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Saxony: Dresden to Görlitz – Route Guide

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Bastei bridge Saxon Switzerland — Saxony: Dresden to Görlitz
Photo: Bernd Thaller from Graz, Austria · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Dresden rebuilt itself stone by numbered stone, and the result: Frauenkirche, Zwinger, Old Masters. Is astonishing twice over. Upriver, sandstone pinnacles carry the Bastei bridge above the Elbe; downriver, Meissen still paints crossed blue swords on porcelain. Görlitz, Germany's easternmost and prettiest town, plays every era in the movies because it kept them all.

Saxony: Dresden to Görlitz is a 170 km one-way journey (self-drive). It works best as 2–4 days; the plan below is the 3-day version for June, built from 223 verified places, with real road-routed transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

2–4
days
170km
distance
4
Stops
223
curated stops

Plan your own version → 2-day plan · 3-day plan · 4-day plan · best time to go

The route

Dresden & Saxon Switzerland→ 25 kmMeissen→ 60 kmBautzen→ 45 kmGörlitz

What you'll see

Zwinger Palace
Admire baroque art and the famous Sistine Madonna in grand galleries.
Dresden & Saxon Switzerland
Meissen cathedral
You will see stunning Gothic architecture with intricate stonework and vibrant stained-glass windows overlooking the Elbe River.
Meissen
Sorbisches Museum
Explore Sorbian culture through trade, costumes, music, and contemporary art.
Bautzen
Schönhof
Step into a well-preserved Renaissance building housing a museum of Silesian history.
Görlitz
Grünes Gewölbe
Behold glittering treasures and historic goldsmith craftsmanship in a royal vault.
Dresden & Saxon Switzerland
Albrechtsburg
Marvel at the grand architecture of this historic castle towering above the town.
Meissen
Saint Peter's Cathedral
Visit Germany's oldest interdenominational church and ascend its tower.
Bautzen
St. Peter and Paul Church
Admire the towering Gothic architecture of this stunning 15th-century church.
Görlitz

Choose your length

2-day plan11 stops · 4.2 h transit5.5 stops/day · 2.1 h transit/daySee the full plan →3-day plan19 stops · 5.2 h transit6.3 stops/day · 1.7 h transit/daySee the full plan →4-day plan23 stops · 4.3 h transit5.8 stops/day · 1.1 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: May, June, July, August, September, October

The Bastei bridge floats over morning mist in Saxon Switzerland, and Görlitz's film-set streets are golden by late afternoon — photographers' season.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

Similar journeys

Plan your own version →