Explore famous Castles in Saxony on these Castle Tours in Germany
We like castles and palaces in Saxony very much. These three baroque castles in Saxony should know everyone who likes locks.
- The Dresden Zwinger impresses with its orangery.
- Wackerbarth Castle in Radebeul offers excellent wines.
- Castle Moritzburg offers a great location as a moated castle.
Three baroque castles in Saxony
Castles attract us magically. On the one hand, they are full of stories, on the other hand they impress with their architecture. Art lovers and history lovers are right there. The three baroque castles on our journey through the castles of Saxony all originated in the time of Augustus the Strong. He either had them built for himself, like the kennel and Moritzburg Castle. Or they were built by his subjects, who showed themselves in his ministries. This includes Schloss Wackerbarth. Especially exciting is that each of these locks fulfills other purposes.
Baroque castles in Saxony and August the Strong
Elector Augustus the Strong lived at the time of the French Sun King. As usual in his days, he undertook a journey through Europe as a young man. He also got to know the Palace of Versailles. From then on, he dreamed of building a similarly magnificent castle in his native Saxony. In addition, he lacked a royal crown as king. He fixed this blemish, when he was crowned King of Poland.
In order to finance the buildings that arose during his reign, a fortunate circumstance came to his aid. Elegant porcelain has been known in Europe for a long time. Nobody on this continent could produce it alone. Until the time of August the Strong, the valuable tableware was imported from China. The Chinese have been making porcelain for centuries. However, they guarded the secret of its production like a state treasure.
August wanted to furnish his locks splendidly. However, waiting for the shipments from China made him impatient. Therefore, he had research into how to produce the "white gold". By chance, a farmer discovered white earth on his field and with it the previously missing ingredient for porcelain production: kaolin. From then on the zeal of Augustus the Strong knew no bounds. With the profit that the products from the Meißen porcelain factory made for him, he built one castle after another.
The Orangery in the Zwinger in Dresden
The Zwinger in Dresden was the first stop on our journey to the Baroque castles in Saxony. In fact, the Zwinger was never completed. The plans of August the Strong went far beyond what can be seen today. Nevertheless, it is one of the most beautiful baroque gardens that we have seen so far. The Orangery in the Zwinger has been wearing its name rightly since 2017 again. At the time of August the Strong 800 orange trees stood in the park. Currently there are 76. Like in earlier times they have been planted in transportable wooden containers. And as they did then, they are transported to a shelter at the end of the summer. In the time of August, these were the arcades that enclose the orangerie of the Zwinger. Today it is the Orangery of the baroque garden Großsedlitz in Heidenau.
Oranges and bitter oranges were considered as a sign of power during baroque times. They were compared to the golden apples of the Hesperides, which the Greek mythical hero Hercules stole from their garden. A ruler, who owned orange trees, could compare himself with Hercules. The statue of Hercules, who carries the globe on his shoulders, sits enthroned above the pavilion in the Orangerie of the Zwinger.
As in the time of August the Strong, the Zwinger Orangery is open to the public. This is not without danger for the orange trees. Even the gardeners of earlier times complained about the behavior of ignorant visitors. Currently, gardeners are responsible for the orange trees. These observe strictly, what is good for the plants or what harms them.
Zwinger in Dresden
Sophienstraße
01067 Dresden
Tours in Dresden* book here
Wackerbarth Castle in Radebeul, one of the smaller Baroque castles in Saxony
Wackerbarth Castle is quite different. It is also one of the baroque castles in Saxony. The palace was built by Field Marshal and Cabinet Minister Imperial Count August Friedrich von Wackerbarth, who was in the service of August the Strong. He had bought the vineyards. Below these he settled in his retirement home Wackerbarth's Rest. Today Wackerbarth Castle is owned by the German state of Saxony. It is run as a state winery and the castle is used for events. If you want, you can marry in the rooms of the castle. But you should sign up early. The castle is in high demand for weddings.
This doesn't surprise us. The castle lies in a park like no other. In the middle of the vineyard above the castle the Belvedere can be found, a pavilion used for events. At the top of the ridge of the vineyards is another viewing pavilion, from which the view sweeps across the Elbe over the countryside. Behind the castle there is a pond, whose fountain provides a fresh spray on this hot summer day.
Wackerbarth Castle is a place for gourmets. In the restaurant Schloss Wackerbarth a lunch with fresh asparagus awaits us. In addition there's sparkling wine and wines from the winery. After a tour of the park and the castle, we taste the wines in the champagne and wine cellar of the castle. We end our visit to this flagship winery in the wine shop of the castle, which provides a great choice of local wines.
Castle Wackerbarth
Wackerbarthstraße 1
01445 Radebeul / Dresden
Book here your tours to Wackerbarth Castle *
Castle Moritzburg, Hunting lodge of Augustus the Strong and one of the Baroque Castles in Saxony
Castle Moritzburg shows us a different kind of Saxon castles. This castle, like the Zwinger, was owned by August the Strong. Only that nobody lived here all year round. Castle Moritzburg was a hunting lodge. For this reason, the courtly company from Dresden moved with the entire court to Moritzburg on hunting trips. On the ground floor of the castle, we see one of the kitchen trolleys, in which all kitchen utensils and the valuable porcelain and silverware from Dresden were brought.
