Discover Friedrichstadt

Friedrichstadt in Dresden brings together Baroque architecture, urban history and a harbour setting. St Matthew's Church, Marcolini Palace, Yenidze and the Old Catholic Cemetery represent different chapters; at Alberthafen, the left-bank Elbe Cycle Route offers another perspective. When planning your trip, you can choose between architectural history, exploring the city on foot and a cycling tour—instead of following a single must-do itinerary.

Baroque landmarks and urban history

St Matthew's Church was built in the 18th century as a Baroque church. After suffering severe war damage, it was rebuilt; its crypt contains the stone sarcophagus of the master builder Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. This connects the building's history with a specific person and the reconstruction that followed the war damage.

The Old Catholic Cemetery on Friedrichstraße adds another perspective. It was established in 1720/24 and features artistically and historically valuable gravestones from the 18th and 19th centuries. The contrast between a sacred building with a crypt and a cemetery with gravestones draws attention to different traces of religious and urban history.

Palace, garden and fountain

At Marcolini Palace, a remarkable ballroom and the history of a garden come together. The ballroom is the only surviving Baroque hall from Dresden's Brühl era. After the grounds passed to Count Heinrich von Brühl in 1736, the garden became one of Saxony's most magnificent private parks. The historic rooms and old park make this a cultural attraction in Friedrichstadt.

The Neptune Fountain in the park of Dresden Municipal Hospital has a different kind of presence: the Baroque installation is 48 metres wide and features a three-tier cascade. Its width and stepped design give the fountain a distinctive presence alongside the district's historic buildings and rooms.

Yenidze also makes its own distinct statement. It was completed and opened in 1909 as a mosque-style tobacco factory. In summer, its rooftop terrace offers views of Dresden and its sights. If this view is an important part of your trip, plan to visit in summer.

Explore Friedrichstadt on foot and by bike

DVB Trail 4 is a walk 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. Check the timetables for these lines when planning your outing.

If you want to explore the district independently, you can follow the “A Friedrichstadt Neighbourhood” walking tour using a small map. It shares interesting facts about the district and leaves room for your own discoveries. Guided district tours follow historic streets and venerable buildings, offering new perspectives and fascinating details. The map and the guided tour provide different ways to explore: one supports independent discovery, while the other focuses on fresh perspectives on the district's history.

A 77-metre steel truss bridge in the Alberthafen area spans the harbour entrance and lies on the left-bank Elbe Cycle Route. Alongside the sites of architectural history, walking and cycling are therefore different ways to focus your exploration.

When choosing where to stay, it helps to start by asking whether you want to focus on architectural and cultural history or on getting around on foot and by bike. Friedrichstadt offers several specific themes to guide that choice, without any one attraction having to define your entire stay.

Discover more destinations: Weixdorf, Hirschstein, Hosterwitz, Lockwitz, Langebrück, Schönfeld-Weißig, Dresden, Dresden-Niederpoyritz.

Back to the main travel overview: Dresden.