs and a traditional game called Eierschieben in German which involves rolling eggs down a hill, to be witnessed in the town of Bautzen.
Pillnitz Palace & Park near Dresden is home to a splendid camellia, which which can be admired in full bloom until mid-April. The plant is over 250 years old and thought to be the largest and oldest of its kind north of the Alps. When in full bloom, thousands of delicate bell-shaped, carmine-red flowers adorn the almost nine-metre-high camellia – and as the purpose-built camellia house has two floors, this special sight can be enjoyed from all sides and even above.
More for flower lovers: From 9 March to 28 April, thousands of them will be in full bloom at Königstein Fortress in Saxon Switzerland. Visitors will be presented with a colourful and fragrant work of art, made up of tulips, hyacinths, crocuses, daisies, forget-me-nots and more. There are also oversized figures of butterflies, giant tulips and planted containers, making for excellent photo opportunities.
Immersive Monet experience in Dresden
Immersive art is having a moment – and from 7 March to 24 April 2024, Dresden visitors will be able to dive into “Monet’s Garden” and go on a 360-degree journey through the history and works of the French Impressionist master. The multisensory experience, combining installations and projections with music, makes Monet’s art, including his iconic flower paintings, come alive and tangible for viewers. Make sure to put this inspirational highlight on your Dresden agenda!
In 2024, Caspar David Friedrich's 250th birthday will be celebrated with exhibitions and events throughout Germany. Nature was the main source of inspiration for Germany's greatest Romantic painter who spent the majority of his life in Saxony and was known to enjoy a wander in the region‘s outdoor paradise Saxon Switzerland near Dresden. The Caspar David Friedrich Trail is a relaxed half-day tour that will take you to the most idyllic places where the painter paused for his sketches. It was reopened in 2024 with new signage and information boards. Follow in Friedrich’s footsteps and see the best of Saxon Switzerland in Spring!
Our highlights in Saxony´s holiday regions
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