Moritzburg Castle is particularly impressive because of its location in the middle of a lake. As we learn, the court of Augustus the Strong celebrated magnificent festivities here. Even a ship was used in this lake for the amusement of the elector's guests. But we do not see anything of that anymore. Instead, some wild geese leave their quiet tracks in the lake.
This is what a Courtly Visit to the Hunting Lodge looked like
While storm clouds gather on the horizon and the wind dispels the sultry heat of the day in the late afternoon, we enter the castle. There we learn how the courtly society was hosted. The court came here from Dresden at regular intervals. The journey took about two hours by coach. In the large castle kitchen food for August the Strong and his guests was prepared. Up to fifty courses were sometimes on the menu. For one meal, mind you. One of the ways, in which August showed his power, was to have his subjects watch him at his meal.
The furniture we see in the castle today has been brought here from Dresden. In the times of August the Strong, it was part of the baggage that was prepared for his arrival. Most of the rooms in the castle were empty. Only hunting trophies, which August himself had killed, hung on the walls. Among them are antlers, which he received in the course of his reign as gifts from state guests. This explains the elk and reindeer antlers in the reception hall of the castle. The paintings, you see in the halls today, have just been hung there.
Castle Moritzburg
Schloßallee
01468 Moritzburg
Book here your tours to Moritzburg Castle *
Conclusion - the Baroque Castles in Saxony are worth a visit:
A visit to these castles not only shows us different baroque castles in Saxony. In addition, it gives an insight into the courtly life in the 17th and 18th century. In addition, since the castles are close to each other, you can also visit them very well on a short stay. They are also great destinations for excursions from Dresden.
Explore other Castles in Saxony and Germany
- The story is also exciting Castle Proschwitz near Meissen
- You can experience a medieval castle, for example Castle Mildenstein
- Heike also provides Castle Augustusburg in her blog, a magnificent Baroque palace in Brühl.
Travel Arrangements:
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
Arrival by plane, car, bus and train to the castles in Saxony
Arrival by plane, bus or train*. Dresden has its own airport. From there you can then book a rental car. It is also possible to arrive by train
Car Rentals:
Book your rental car in Germany here *
Camper Rentals:
An Caravan For example, you can book here. Or would you rather travel with that instead? roof tent on the car? In addition, the overnight stay in camping tents is possible.
Accommodations in Dresden
Hotels in and around Dresden * You can book online, for example with our partner booking.com.
Excursions and tours in and around Dresden
For example, Get your Guide has it Excursions and tours in Dresden * and to the mentioned castles for online booking.
Other Tips for slow travelers is also available here.
Do you know this?
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- Romanesque road from Havelberg to Jerichow Monastery
- Nice places and great food
- Stams Tirol and its sights
- Which rain jacket is the best?
- 5 wine towns on the Main
- Water features in Kassel
- Kassel sights
- Where can you stay overnight in Germany with a motorhome?
Source: own research on site by the baroque castles in Saxony on invitation of castles Saxony. Our opinion, however, remains our own.
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
My home :) - I love these locks!
I wish you a nice weekend!
They also inspired us. We also liked that you can combine them well on a journey because they are so close to each other.
Oh Monika, I knew that you were in Tuscany, Saxony in Radebeul. I also fell in love with Wackerbarth Castle. Even if not really a castle, the winery totally blew me away.
Dear Jessica,
I can understand that well. We were just the same :)
Best regards,
Monika
Dear Monika,
With Radebeul you presented me with a castle that was completely unknown to me. Your report reads wonderfully and lures you on a castle tour.
Your tips are saved for next year.
Sunny greetings Katja
PS and you are still dreaming about Christmas, right?
Dear Katja,
I'm glad, if we could animate you to a castle tour :) However, I do not quite understand what you mean by Christmas?
Best regards,
Monika
Hello you two,
This is really a great tip for a weekend trip. The Dresdner Zwinger has been on my wish list for so long. I did not even know Schloss Wackerbarth, but it really looks like pure enjoyment: fresh asparagus and a good glass of wine - who can resist it ... ;-)
LG
Catherine
Dear Katharina,
we are still enthusiastic about our tour through the baroque palaces around Dresden. A wonderful activity for a weekend :) And for an overnight stay, we recommend the guest house in the Proschwitz Castle winery. I have just published a second post about this, which you can find under the link. This is the perfect way to end a perfect day.
Best regards,
Monika and Petar
The Moritzburg - that's where the long-running Christmas hit “3 hazelnut for ash-bread”, isn't it? Great, your report - and you had great photo weather!
Liebe Sabine
Yes you are right. I did not know that until then. Next Christmas I will see the movie with completely different eyes :). Thank you very much for the nice comment. I am very glad that you like our report. With the weather we were incredibly lucky, because when we left Castle Moritzburg, threatening storm clouds moved up.
Best regards,
Monika
Hello you two,
These are all really very interesting locks!
The Orangerie in Zwinger in Dresden, I've already looked at, but the others must definitely be made up. :)
Best regards,
Jessi
Dear Jessi,
we can highly recommend it. And they are only a few kilometers away from Dresden. These are trips that are really worthwhile.
Best regards,
Monika
Hello you two,
great article in which I learned a lot about life in the times of August the Strong. I found it interesting that he - like so many others at the time - tried to build himself a palace in Versailles. He succeeded in a small style, I would say. By the way, Peter the Great has also tried that: About an hour from St. Petersburg he has built the very magnificent Petershof with a gigantic garden directly on the Baltic Sea. Anything that gets to Versailles, that's it. And you, as castle-lovers, can only really recommend a trip to St. Petersburg. What a pomp!
I also liked your article so much because just two months ago I did a bike ride on the Elbe from Dresden to Magdeburg. We looked at the kennel in Dresden, even though we were not so lucky with the weather as you. But at Schloss Wackerbarth and Moritzburg we unfortunately passed by. As I see here, the detour would have been worth it, especially if you can combine the castle visit with a good meal and a wine tasting. Definitely come on my bucket list.
Regards
Claudia
Liebe Claudia,
Thank you very much for the detailed comment. We are very happy about that. I can very well imagine that St. Petersburg is an interesting travel destination for us. So far, however, we only “know” this from photos and travel reports. As far as Schloss Wackerbarth and Moritzburg are concerned, a visit there is definitely worth it - whether for a break on a bike tour or a weekend trip.
Best regards,
Monika and Petar
Hello! This is a wonderful report with great pictures! I have recently seen a lot about Dresden and its beautiful surroundings on Instagram. Your article is super prepared and well researched. Thanks for reading this. LG from Carinthia, Anita
Dear Anita,
Thank you very much for your nice comment. We are very happy if you like our article. These three baroque castles in Saxony really inspired us. Nice, if we have managed to bring that over in our post.
Best regards,
Monika and Petar
Hello you two!
I already looked at the kennel. I really like him.
I do not know the other two goals yet, whereby the visit to Moritzburg was already considered. Your report shows me that I should follow action. Seems to be really interesting.
Thank you, dearest greeting Susanne
Dear Susanne,
absolutely! Moritzburg Castle is not only interesting because the film version of “Aschenbrödel” was shot there. The castle is beautifully situated in the middle of the lake, and its history as a hunting lodge August the Strong can still be felt today.
Best regards,
Monika and Petar
I would also really like the residence in the vineyards. Great sightseeing inspiration for the summer!
Dear Silke, dear Thomas,
We can highly recommend that to you. A nice place to enjoy and relax. And there are hiking opportunities right outside the front door. Perfect for you!
Best regards,
Monika and Petar
It is really beautiful! I would have loved to see it live, but Air Berlin unfortunately messed up this trip that would have been next week. According to your pictures, I am twice as disappointed but also determined: I am putting Dresden and its castles on the map again for 2018.
Kind regards
Sabine
Liebe Sabine
the Saxon castles inspired us. Too bad your trip falls into the water. But maybe it will be something next year. I'm looking forward to your report.
Best regards,
Monika and Petar
I was just in Dresden and the surrounding area and also visited two of the three castles, so I can confirm how beautiful they are :) The kennel is a dream and the Moritzburg is mainly reminiscent of "Three hazelnuts for Cinderella" and is wonderfully romantic.
Since I can recommend a visit - just like you in this beautiful post - to the heart. I just remembered so beautifully.
Best regards,
Maria
Liebe Maria,
We can only agree with you enthusiastically. The two castles - and also Schloss Wackerbarth - are absolutely worth a visit. We have discovered more castles and palaces in the area, which we will cover here soon. Maybe there is something here that interests you.
Best regards,
Monika and Petar
Dear Monika, dear Petar,
These are wonderful reports of beautiful castles that you have visited there. Interestingly enough, Saxony is often underestimated as a tourist destination in Germany, while foreign tourists have long recognized that the region around Dresden offers so much.
Personally I do not know Schloss Wackerbarth in Radebeul yet, of course I know the kennel well and about Moritzburg I wrote an article last December; in winter this is particularly appealing.
Best regards,
Barbara
Dear Barbara,
We were in this region for the first time and are thrilled with what Saxony has to offer. Not only the castles are worth a trip. We also liked the scenery very much. There is certainly much more to discover.
That Moritzburg looks beautiful in winter, I can well imagine. I'll rummage through your blog right now.
Best regards,
Monika and Petar
I keep saying, my home is beautiful :).
Warm greetings to you!
Dear Jenny,
I can only agree with that. We are so excited about the castles of Saxony, but also of the beautiful landscape. I can not believe we were not there earlier.
Best regards,
Monika
Hey, yes that's what many say - in the old dark Germany it seemed to be dark everywhere :).
But I think it's great that you have explored my home :).
Greetings!
Hi Jenny,
yes, and that was certainly not the last time we were there :)
Best regards,
Monika